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.

[Howlin]

Benny, Burns and Hope. No obscenity.

Either you never heard them, or you don't understand the English language.

[Texas Eagle]

You have said words against South Park, and us, it's fans, so it's now our duty to get our undies in a bunch over the fact that your undies are in a bunch.

My undies aren't in a bunch. I simply made an observation that has yet to be refuted.

Well, that's not quite true. I had to admit I exaggerated when I said South Park uses the F word in every sentence of dialogue when the fact is they only use it in every other sentence.

Other than that, none of my points has yet to be refuted.

[usafsk]

I assume that your screen name is a reference to your interest in Churchill. If you knew anything about the old man, you'd know he was quite vulgar, loved a drink, and spared no one a bawdy story or insult. I think you need a new name...

[HairOfTheDog]

The F word isn't allowed on cable, silly. It's not in any episode.

[HairOfTheDog]

Any other point you find important?

[Darlin']

"Oh, I know all you Holier_Than_Thou types don't watch TV; that leaves you more time to spend your time doing worhty things, like posting on FR about things you don't know anything about."

I've never been able to figure out exactly how the Holier-Than-Thou types know 'smuch about shows like South Park that they swear they've never watched. LOL Immaculate "reception" I guess.

[Howlin]

The people that think crude humor is new don't know their Shakespeare very well.

Or their Bob Hope.

[singfreedom]

This show is NOT marketed to children, nor is is advertised for children! It comes on very late in the evening, not during prime time.

I, being a parent, thought it was up to PARENTS what their children watched on TV. Silly me! That obviously is not true in some families.

In our house, my husband and I determined what our kids watched---until they were 25, anyway.

[bonfire]

I'm ROTFLOL!!!!!

[Howlin]

I care that our culture is headed in the direction of the sewer.

You know what I think is dragging our culture into the sewer?

People who look for every anti-Bush and anti-military article they can find and then post them on the internet, thus demoralizing our troops and president.

And you do that day in and day out at FR.

[usafsk]

Can you read? There have been numerous posts describing the scewering of the Jewish faith. And I think you stil must answer the previous question: How is making fun of idol worshipers blasphemy?

[MeanWestTexan]

I don't think this show will do any of that, but opinions differ, and I respect your view.

One thing I did note in your message is this "Because now you have misinformed people who believe that Catholics are Mary-worshippers"

I KNOW this is NOT the RCC belief or doctrine.

BUT many RC DO NOT, especially Hispanics of more Central American persuasions -- they, too often, practice thinnly-veiled paganism, and it is a rot the RCC needs to police in itself.

A bit off topic, but it's a real problem, and it's going to get worse with immigration.

[andyk]

Weird how it bugs you that I use innocuous words like "imbecile" and "hypocrite" while you defend a show that uses the most vile of profanities in just about every sentence along with references to menstruating women and other bodily functions.

LMAO! I didn't say it bugs me, I said it's funny! BTW, you're recycling your funny arguments! Please save space on the thread by referring to your previous posts. For example, "I think you're a real number five!".

TIA

[republicofdavis]

"Other than that, none of my points has yet to be refuted."

With grammar like that it's even funnier that you call other people imbeciles.

But seriously, were you trying to make any other point than that SP fans are imbeciles? Since that's an opinion it's somewhat difficult to refute. Did you have another point?

[tallhappy]

Funny how South Parkers are offended by such words as "imbecile"

Actually, yes, that is very funny.

[Howlin]

Isn't that the truth. Like Fannie Hill back in the old days; the prudes had all the "good parts" underlined!

[Quick1]

Your "point" is that the same people who defend South Park when it has many obscenities get offended over obscenities targeted at them is faulty. I defend South Park because it's FUNNY, in spite of or because of it's vulgarity. I also defend it because it has subtler points to be made beside bathroom humor or menstruating statues.

You may have had a subtler point, but you definitely weren't funny about it. And in the end, you made the point supporting South Park, in that sometimes people can't see through the vulgarity to see the underlying point behind it. Thanks for your support, I knew you were a fan all along!

[andyk]

Other than that, none of my points has yet to be refuted.

Wait, you made points? All I saw was your funny name-calling! Funny stuff!

[tortoise]

Rabble! Rabble! Rabble! Rabble! Rabble! Rabble!

I call shenanigans!

[Texas Eagle]

But seriously, were you trying to make any other point than that SP fans are imbeciles?

Nope. I think the point has been aptly demonstrated.