Respecting the Authoritaah: South Park vs The Catholic Church

TheFridayProject ^ | 01/13/2006

[Panerai]

There is something manifestly, monolithically humourless about Roman Catholicism, even among other awesomely po-faced organised religions. Something stern and fearsome and unbending. You don't trifle with Roman Catholics. They've been around longer than you have, chum, and they've got the Pope on their side. South Park on the other hand, has been around for nearly eight years, so roughly 1992 years less than Roman Catholicism. It is an adult animated series which from its first episode gleefully set about upsetting people in the name of satire. And in the name of just being incredibly offensive. But the intelligent, philanthropic, sober point remains like a slender epee of truth thrust through each vile outburst - *we believe in freedom of speech*. And in really nasty poo jokes. But mostly freedom of speech. As any show involving extreme violence, scatology, profanity and jokes at the expense of the disabled will, it's incurred many and vociferous complaints. However, it's always taken them in its stride, and gone on showing scenes of children feeding each other chilli made of their parents.

You can imagine what sort of unpleasant substance meets which rudimentary air-conditioning appliance when two such disparate elements collide. This happened in December, when the South Park season finale 'Bloody Mary' aired on Comedy Central in the US. There's no way to put this delicately - the episode features a statue of the Virgin Mary bleeding from the ass. This miracle brings people flocking to South Park to be healed, until it transpires that in fact she's just having a period. Then the Pope declares that 'a chick bleeding out her vagina is no miracle', and everyone goes home disgruntled.

[Panerai]

South Park ping

[dynachrome]

ping-aroonie. Here we go again.

[dynachrome]

dangit. beat me on the ping by 5 seconds!

[escapefromboston]

Their have been more offensive South Park episodes however very rarely is the show this unfunny. If you want to be outrageous you better be outrageously funny.

[dynachrome]

4 seconds. Makes me feel much better.

[dead]

Yeah, it lacked those jaw-dropping moments of demented hysteria that keep me tuned in.

It was a rather boring and mundanely gross episode, like most episodes with Mr. Hankey.

Still, it's still funnier and more cerebral than 99% of television out there.

[Publius6961]

What a puerile rant!

You want humorless?
Take on the muslims!

[EveningStar]

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South Park TV schedule at Comedy Central

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The Wikipedia article on South Park.

[BeHoldAPaleHorse]

They did take on the muslims a while back.

[escapefromboston]

When South Park is "on" its one of the funniest shows on TV, but when it "misses" ooh boy does it suck.

[cryptical]

Their have been more offensive South Park episodes however very rarely is the show this unfunny. If you want to be outrageous you better be outrageously funny.

When the ranting of the offended is more amusing than the show, it needs some tuning.

[Dog Gone]

dirka dirka mohammed jihad

[EveningStar]

ping to Catholic ping list

[Pontiac]

I guess everyone has a right to be offended except Christians.

And especially not Catholics.

[TheBigB]

Add me to da SP list!

[WV Mountain Mama]

I didn't see this episode, but next season, they could put Tom Cruise back in the closet every episode and I am pretty sure I would laugh my a$$ off at it.

[derllak]

Some southpark episodes are crude offensive to me too. But I sure am a big fan of Towelie! (wanna get high?)

[dynachrome]

That one will be one of the top ten classics ever. IMHO

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

If you still want to watch 'Bloody Mary', it's here. God bless the Internet.

... and, once again -- just like that -- the self-appointed, would-be Comstocks are thwarted in this, The Internet Age.

Heh. There's your "First Amendment rights," buckos.