VIRGIN MARY DEFILED ON “SOUTH PARK”

Catholic League ^ | December 8, 2005 | William Donohue

[NYer]

Catholic League president Bill Donohue remarked today about last night’s episode of “South Park” (it will run again for the next three nights):

 

“A ‘South Park’ character gets a DWI and is ordered to attend AA meetings.  Told about the 12-step program, he concludes that he needs a miracle to cure him.  The plot then focuses on a statue of the Virgin Mary who is ‘bleeding out her ass.’  The Vatican dispatches a cardinal to investigate and he is sprayed with blood when he walks behind the statue.  He then declares this to be a miracle, which draws even more people.  The alcoholic, now in a wheelchair, is also sprayed with blood: he then claims he is cured and jumps out of his seat.

 

“Pope Benedict XVI goes to investigate.  He, too, is sprayed with blood when he walks behind the statue.  A reporter says, ‘The pope investigated further and determined that the statue was not bleeding out its ass, but its vagina.’  To which the pope replies: ‘A chick bleeding out her vagina is no miracle.  Chicks bleed out their vaginas all the time.’

 

“Comedy Central is a subsidiary of MTV, which is owned by Viacom.  On the board of directors of Viacom is a practicing Catholic and a distinguished public servant, Joseph A. Califano; he served under Presidents Johnson and Carter.  We are writing to him today requesting that he intervene in this matter.  We want a) an apology to Roman Catholics and b) a pledge that this episode be permanently retired and not be made available on DVD.  In the event Viacom does not cooperate, we are asking Mr. Califano to issue his own statement of condemnation.  We are asking our members to contact him as well.  Remember, they chose to insult Our Blessed Mother on the eve of the Immaculate Conception, and the holy day itself. 

“Joseph A. Califano is chairman of the board of The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse.  He can be reached at CASA, 633 Third Avenue, NY, NY 10017; phone, 212-841-5200; fax, 212-956-8020; email, employment@casacolumbia.org.”

[BJClinton]

We have an office party this evening so I'm stuck here 'til midnight. Upshot is I get to see my co-workers get drunk. That's usually good for a few embarrassing pictures/videos going around the office for months later.

[Question_Assumptions]

I said new like the NAMBLA episode, which was pretty fresh when they did it. I suppose the recent Tom Cruise episode falls into that category.

[CounterCounterCulture]

I am not a biblical scholar, nor obviously a master of the orignal text in its original language(s), so somebody more knowledgable can add to the discussion about modern translations, but I will post what's in the Bible (NIV text) just so it's out here...

From Matthew 1...

18This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. 19Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
20But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,[c] because he will save his people from their sins."

22All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"[d]—which means, "God with us."

24When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

The book of Mark doesn't go into the story, nor does the book of John.

Luke 1 starts with the story behind the birth John the Baptist, then...

26In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."
29Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

34"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"

35The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[c] the Son of God. 36Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37For nothing is impossible with God."

38"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

Luke 2...

1In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3And everyone went to his own town to register.
4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

An obvious cultural difference now is the definition of husband and wife, as matthew says how "His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph," (and there was to be no sexual relations until the actual marriage), yet Joseph was considered "her husband" and you can see the word "divorce" used as well even though they were not officially "married" as we view it today.

As far as the previous virginity of Mary (which I'll choose to believe), y'all can add to the debate and discuss all you want. The important thing is that whether or not Jesus is the true Son of God, showed us how to live a purposeful and righteous life as God wants for us, and that Jesus died on a cross for all our sins because He loved us so much.

Enough religious discussion from me for one day. :-)

[Dog Gone]

My wife has her Christmas party for the hospital where she works tonight. I'm invited, of course, but I don't care to see her co-workers drunk. So I'm not going. She's cool with that, but we'll see if she really goes or not.

[HairOfTheDog]

She better go, it's usually poor politic to skip it, but I don't blame you for not wanting to go. Office parties are dreadful enough when you know the people. They're worse when you don't. :~D

My hubby ecurbh is at his right now.... it was a daytime lunch deal, so spouses weren't even invited and I lucked out that way :~D

[Max7]

"The point you miss is that this wasn't a diss on Mary. It was a diss of statue miracles. If you don't see the distinction, then you're a good candidate to believe in healing statue tears, grilled cheese sandwich miracles, etc.

Yes, I can see the distinction were there a distinction being made, and let me say that I do acknowledge your point. HOWEVER, and again, using the icon/statue/person of the Virgin Mary to show that SOME people "flock to a bleeding statue or a piece of toast" was not the best or only way to go to make the same point. That's all. Find something ELSE. Yes, it's offensive. Yes, there are worse things. Yes, I'll bet those writers had other ideas they probably nixed, thank (you'll excuse the expression) God. But they chose to have blood coming out of the Virgin Mary's "ass" (oh, how lovely). To those who do not find the Virgin Mary as anyone special, why would they care anyway? She's just a mythological person, etc. But not to everyone. Let's just agree to disagree. OK?

