Posted on 12/30/2005 11:40:04 AM PST by 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.”
It was. Then Catholics exercised their right of free speech to express their opinion and the network then made the decision to pull it.
That's free speech.
So its free speech to get together to block speech?
Everyone is for free speech it seems, just so long as its free speech they agree with.
An excellent reflection of the poor catechesis in the Catholic Church today. What could be funnier than to see the Mothe of God dripping blood from her vagina on the Feast of her Immaculate Conception. Did anyone try to explain this to them or did everyone simply sit back, slap their knees and laugh along with South Park?
I gave it up 2 years ago. There is little of worth on tv. It is nothing more than a mechanism to desensitize people to their belief systems.
Sorry for not pinging you to the recent posts. Check them out.
My whole family is Catholic, I did K-12 in Catholic school, we all watch it, my niece and nephew who are in Catholic school watch it and think its funny.
We all have the ability to decide for ourselves what to watch, and don't need a bunch of nannies pulling shows so we don't get our feelings hurt.
Well, no, you still don't get it.
It was free speech for us to express our objections. We don't have control of the network. They made the decision to pull the episode.
Free speech has consequences. The network could have made the decision to play the episode again, but they made a judegement based on the consequences. Just like the Catholics knew the consequences for them would be that people would laugh at them for making the objection. But Catholics feel that defending the honor of the Virgin Mary outweighs those consequences.
Bill Donohue supports homosexual civil unions? Are you sure you are not thinking of the big time liberal Phil Donohue?
It is free speech for you to object, I'm all for it. But its not free speech when you call for something to be censored, there is NO way to spin that.
Like I said, everyone is for free speech, just as long as it is free speech they agree with.
You don't have control of the network, but you do have control of YOUR TV. Quit your whining and don't watch it if you are offended.
Glad you enjoyed it! I'm sure our Lord will appreciate your commentary about His mother, on judgment day.
Why are you using images from a mockery of God (Ex. 32:8 Acts 17:29) to condemn a mockery of Mary?
Sure it is. I can say anything I want. The network is free to play it again or not.
Do you live in Canada?
I'm sure our Lord is probably pretty pissed off that you dare to speak for Him and do the whole judging for Him.
Wanna ping anyone else to make you look big?
Why wait? Go ahead and send them her photograph, along with those of your wife, sisters, cousins, grandmother, and aunts. They'll know what to do. Then we can all have a good laugh.
Born and raised in the USA, and I have a remote for my TV, I use it all the time, I don't need a bunch of folks telling me what I should watch.
Are you against free speech?
Then it's interesting that you are really struggling with the concept of free speech.
what is this?
You learned how to post pictures in HTML?
Congrats....
Now back to the discussion.....
Excellent! Perhaps some of them will be as scandalized as the Catholics. BTW - where are the protestants in all this? What? No outcry? Martin Luther must be turning over in his grave as he held Mary as Mother of God, in great respect. His followers? Silent!
Then whine to the network.
I am a Catholic, and right before Christmas I wrote to the New York provincial for the Society of Jesus and the editor of America to voice my outrage over the ad showing Mary covered with a prophylactic that appeared in America. I have also repeatedly taken on anti-Catholics in this forum.
Also, I said I wouldn't defend the episode, which indeed sounds vile and disgusting. I am not a regular viewer of "South Park" because, for me, the gross and disgusting aspects outweigh the funny ones. But you can't call "South Park" anti-Catholic unless you also call it anti-black, anti-Semitic, anti-gay, anti-Moslem, anti-Third World, anti-Mormon, anti-Scientologist, etc, etc.
Many comedians are called "irreverent," which means that they attack Christianity while never making fun of any minority or special interest groups--the real sacred cows in our society. I despise such comedians. But "South Park" truly is irreverent, and makes fun of the real sacred cows all the same. For that, I give the show some credit.
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