Isaac Hayes Quits South Park Over Religion
Isaac Hayes has quit “South Park,” claiming that the show has become intolerant of religion.
“There is a place in this world for satire, but there is a time when satire ends and intolerance and bigotry towards religious beliefs of others begins,” the 63-year-old soul singer and outspoken Scientologist said. “Religious beliefs are sacred to people, and at all times should be respected and honored,” he continued. “As a civil rights activist of the past 40 years, I cannot support a show that disrespects those beliefs and practices.”
“South Park” co-creator Matt Stone responded sharply in an interview with The Associated Press Monday, saying, “This is 100 percent having to do with his faith of Scientology… He has no problem — and he’s cashed plenty of checks — with our show making fun of Christians.” Last November, “South Park” targeted the Church of Scientology and its celebrity followers, including actors Tom Cruise and John Travolta, in a top-rated episode called “Trapped in the Closet.” In the episode, Stan, one of the show’s four mischievous fourth graders, is hailed as a reluctant savior by Scientology leaders, while a cartoon Cruise locks himself in a closet and won’t come out. Stone told The AP he and co-creator Trey Parker “never heard a peep out of Isaac in any way until we did Scientology. He wants a different standard for religions other than his own, and to me, that is where intolerance and bigotry begin.”
I have to agree with Stone on this one. The show has always been incredibly brutal on religion, even featuring Jesus as a character. It’s mighty late in the game to suddenly become sensitive.
Ed Morrissey agrees: “After nine seasons of foul-mouthed riffs on God, religion, molesting Catholic priests, the Mormon testament, and the Jews, Hayes has suddenly discovered that poking fun at religion is disrespectful? Has he even watched the show?”
Patrick Frey observes that, “What Hayes fails to mention is that he is full of it. For example: if he truly meant this, he probably wouldn’t have taken money for the episode in which Chef boxes Jesus and knocks him out with a single blow.”
Here’s the Scientology episode, “Trapped in the Closet.”
I read somewhere (I believe GQ) not long ago that Parker and Stone wanted to do this episode years ago but held off out of deference to Hayes.
Update: MTV confirms:
In an interview published in GQ earlier this year, show co-creator Trey Parker said, “To be honest, what kept us from [parodying Scientology] before was Isaac Hayes. We knew he is a Scientologist and he’s an awesome guy. We were like, ‘Let’s just avoid that for now.’ … Finally, we just had to tell Isaac, ‘Dude, we totally love working with you and this is nothing personal, it’s just we’re “South Park,” and if we don’t do this, we’re belittling everything else we’ve ripped on.’ ”
The “Trapped” episode is slated to air again at 10 p.m. Wednesday on Comedy Central. The 10th season of “South Park” begins March 22.
Update 2: Miu von Furstenberg wonders whether Hayes was “pressured by the ghost of the late L. Ron Hubbard?”
crossposted to OTB: Gone Hollywood
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The maker of high end gaming and multi media computer systems will remain to operate as an independent subsidiary. The transaction marks the first acquisition by Dell of a fellow computer maker. The company so far has been known as one that achievesIsaac Hayes had quit South Park because they made fun of Scientology Outside Beltway – There is a place in this world for satire, but there is a time when satire ends and intolerance and bigotry towards religious beliefs of others begins, the 63-year-old soul singer and outspoken Scientologist said. Religious beliefs
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The guy quit a show. It’s his right. Does he have to be called a mercenary hypocrite for doing so? Comedy Central is playing the Scientology episode Wednesday night at 10:00 PM Eastern. Outside the Beltway hasthe episode for online viewing.
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[...] Isaac Hayes Quits South Park Over Religion [...]
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Ooooooh, Isaac, just jump off a couch and get over it…
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Daily Summary…
NEWS: – Bush: Iraq Insurgency Wants Civil War – Republicans on Hill Resist Party Leaders’ Spending Cuts – Abortion-Rights Activist Won’t Run in Pa. – Conservative Groups Boycott Ford Over Gay Rights Support – Catholic Charities pulls out of adoptions…
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A case of Liberal NIMBY.
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Chef is a Scientologist???…
Say it ain’t so. Turns out that Isaac Hayes, (who provides the voice of Chef on Razor favorite “South Park), is a Scientologist…and he’s leaving the show because of an episode where they make fun of, you guessed it,……
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I believe I read somewhere else that Paramount has agreed to stop showing that episode, no repeats or anything, due to threats from Tom Cruise’s legal team.
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Alexander: Apparently, Comedy Central is airing it again tomorrow night.
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Have they taken a swipe at Islam yet?
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Due to a lack of cable or satellite TV in my house, I haven’t watched South Park for some time. However, I do recall an episode not long after 9/11 in which they savaged Bin Laden and al-Qaeda. And then, of course, you also have the Parker/Stone film Team America: World Police, which savages damned near everything on this planet, including Islamic fundamentalists.
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Dave,
I haven’t watched SP in years either… good point on Team America though, forgot about that.
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Chef quits…
Isaac Hayes quit: “South Park” co-creator Matt Stone responded sharply in an interview with The Associated Press Monday, saying, “This is 100 percent having to do with his faith of Scientology… He has no problem — and he’s cashed plenty……
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[...] Variety’s Michael Flemming reports that Cruise denies this and Comedy Central claims it changed its schedule to show “Chef’s Chocolate Salty Balls” to honor Isaac Hayes, who had just resigned from the show. The creative team put out a classic response: While the “South Park” creators didn’t directly comment on Comedy Central’s decision to pull the episode, they issued an unusual statement to Daily Variety indicating the battle is not over. [...]
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[...] First, it is alleged that Tom Cruise and Scientology are blackmailing Comedy Central over a controversial episode of “South Park” making fun of the cult. Now, Roger Friedman has an odd piece at Fox News alleging that, contrary to last week’s reports that Isaac Hayes had quit South Park because they made fun of Scientology, in fact “someone quit it for him.” Further, “Hayes is in no position to have quit anything. Contrary to news reports, the great writer, singer and musician suffered a stroke on Jan. 17.” [...]
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[...] Isaac Hayes Quits South Park Over ReligionOutside Beltway – There is a place in this world for satire, but there is a time when satire ends and intolerance and bigotry towards religious beliefs of others begins, the 63-year-old soul singer and outspoken Scientologist said. Religious beliefs are [...]
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