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View Full Version : South Park stopped by Tom Cruise: Justified censorship or a blow to free speech?


TheNoNamedOne
12-15-2007, 02:07 PM
Everyone knows the biting sarcasm, parodying, and satire South Park is famous for. Few punches are seldom held when they decide to stick someone under their comedic microscope for lampooning. They are quite popular because of that.

But then again, they have their detractors with sensitive feelings who want their sensibilities of their members, figures, icons, ideas etc... respected and protected at the expense of the rights of others -- particularly freedom of expression.

Tom Cruise kills South Park episode (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/01/19/south_park_axed/)

UK TV viewers will not get to see an episode of South Park which shows Nicole Kidman and fellow Scientologist John Travolta attempting to coax a fictional Tom Cruise character out of a closet, with Kidman saying: "Don't you think this has gone on long enough? It's time for you to come out of the closet. You're not fooling anyone."

and from Wiki:

Isaac Hayes' departure (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trapped_in_the_Closet_(South_Park))

Isaac Hayes, who played "Chef" from South Park.
On March 13, 2006, Hayes announced that he was quitting the show because of the series' treatment of religion,... He reportedly said to Parker and Stone, "Guys, you have it all wrong. We're not like that. I know that's your thing, but get your information correct, because somebody might believe that shit, you know?

Whoa! Heaven forbid someone might believe an opposing view!! Since that is the fear from the "insult" then censor it/the right out to be shown to the public.

And the rightful reply to Hayes:

Responding to Hayes' departure, Stone stated "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 [...] He wants a different standard for religions other than his own, and, to me, that is where intolerance and bigotry begin."

Thank god for people who can stick up for rightful freedom to express one's unpopular ideas -- even if they offend a subset of society. Imagine, if every subset had their sensibilities handled with kid gloves.

No more South Park.

TheNoNamedOne
01-02-2008, 04:15 PM
"Above all else, the Devil cannot stand to be mocked." - C. S. Lewis

What an interesting quote, not only for what it says, but also by who said it!

Seems, too, that even the believers of a God feel the same -- hence the departure of Mr. Hayes from the caste of South Park.

How ironic that C.S. Lewis would say such a thing. Couldn't he see the symmetry?

affiredawg76
01-02-2008, 05:05 PM
What an interesting quote, not only for what it says, but also by who said it!

Seems, too, that even the believers of a God feel the same -- hence the departure of Mr. Hayes from the caste of South Park.

How ironic that C.S. Lewis would say such a thing. Couldn't he see the symmetry?

South Park RULES!!!!

I've got 10 seasons of it on DVD. Yeah, some of it's pretty dumb, but it's funny as hell.

TheNoNamedOne
01-02-2008, 05:29 PM
What do you think about influential people within a religion trying get episodes of it from airing?

affiredawg76
01-02-2008, 06:13 PM
What do you think about influential people within a religion trying get episodes of it from airing?

I say tough crap. Trey and Matt are equal opportunity insulters. They pick on everyone and every religion.

Some people need to get some thicker skin.

I specifically remember back to the whole Muhammed cartoon drama. I was SOOOOO hoping they would show a cartoon of him, but Comedy Central caved in the end.