VILE “SOUTH PARK” EPISODE PULLED (Catholic League Pres. responds)

Catholic League ^ | December 30, 2005 | Bill Donohue

[NYer]

“Several news stories today are reporting on the decision by Comedy Central to pull a scheduled rerun of the ‘Bloody Mary’ episode that was  shown on ‘South Park’ on December 7-10.  The decision reflects what I asked for in our news release of December 8.  Therefore, I commend Comedy Central for finally making the right decision.  That it aired in the first place, however, does not speak well for the bigots responsible for creating it. 

 

“In our December 8 news release, I also said, ‘Remember, they chose to insult Our Blessed Mother on the eve of the Immaculate Conception, and the holy day itself.’  The episode in question featured a statue of the Virgin Mary spraying blood from her vagina.  It was one of the most vile TV shows ever to appear, and that is why I asked Joseph Califano, a practicing Catholic and member of Viacom’s board of directors (Viacom is the parent company of Comedy Central) to issue a public condemnation of the ‘Bloody Mary’ episode; I also asked that he do whatever he could to pull any scheduled reruns of the episode. 

 

“On December 9, the day Califano received our request, he released a statement condemning the episode.  He also said that any further decisions would have to be made by Tom Freston, president and chief executive of the New Viacom.  For the past few weeks, we have been in touch with Freston’s office awaiting his decision.  Yesterday, we received a phone call from Tony Fox, executive vice president for corporate communications at Comedy Central, informing us that there were no plans to rerun ‘Bloody Mary.’

 

“Already, we are being deluged with hate mail that is as obscene as it is viciously anti-Catholic.  All because we exercised our First Amendment right to request that Comedy Central not offend Catholics again!  But we’re used to such things and will not be deterred.”

[presently no screen name]

It's way over your head, stay in your molehill where you find comfort.

[presently no screen name]

who got coal in his holiday stocking?

[presently no screen name]

You have to dig deeper and find the true meaning behind the humor




Yeah, just keep telling yourselves that...

[escapefromboston]

yet you state that you are not for free speech. You are only for free speech for people you agree with (south park) but are against the free speech of people who disagree with it (Catholic Groups).

[sporkgoddess]

He's not really shown as a lizard so much as a dinosaur type thing... really hard to describe. You'd have to see a screenshot.

I doubt they put THAT much symbolism and thought into the design.

[sporkgoddess]

Most of the people who are complaining about South Park aren't even watching it. They refuse to come down off of their high horse and give it even a chance.

[Central Scrutiniser]

No, I'm all for you guys complaining, I have no problem with that. What bothers me is that you don't want something to be broadcast, that is censoring.

Donahue and his folk can scream and yell all day long, I don't care. But trying to remove things from broadcast, is wrong.

[presently no screen name]

How are you to know that God particularly finds what was in this episode wrong and sinful?




Question is How come You don't know what Gods says in His Word what is wrong and sinful?

[presently no screen name]

come down off their high horse and give it even a chance.



Now it's a high horse! LOL Give what a chance? You keep watching for the rest of us. You need the laughs and all the deep thinking. And after you realize that you are being duped and your deep thinking was only subversion to keep you occupied, you too can ride the high horse, if it's not too late.

[presently no screen name]

I enjoy everyone doing all the judgement for God ahead of time.



There is no mystery on what we all will be judged on. When something is presented, you dismiss it anyway. So when the time comes, you can't claim ignorance - just a lack of interest.

[NYer]

I sat not in the assembly of the mockers, nor rejoiced; I sat alone because of thy hand: for thou hast filled me with indignation

Thank you!

It's remarkable how some people can honestly call themselves 'catholic' yet have no compuctions about abandoning all that their catholic faith teaches, in order to 'live for the moment' and have a good laugh, at the expense of their Creator.

I was only 10 when I made the Sacrament of Confirmation. That night, the bishop's words slithered over my head until he said: "You are now soldiers of Christ!" At that moment, reality kicked in and the full meaning of the 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit took effect. There have been times when I slip slided through life, much like these other freepers, but never could I bring myself to find humor in debasing God and His blessed Mother.

[sporkgoddess]

I meant in this instance. I doubt they put much thought into God's form. They just made some weird, unattractive creature. Nothing symbolic.

[sporkgoddess]

Right, of course! South Park is clearly a conspiracy to turn me to sin and abandon my Catholic morals! Because clearly, after seeing something and finding it funny, I go do it myself because I am incredibly naive and shallow! Oh, how could I have been so blind?? Thank heavens the Catholic League exists to protect me from these big, bad cartoon shows!

[sporkgoddess]

I have never been taught that laughing at South Park is evil.

These types of reactions are why religious people get made fun of in the first place...

[sporkgoddess]

Well, probably because there's no Church teaching that forbids laughing at inappropriate things.

Come on, we're only human. If we find something funny, we find something funny.

[HairOfTheDog]

The internet is an amazing thing.

Excerpts from the script "South Park - 3.16 - Are You There God? It's Me, Jesus!

