Media Bias,  Television

South Park Watch: Issac Hayes Quits and Scientology Episode Cancelled

March 17, 2006 /

Isaac Hayes arrives for the 2005 Songwriters Hall of Fame Awards, June 9, 2005, in New York. Hayes has quit ‘South Park,’ where he voices Chef, saying he can no longer stomach its take on religion. Hayes, who has played the ladies’ man/school cook in the animated Comedy Central cable television satire since 1997, said in a statement Monday, March 13,2006, that he feels a line has been crossed.

Variety: Inside Move: ‘South Park’ feeling some celeb heat?

Cable net abruptly pulls repeat of Scientology episode

The battle between “South Park”“South Park” creators Trey ParkerTrey Parker and Matt StoneMatt Stone and Scientology is escalating.The dust-up gained steam last week when Isaac Hayes, a practicing Scientologist who has long been the voice of the character Chef, quit after objecting to a “South Park” episode called “Trapped in the Closet,” which lampooned both the religion and Tom CruiseTom Cruise.

The news story on Issac Hayes departure is here: Isaac Hayes Quits ‘South Park’

Isaac Hayes has quit “South Park,” where he voices Chef, saying he can no longer stomach its take on religion.

Hayes, who has played the ladies’ man/school cook in the animated Comedy Central satire since 1997, said in a statement Monday that he feels a line has been crossed.

“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.”

Co-creator Matt Stone on the South Park website responds:

As some of you have already heard via CNN (click here) or Yahoo! News (click here), Isaac Hayes (the man behind Chef) will no longer be lending his voice to South Park. Matt Stone says:

This has nothing to do with intolerance and bigotry and everything to do with the fact that Isaac Hayes is a Scientologist and that we recently featured Scientology in an episode of ‘South Park.’ In ten years and over 150 episodes of ‘South Park,’ Isaac never had a problem with the show making fun of Christians, Muslims, Mormons and Jews. He got a sudden case of religious sensitivity when it was his religion featured on the show. To bring the civil rights struggle into this is just a non-sequiter. Of course we will release Isaac from his contract and we wish him well.

And so Issac Hayes is a HYPOCRITE.

But, why did Comedy Central pull the Scientology episode?

The skirmish continued this week, when Comedy Central abruptly pulled a repeat of that episode that was scheduled to air Wednesday evening. Showing instead was another memorable seg which featured Hayes’s character, called “Chef’s Chocolate Salty Balls.”

Blog reports pegged the mysterious episode switch to objections raised by Cruise, who, the reports stated, threatened to not promote “Mission: Impossible 3,” the summer tentpole for Viacom-owned Paramount.

Was it the money? the Tom Cruise movie factor? afraid of the Scientologists and their proclivity to file slap lawsuits?

South Park creators response:

So, Scientology, you may have won THIS battle, but the million-year war for earth has just begun! Temporarily anozinizing our episode will NOT stop us from keeping Thetans forever trapped in your pitiful man-bodies. Curses and drat! You have obstructed us for now, but your feeble bid to save humanity will fail! Hail Xenu!!!”The duo signed the statement “Trey Parker and Matt Stone, servants of the dark lord Xenu.”

YouTube has the cancelled Episode here.
Looks like Comedy Central is following a Muhammad Caricature censorship plan.

Pathetic……..

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