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.

[Phantom Lord]

I've yet to see an episode hostile to Judaism.

I think the episode where Cartman tried to exterminate the jews was pretty hostile.

[republicofdavis]

"Your point is a good one (that only Judaism is off-limits when it comes to parody). I've not seen a South Park that was in any way offensive to Judaism."

You have to be kidding, don't you? There have been so many examples of this posted on this thread.

[republicofdavis]

"It's vile, disgusting, obscene, and blasphemous. Are those conservative values?"

Obviously many disagree with your presumptions.

[ZULU]

You're right.

I forgot the details, but it was hilarious.

[E Rocc]

Kinison didn't brilliant religious comedy because he was deeply invested in it from his days as a preacher.

Kinison was brilliant in general but at his best when he tackled religion. The times he "proved he could still preach" were epic.

The South Park guys are invested in nothing but the pablum of pop culture.

They've said that when they were in film school they were inundated with preachy political correctness and everyone else's desire to make "black and white movies about lesbians". Which of course let to Cartman's prophetic statement involving pudding eating.

And indeed, they are at their best when mocking the pretensions of the PC left.

-Eric

[gondramB]

"The Sixties-inspired vulgarity of South Park reminds me of the similar Sixties-inspired "irreverence" of the Clintons, who sniggered, South Park-style, as they defiled a Christmas tree with condoms as ornaments."


Sixties inspired? There has been vulgarity for thousands of years. Sometimes it has been repressed and sometimes not so repressed.

I remember in 7th grade reading ancient Roman poetry that when something like this "Flaviuss' boy should be 13 this year, that's old enough. I hope Flavius brings him to the baths so I can **** him." I was shocked and went to the teacher and said that I thought homosexuality was a new problem.

Over time I came to understand that sexual expression, both positive and horribly negative, have existed in all times and humans seem to desire the illusion that this is new. What happened in the 60's was a leesen8ing of the social restrictions on expressing what is always there... But you can go back in TV and movies from the 50's and find all kinds of hidden sexuality and gayness.

[Howlin]

D. Try to read the thread, pal.

[gondramB]

"It's vile, disgusting, obscene, and blasphemous. Are those conservative values?"

Not ideally. But the political ideas are conservative in pretty much every episode there is a conservative moral. Since i am not bothered by swearing or sexual references i don't have any trouble seeing that.

Now I was offended by the Virgin Mary episode and turned it off so I don't know how it ended.

[E Rocc]

You are wrong I have never seen Jesus fart on South Park.

Lassie never went to the bathroom on TV either.

-Eric

[Katya]

I am....a classic liberal. I never refer to those socialists preening in the media as liberal. I'd argue republican issues are very liberal and progressive, while democrats are primarily interested in preserving the status quo.
Conservative is a semantically confusing description...when you understand that it really means reactionary. It is accurate to state ,the conservatives in the former soviet union...are the communists, while the liberals are the free market advocates.
Many "conservatives" on FR would like to see tight government control on as many issues as the democrats would....they're just "different" issues.
I prefer to use the political terms democrat and republican...they at least allow for a political dialogue.

[LongsforReagan]

"Menstruation and the pains of childbirth are considered part of the punishment laid down by God to Adam and Eve when he threw them out of Eden. This is original sin. "

Its amazing that there are human beings who believe this.

[OPS4]

Jesus will sort them out, on Judgement Day!
In the mean time we can voice our disgust
with this blasphemy, and make sure our kids,
and grandkids, know South Park is written by
demented individuals.

God Bless America
Ops4

[nhoward14]

I'm impressed at your stamina in trying to fight back against the ignorant regarding South Park's content. I would have long since given up.

I do find it odd though that with all the accusations people made that SP "never" offends Judaism or would never attack the Holocaust, nobody has ever fired back with the "Canceled" episode where SP basically said Hollywood is run by disconnected Jews whose idea of a fun time is to snort cocaine and engage in group homosexual sex.

[MeanWestTexan]

Ironic that the mouth-breathers a FR and the thin-skinned gays and liberals at DU both consider South Park hate speech.

Can't remember the quote, but it was something along the lines of "you go far enough along the political spectrum, it loops back on itself."

Very appropriate.

[Blzbba]

D. Try to read the thread, pal."


I don't have the time, pal.

I do, however, remember an episode parodying "Passion of the Christ" where Cartman attempted to get people angry at the Jews...but I recall that being more of a harsh critique of Mel Gibson and Cartman, than of Judaism.

Rather than your "pal" responses, how about telling me which episodes you're referring to, pal?

[Camel Joe]

The problem Fred is that they do not ridicule the Virgin Mary, they ridicule those among us who look for miracles to solve life's everyday problems. It is true that they could have chosen the "cheese sandwich" to illustrate their point but at the time the show was produced idjits were flocking to a statue that had some red substance running down the face in search of a shortcut to Heaven. I can tell that you have yet to watch an episode, the shows ALL have a moral at the conclusion, Matt and Trey do use vulgarity as a medium to reach their young audience. Jesus knew enough to seek his flock among the sinners so please watch before you bear false witness.

[bamahead]

I can't believe this thread is still going!

In defense of the mouth-breathers, I haven't seen any of them calling for outright censorship of SP...though I suspect many of them would pursue that course of action, given the power...similarly to the DUmmies hate speech tyrade.

They seem content to call us 'imbeciles' which is fine...their's is not an opinion I particularly value.

Heresy is only another word for freedom of thought.
- Graham Greene

[Blzbba]

"I think the episode where Cartman tried to exterminate the jews was pretty hostile."


Like I said, just because I haven't seen an episode doesn't mean it doesn't exist!

I recall that episode being more hostile to Mel Gibson and "Passion" moviegoers than the Jews.

I'm a huge fan of the show.

[Blzbba]

""Menstruation and the pains of childbirth are considered part of the punishment laid down by God to Adam and Eve when he threw them out of Eden. This is original sin. "

Its amazing that there are human beings who believe this."



Indeed, it is amazing. Especially the part about 'punishment to Adam'...being menstruation and child birth?!!

Oh well - anything to keep up the millenium-old culture of Guilt, Shame, And Fear...and to keep those coffers full after Sunday collection!!

[MeanWestTexan]

Nah, his (and all mens') punishment is to toil on the Earth until death.

Well, that and put up with menstrating women.