[Uriah_lost]

I'm with you on this....it reminds me of the Penn and Teller shows. I love some of it but some is too much for me to take. In fact, I'm pretty sure they compare notes from time to time. This episode was really similar to P&T's show on 12 step programs.

[andysandmikesmom]

I have been watching South Park for only a few weeks now, and I must say, I have seen them diss numerous beliefs, things, situations etc...every one and every body is ripe for being blasted on South Park....I think some people do snicker and laugh when someone or something they detest or dont like is getting blasted, but then they get all uppity and huffy, when their particular belief that they hold is being blasted....one should realize that for South Park, nothing appears to be 'hands-off', and so if you are touch or very easily offended, just use that old remote, and change the channel...

And yes, what they were dissing was this hokey thing about the image of Mary, or Jesus, or some other entity being found in a box of cornflakes, or statues bleeding, and then the folks lining up around the block, to get 'cured'...years ago, someone in the old neighborhood we lived in in Chicago, had some tree trimming done...someone strolling by the cut down limbs, claimed that the image of Mary or Jesus could be seen in the saw off end of that tree limb...within a day, crowds were gathering, bringing flowers, and candles, and people were asking for cures...friends of mine told me it was quite the sight, all these folks pushing each other around, trying to near to that cut off tree limb...

As time went on and the end of the tree limb, began to heal and change with the weather, the crowds eventually went away, surely with none of them cured...

South Park may not be for everyone, but if you do watch, do realize that you may very well be offended, and if you are just change the channel...after all, that is what remotes are for...

[HairOfTheDog]

HOWEVER, and again, using the icon/statue/person of the Virgin Mary to show that SOME people "flock to a bleeding statue or a piece of toast" was not the best or only way to go to make the same point. That's all. Find something ELSE.

They don't flock to miracle images of Barbara Streisand looking for cures silly... it's always a religous figure that has these apparitions or there's no appeal.

I'll concede that the source of the blood was intentionally crude.

[HairOfTheDog]

well said :~D

[Dog Gone]

I think the depiction would have been more offensive if South Park had done the same thing with "tears" coming from the statue's eyes. They deliberately made it the most ridiculous thing they could do to exaggerate the point about the statue miracles and the people who see them as a sign of something.

So yes, we'll just agree to disagree and those who need directions to the shrine of the holy tortilla can easily find them on Google.

[Max7]

Barbra Streisand does not have icons of herself to which admirers can pray? Now, that really IS a shock! Hmm, maybe they could have used an icon of HER in the episode and have blood shooting out of HER A$$. Nah, they'd never do that. They might get sued. Ciao

[Central Scrutiniser]

If you call a bunch of sanctimonous christians threatening to punch out non believers, yes.

Feats of strength are the best!

[quadrant]

I believe that Freepers are the sort of people who refrain naturally from slandering a religion.

[537cant be wrong]

wow, this has to be the biggest SP thread yet.
did not get to see it (i"m a devoted SP fan) stuck on 2nd shift. i am lutheran (we get bashed here alot :-) ) but i think this episode would definately make me uncomfortable.

[quadrant]

I'm a Protestant, so while I'm disgusted at any slander of the Virgin Mary, my reaction is not the same as it would be if I were a Catholic.
Those who slander the Virgin Mary are not interested in offending me (or Jews or Muslims) but they are intent of sticking a finger in the eye of the Roman Catholic Church.
I suspect the writers of this episode dislike the Catholic Church and enjoy the discomfort their work inflicts on Catholics.

[ConservativeGreek]

No, you're another one of those hyper sensitive liberals.

Very funny...........thanks.

[HairOfTheDog]

Hmm, maybe they could have used an icon of HER in the episode and have blood shooting out of HER A$$. Nah, they'd never do that. They might get sued. Ciao

Afraid of getting SUED? Dude... They turned Barbara Streisand into a huge ugly monster robot in one episode and another episode had her real face flashing on the screen to scare people ;~D

You really are completely unaware of that which you argue about.

[andysandmikesmom]

Frankly, I do not think that South Park really fears getting sued by anyone, and if they do, I am sure they have the revenues to deal with that...

But I just dont believe that anyone is going to sue South Park...because if they do, that will of course, call more and more attention to themselves, and how they were made fun of...people who never watched South Park before, will tune in, the episode will probably be rerun and rerun, and the person or entity doing the suing will find themselves more and more in the news, and more and more the butt of jokes...most celebrities or groups that are being made fun of, will just weather through the ridicule, and they know, that the very next episode of South Park will be skewing someone else, and someone else will be made fun of..

[rdb3]

Sadly, ever since the Terri Schiavo episode, FR has become home for thought police as much as any Democrat site. If you don't spew their single-issue line, you're obviously not good enough to be a Republican /sarcasm.

That's exactly right. The Schiavo ordeal snuck up on me. But the fallout from that showed me that this place isn't always what it appears to be.

That episode opened the floodgates to a lot of hostility and downright ugliness.