Go Bill!!
Catholic Ping - Please freepmail me if you want on/off this list
Also, the people getting their panties in a knot miss the whole point of the episode. It's not making fun of Catholics, it's making fun of people who worship "miraculous" idols. There have been plenty of stories recently about people worshipping images of Mary, in grilled cheese, or weeping statues, and people flock to them.
Finally, let's get this out of the way: South Park has made fun of Muslims, also, so you can put that old canard away instead of repeating the lie on every thread. Dirka Dirka Dirka.
Change the channel if you don't like what you see, and vote with your eyes.
I will say that this episode would have offended me. Happy I did not see it.
Note: The network CHOSE to pull the show. No censorship was involved. The network made a decision to run the show and then decided it was a mistake. It happens all the time.
Nacho, Nacho man. . .
Censorship is necessary for civilization. Those barbarians should have been placed in the stocks long ago, rather than given a podium on cable and later broadcast TV, lots of cash, and bootlickings from the Last Men who, when faced with matters of ultimate importance, can but giggle and point.
Just imagining how the writers of this show thought up the idea for this episode is funny in it self. What will they think of next? And, more intriguingly, why? To make money and have fun pushing society's buttons seems to be the easy answer. Which reminds me of the work produced by people like Madonna and Andres Serrano, who also seemed to enjoy pushing the religion button for profit. In that sense, Matt Stone and Trey Parker are no different than a crufix clad Madonna prancing around stage in a pointy bra and kissing tramps to a pretty good beat; or from Serrano producing startling photographs of religious symbols dipped into vats filled with a mixture of his own blood and urine. But then, they likely never claimed to be any different. So for me as a member of the audience, a cartoon about a statue of the Virgin Mary bleeding from it's rear end is both offensive and funny, as (some of) Madonna's music is alarming and entertaining, and (some of) Serrano's imagery is repulsive and exceptional. I know I can turn away any time I like, but I just can't seem to help from tapping my toe, taking another look, or giggling my ass off. Here's hoping God appreciates a good sense of humor.
Go Bill!!
Catholic Ping - Please freepmail me if you want on/off this list
"Also, the people getting their panties in a knot miss the whole point of the episode. It's not making fun of Catholics, it's making fun of people who worship "miraculous" idols. There have been plenty of stories recently about people worshipping images of Mary, in grilled cheese, or weeping statues, and people flock to them."
Sorry, wrong answer. It WAS mocking the Mother of God, it was mocking the most revered Saint in the Communnion of Saints. It WAS ugly and nasty and if you found humor in it, you either clearly have no understanding of the Catholic culture, or you clearly have a perverted and bigotry riven sense of humor.
They even took on scientology, and I LMAO!
I don't watch it, but I stand up for the right to complain about anything which is a right some people want to take away from people who complain about things that effect their religious beliefs.
Of course, you have the right to complain about our complaining too!
But I do believe Southpark is an equal opportunity insulter.
Ping, you two!
Frankly, I'm not convinced that there ARE two of you . . . I lean toward the theory that you're both really Trey Parker, having a good one on us.
But IMO, a lot of what's going on when they poke fun of society are simply reductio ad absurdum arguments.
I saw the episode in question. With a couple of Catholic friends. Keep in mind that we all consider ourselves to be rather conservative--in and out of the Church.
Irreverent? You betcha. But we all laughed our butts off. I'll leave it up to my other FRiends on this thread to discern why.
The episode IMO wasn't intended to seriously slam Catholicism--I somehow doubt Matt and Trey would actually go that far and do something like that.
Further, I don't think they intended to blaspheme the Virgin Mary. They do make fun of people who worship bricks under the bridge and "Nun Buns."
It is precisely this irreverence and unique satire that makes South Park what it is. People watch it because it's shock value, and our culture, for better or worse, responds to shock value.
As a practicing Catholic (I wouldn't go so far as to say devout), I don't take offense to it. There are many and far worse things that bash Catholicism and on a far deeper level--Jack Chick, the Lavender Mafia, and the Democrats are two of 'em.
But why don't we hear about these more and put a higher precedence on these threats? Honestly, I think more damage to Catholicism can be done by propaganda and the gay lobby than an episode of South Park. Priorities, people!
Every group, every celebrity, everybody gets ripped on South Park--regardless of race, creed, religion, skin color, political persuasion and/or sexual orientation. That's the point--it's specifically designed to lambaste everybody.
Having said all of this, I really think that this is being blown way out of proportion. People have the right to freely express their views within reason, and we as the public have the equal right to not pay attention if we so desire.
Meaning, if you don't like SP, or any other show for that matter, then don't watch it. Rather than screaming hysterically and whining like Liberals, just vote with your eyes--turn the channel or even better, FReep instead.
The networks are quite literally ratings whores--the nexus of Hollywood is about money and sponsorship. If a significant percentage of America doesn't watch the crap that's being put out, the network execs have no choice but to listen, as advertisers will not purchase slots with failing shows and the networks subsequently lose money.
That's how real change happens, folks. Tired of the crap peddled on TV? Don't watch it, and encourage your FRiends and neighbors to do the same.
But more importantly, there never was, isn't, and never will be a right to be free from being offended. We're all going to be offended by something, and that is a fact of life. To say one can go through live without ever being offended at some point is incredibly naive.
But if they did that, what would stupid people do for entertainment?
You don't get it? Why not have the statue bleeding from its eyes?
The comments were filthy and NOT at all funny. The same satirical point could have been made without the offensive remarks. Regardless of the intent, to have made such disgusting remarks about a statue of our dear blessed mother shows irreverance and disrespect. Too bad you have such trouble understanding that.