BISHOPS' PRESIDENT BLASTS 'SOUTH PARK' EPISODE LAMPOONING MARY (Disgusting!)

Catholic News Service ^ | 12/19/2005 | Staff

[FerdieMurphy]

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The president of the U.S. bishops blasted a recent episode of the cable television comedy "South Park" that he said showed Mary in "a tasteless and ugly fashion."

In a Dec. 14 letter to Tom Freston, co-president and chief operating officer of Viacom International, parent company of Comedy Central, the cable channel that shows "South Park," Bishop William S. Skylstad of Spokane, Wash., said the channel showed "extreme insensitivity" in choosing to show the episode.

The episode, which first was shown Dec. 7 and had repeat showings in the week following, was titled "Bloody Mary." During the episode, a "South Park" character claims to have been sprayed with blood from a bodily orifice of a Virgin Mary statue.

When Pope Benedict XVI investigates in the show, he declares that she was merely menstruating. The episode's premiere date came the day before the feast of the Immaculate Conception, a holy day of obligation for Catholics.

[tortoise]

If you were, you might not love a show that blasphemes your religion.

I don't follow this accusation. The show always shows Jesus in a positive light and Jesus always wins in his struggles against the evil in the world. As far as I can tell (and I do watch the show), South Park is very supportive of Christianity as a religion.

What they are intolerant of is holier-than-thou blowhards and religious hypocrites, and rightly so. If you find that offensive, then you might be a "religious hypocrite" or "holier-than-thou blowhard".

[Dog Gone]

It could be a winner, though.

[yellowdoghunter]

I wouldn't expect a South Park afficianado to come up with his or her own zingers.

LOL! Makes perfect sense now. LOL!

[Howlin]

I didn't realize you were a Menstruating-American or I would have said imbeciles and imbecile-ettes.

I didn't realize you weren't just a PRIG, but an A$$hole, too. Thanks for clearing that up.

[BeHoldAPaleHorse]

Blame Canada!

[Quick1]

Excellent twisting of my words. When I say "uninformed", I mean they know nothing of the show, and are repeating myths they have heard. Either that, or they are outright lying.

[Alouette]

Does South Park ever make fun of the Holocaust or any other important Jewish subject?

They have done a spoof of "Schindler's List" and they have mocked Jews and Judaism in many episodes, "Ike's Bris," "Jew Camp," "Passion of the Jew," "Kyle Goes to Yeshiva"

[TheCrusader]

"Are you offended by what you do not see or hear personally?"

Do you fall just as hard from the limb of a tree if you don't hear it cracking beneath your feet?

"Does SouthPark offend me if I don't watch it?"

Does the attack on Christianity in my own country not affect me just because I can't hear everyone who's doing the attacking?

Honestly, I think this entire generation of young Americans are so ignorant and utterly lost in themselves that only a miracle will ever pull our country together again.

[rwfromkansas]

The Mormon episode was great.

[Ciexyz]

Thanks for posting the transcript of the offending ep. (Post 89)

[Howlin]

This is simply a thread where the SP haters are completely uninformed, or intentionally lying. Of course we'll get defensive.

You see this more and more on FR; threads where people who are spreading ill-informed information and downright lies appear stunned and furious that some of us dare to contradict them.

[Texas Eagle]

I didn't realize you weren't just a PRIG, but an A$$hole, too

What was it about that post that made you realize I was an A$$hole?

[discostu]

And according to Xenu.net giving away the secrets of Scientology for free can have the same punishment. Definitely some non-Christian blasphemy on South Park.

[American in Singapore]

I tried to sit on the sidelines on this issue, but... I love SouthPark and you 3 have the right take on it.

It's these types of "moral indignationists" that gives conservatism a bad name; or at least, makes me waste precious minutes of my life defending myself against liberals. This "what's good for me is good for you" attitude sucks.

If I can't laugh at myself, then I am just as Tristan Tsara, a Dada poet in the early 1900's, once described: "You will never be able to tell me why you exist but you will always be ready to maintain a serious attitude about life".

If you don't like SP, then don't watch it.
If you watch it and don't like it, then that's your problem.
If you don't watch and don't like it, then that's your problem.

Cheers :-)

[Howlin]

Perhaps I can sell it on ebay.

[churchillbuff]

You wouldn't see the same kind of blasphemy against Judaism. That doesn't happen in Hollywood. The Holocaust is never made fun of. (Nor should it be) But Hollywood can make the Blessed Virgin the subject of vulgar jokes, and there are vulgar freepers who laugh.

[oldleft]

South Park rages against all that stuff. The come out in almost every episode and say that there IS right and wrong, and that's why they get attacked.

Is it wrong for people to worship statues? This Catholic thinks so. I believe that violates a commandment. So why was South Park wrong to make fun of the practice?

[EQAndyBuzz]

"Only imbeciles watch South Park. The show doesn't need any free publicity."

Totally disagree with you. It is the most tasteless program on television today. It makes fun of everything. It is actually refreshing. I tape it and usually watch it after I read the morning paper. Puts everything in perspective.

[Texas Eagle]

Excellent twisting of my words. When I say "uninformed", I mean they know nothing of the show,

So you're saying South Park does not use foul language or bathroom noises in its "dialogue"?

[rwfromkansas]

good question.