[Reporter Craig Netzel in South Park. Television cameras are everywhere]

Craig:	Thanks, Tom. It is indeed four days until the new millennium, and hundreds if not thousands of people have come from all over the world seeking Jesus, here at his house in South Park. [the camera begins to pan to the right. A man with two kids next to him sit in chairs. Skeeter and his friends are there, too] Everyone is giddy with anticipation for Jesus to come out, because as we all know, if Jesus comes out of his house and is not scared by his shadow, it means the next thousand years will be full of peace and love. [the front door opens] Oh, it looks like Jesus might be coming out! [turns to face the hosue. Jesus peeks out from it]
Woman:	[picks up her son and points Jesus out] Oh look, Tommy. There he is. Can you see him?
Boy:	He's neat, Mommy. [cameras go off as the crowd stands behind some Jesus line. Do not cross lines. Jesus drops back into his house, then peeks out again]
Craig:	[softly] Everyone is quiet here, Tom. Looks like the little fellow's a bit nervous. [Jesus moves forward] But he has taken another step out, Tom! This is great new for us!
Jesus:	Uh-mmm, um what are you people doing? [people lower their cameras, puzzled] Can I help you with something? [no one moves]
Craig:	…Well, it's… the millennium, Jesus.
Jesus:	Uuh-huh?
Craig:	Well, it's "The Millennium"
Man 1:	Yeah.
Man 2:	Yeah.
Man 3:	Yeah.
Cameraman:	Right.
Jesus:	So, what happens at the millennium?
Craig:	…I don't know.
Jimbo:	We thought you did.
"Y2K" Man:	Yeah, you're supposed to know!
Man 4:	Yeah!
Man 5:	Yeah, you're Jesus.
Man 6:	Hey!
Man 5:	-You're the one in control.
Jesus:	Oh. Well. Yea. Believe in me and ye shall find peace.
Mr. Garrison:	Yeah yeah yeah, we've heard that crap for about 2000 years now! We wanna hear some'in' new! It's the year 2000, for Christ's sake!
Crowd:	Yeah!
Jesus:	Well, what do ya want?
Fr. Maxi:	We want to see God!
Randy:	Yeah, with our own eyes.
Crowd:	Yeah!
Jimbo:	We followed blindly for thousands of years and we think the least God can do is show up for New Year's Eve 1999!
Crowd:	Yeah!
Woman:	That's right!
Jesus:	Oh. Uuuh, llet me think about that for a minute. [backs up and closes the door. The people in the crowd are left to talk amongst themselves]
Man With Picket Sign:	[to man to his left] Is that good?
Man 7:	I don't know.
Man 8:	I don't know. Is that good or not?

[snip]

Jesus:	[sighs heavily] Father, I need to talk to you. Please, Father, appear to me. [a flash of light and swirling clouds follow as Jesus comes forward to meet his father]
God:	[voice-over] What is it, my child?
Jesus:	Father, everyone is starting to pay attention to me again because of the new millennium. Huh-I'm kinda making a comeback!
God:	Yea, like John Travolta before you. You are experiencing a second revival.
Jesus:	It's the millennium, Father. People want to see you.
God:	Nay, their eyes are not yet prepared to see the likes of me.
Jesus:	But dad, I think this may be my one big shot at a comeback.
God:	Be ye careful of pride, Jesus.
Jesus:	Just make an appearance. You can come down, sey 'hi' to a few people and can be back by 12:30.
God:	I'm sorry, my son, but if you want to earn everyone's love, you will have to do it yourself.

[snip]

Stan:	[goes onstage] Jesus, why does God hate me?
Jesus:	Huh? He doesn't hate you, he hates me. He's gonna let me be crucified again.
Stan:	He hates me more. He doesn't answer my prayers. I prayed to him every day and he never answered me.
Jesus:	Well, yeah, but just because God doesn't answer your prayers doesn't mean he doesn't care about you.
Stan:	Well then, why didn't he give me what I wanted?
Jesus:	Well, God can't just answer every prayer and suddenly give you everything you want. That takes all the living out of life.
Stan:	What do you mean?
Jesus:	If God answered all our prayers, there'd be nothing left for us to do ourselves. Life is about problems, and overcoming those problems. [becomes reflective] A-and growing and learning from obstacles. If God just fixed everything for us, then there'd be no point in our existence. [realizes something] That's why he wouldn't show up to my New Year's party.
Stan:	I just wanted my period.
Jesus:	I get it now, Father. I had to learn all this on my own. [Skeeter and five other men bring a large cross in] I was overcome with my new popularity and, and I let pride get in the way of good judgment. [a bright light appears in the sky and descends towards the stage. The crowd gapes in awe]
Man:	Whoa, what is that??
Jesus:	[the light approaches him] It's Dad.
Fr. Maxi:	God? God is going to show himself??
Woman:	Look, I can see him. [the light begins to bathe the crowd]
Jesus:	Father. You came.
God:	Now look upon Me, My children, and know Me. [now the crowd is shocked] Be ye not afraid. [God is shown as a hippo-rodent] Blessed art thou, my children. [a man's party blower falls from his lips]
Randy:	That's God?
Jesus:	Yea, 'tis my Father, the Creator. He is the Alpha and the Omega. [a snake's tongue lashes out from God's mouth] The Beginning and the End.
Mr. Garrison:	Well, yeah, but that??
God:	What did you expect me to look like, My son?
Mr. Garrison:	[thinks a moment] …Well not like that!
God:	Since it is the end of the first 2000 years, I will allow you, My children, to ask me one question.

[sporkgoddess]

Ahh, thanks! I didn't post a picture because I was afraid of giving these people an outrage-induced aneurysm.