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.

[republicofdavis]

"Because South Park compared to good comedy is the difference between eating a piece of prime rib as opposed to a fuzzy hotdog found behind a bus terminal radiator."

I couldn't disagree more. And I love prime rib.

[durasell]

Look at the way the humor is handled. Pop culture, television is dealt with no differently than world events or religion. That's because the writers grew up watching TV -- the world is just another a television show to them.

[A.A. Cunningham]

Stating a fact doesn't constitute "getting snippy". I suppose in your world referring to Bill Clinton as a perjurer or sexual predator would constitute "getting snippy".

The disputation of the perpetual virginity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the fact that Christ was an only child is an exercise engaged in by those ignorant of Scripture and the history of Christianity. These people engaging in this behavior on this thread are just as ignorant as Helvidius was in the fourth century.

Quid est veritas?

[Luis Gonzalez]

"Did they have a show where muhammad was raping a 10 or 11yr.old girl?"

Why do you want to know?

So you can set your TiVo?

[Katya]

Alot of us are very right wing...just not particularly conservative in the way YOU would define it....oh, and we have a sense of humour.

[A.Hun]

Wrong...It is satire at a level rarely attained.

[gondramB]

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

You know, I'd bet the median IQ is higher than just about any other show on TV right now.

[MeanWestTexan]

"You're quite simply ignorant of Scripture, Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic."

I guess those years studying the Talmud were lost. I'm near fluent in Hebrew and doing OK in Greek and Aramaic. (I am a Jew who lived in Israel, after all, even if I did convert to Christianity.)

"Your feeble attempt at applying contemporary definitions and word usage to a culture two millennia removed from the present is laughable."

The words have not changed. All that has changed is broad access by knowlegeable men to the original scriptural language.

"Provide me the passages from Scripture where the Blessed Mother gives birth to other children?"

Obviously, the birth scene is not there, but the brothers and sisters are. These have been cited.

And regarding Calvin (just another flawed bigoted man to me), but since you quote him as authoritative, he actually said:

"The conjecture which some have drawn from these words, that she had formed a vow of perpetual virginity, is unfounded and altogether absurd. She would, in that case, have committed treachery by allowing herself to be united to a husband, and would have poured contempt on the holy covenant of marriage; which could not have been done without mockery of God."

So much for this being "new" theory, huh?

[durasell]

Wrong...It is satire at a level rarely attained.


It's attained every day. Listen to any group of 14 year old boys who have just filled in the last blanks of slang for genitals and has a tentative grasp of reproduction.

[seton89]

You can control your sound while typing-

http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/19905&page=2

[gondramB]

"It's amazing how so many so called conservatives on FR like this show."

That's probably because the political positions the show takes are so in line with commopn sense conservatism... against PC speech, against big government, against quotas and pandering to minorities etc...

[A.Hun]

You need to watch it a few more times. That is just plain incorrect.

[A.A. Cunningham]

No, you're simply ignorant just like the eunuch who sought out St. Philip in the 8th chapter of Acts was ignorant.

[publana]

Funniest post yet!

[durasell]

Look, I really love comedy. Truthfully. I count a number of stand ups as friends. I've even contributed a few bits to their acts.

I have watched numerous episodes of South Park and found nothing that funny in it.

[HairOfTheDog]

You're right of course...

But he knows more about it ... in spite of the fact he's never seen it!

[rdb3]

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

Or Chaucer, either. Think of "The Miller's Tale."

[singfreedom]

What does the term "imbecile" have to do with "menstruating"? Are you now saying those who menstruate are imbeciles???! That covers a lot of territory---like more than 50% of the world population. I guess that would also make "those who menstruate", anti-Christian, anti-conservative, anti-Republican, anti-American, etc.?

Sorry, but your logic is pretty circular.

[dynachrome]

Geez, I see where priorities are on FR. 869 posts and counting. Good thing Matt and Trey got another 5 years to continue South Park!

[MikefromOhio]

uhh ok...

I think you need to watch the show more so you could grasp it much better.