'Chef' Quits South Park Over Religious Satire

[bigfootedfred]

Singer Isaac Hayes is to stop providing the voice for a character in cartoon South Park
because he objects to its "inappropriate ridicule" of religion.
Hayes, 63, who is the voice of the lustful Chef, has been a regular on the show since its US TV debut in 1997.
But co-creator Matt Stone said Hayes had "never had a problem" until the Scientology Church, to which Hayes belongs, was parodied.
The show was insensitive to "personal spiritual beliefs", said Hayes.

'Religious sensitivity'

"There is a place in this world for satire but there is a time when satire ends and intolerance and bigotry toward religious beliefs begins," he said.
Co-creator Stone said Hayes would be released from his contract and had the best wishes of the South Park team.
Stone said: "In 10 years and over 150 episodes of South Park,
Isaac never had a problem with the show making fun of Christians, Muslim, Mormons or Jews.
"He got a sudden case of religious sensitivity when it was his religion featured on the show."
The series tells the story of four boys in a dysfunctional Colorado town and regularly deals with sensitive subjects and sends up famous figures.

In a recent episode, one of the gang, Stan, did so well in a Scientology test that church followers thought he was the next L Ron Hubbard, the late science-fiction writer who founded Scientology.
Hayes did not take part in that episode but has talked widely about his work for Scientology, which he calls "an applied religious philosophy".
A spokesman for the show's makers Comedy Central said producers had not decided if Chef would be dropped from the show.
The show sparked another religious row recently when an episode entitled Bloody Mary depicted a bleeding statue of the Virgin Mary.
Catholics in the US criticised the show while church leaders in New Zealand called for a boycott of a broadcaster which planned to screen the episode.
Osama Bin Laden was killed in another episode of the programme, which has seen guest cameos by the likes of George Clooney, who voiced a pet dog.

no more chef

source


(didnt know where to put this....talk of "boycotts" and so forth led me to put it here...
but, put it some where else if this forum is not approriate)

[God-Emperor of Mankind]

Sad news indeed but kinda expected since chef haven't been in the latest episodes.
But silly that he leaves because of this reason tho.

[Mathias]

What no more chef on south park just because the show made fun of his religion. What would south park be without its ridicule of religions and making fun of famous people???
People are so sensitive now a days

[Nihil]

Scientologists are not allowed to make their own decisions and are under the complete control of their "church", so this is hardly surprising. In a way, it reinforces the satire.

Does anybody know if there is any truth in the rumour that this episode has been prevented from airing in the UK?

[Last Roman]

Stone said: "In 10 years and over 150 episodes of South Park,
Isaac never had a problem with the show making fun of Christians, Muslim, Mormons or Jews.
"He got a sudden case of religious sensitivity when it was his religion featured on the show."

thats BS. If he can dish it out, then he should take some too.

[God-Emperor of Mankind]

Does anybody know if there is any truth in the rumour that this episode has been prevented from airing in the UK?

Yes it was true, Tom Cruise managed to stop the episode.

[Last Roman]

Yes it was true, Tom Cruise managed to stop the episode.

are you kidding? Now I hate Cruise even more, what a douche

Good thing its still airing here, infact they're showing it tomorrow

[Shadow_Imperator]

Bah, another 'non beleiver' sect, don't people have anything better to do than make all these crappy little splinter religions...

[Erik]

Something weird just happened:
I wanted to post something bad about the "Scientology brainwash society" and my coputer locked up (blue screen), and I couldn't re-start for several minutes.
Is Bill Gates also a member?

Anyways I think it was hypocrit of him to only complain when his own "religion" was made fun off.

But I hope they wil still keep the Chef character.
They could just give him a different voice:

Stan: Hi Chef.
Chef: (in new voice) Hi there children.
Stan: What happened to your voice?
Chef: Well children, I was abducted by an organization called the "church of scientology" ..... (explaining why the old voice had to go while making fun of scientology)
Kenny: That's ****ed up.

[allthesedamnnamesaretaken]

Something weird just happened:
Stan: Hi Chef.
Chef: (in new voice) Hi there children.
Stan: What happened to your voice?
Chef: Well children, I was abducted by an organization called the "church of scientology" ..... (explaining why the old voice had to go while making fun of scientology)
Kenny: That's ****ed up.

OMG that is brilliant. you should email it to the south park producers and i'll bet they'll add it to the show

[LSJ]

I love South Park. Its too bad that Chef is gone.
He was taken in by the "scam religion".

South Park makes fun of everything. He was okay with making fun of every other religion except his own.
If he can't make fun of his religion then he shouldn't make fun of other people's.

[Nihil]

Here's the episode in question:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?search=...&v=Lsq7-Wfiwsc

You need to register to see it.

[RZZZA]

So...lemme get this straight....he was okay when Southpark made an episode about the statue of a virgin mary spurting out blood from her vagina...

But ridiculing the most bogus religion I've seen since the Davidians is going too far? Wow...

I had no idea that Isaac Hayes was a scientologist too. Why is everybody becoming a scientologist? They really target the celebrities, those scientologists, so they can get that marketing appeal. Theyre a brainwashing cult, I have no doubt about this...and this is coming from a guy who doesnt like most ANY religion. I really dont like scientology...and I dont like anybody who chooses to follow scientology.

I hope he gets sucked in and loses all his money, and when he dies, I hope Xenu the overlord reincarnates his soul into that of a donkey, since he's made such an ass out of himself. I dont have any sympathy for him because of the religion he chose, its proof to me that I'd be wasting my time pitying him.

[Obershutze]

They might just remove Chef of the series by sending him away, like they usually do in those situations.

Or maybe they will bash Scientology and Chef in an episode.

[PANTSTOUCHER]

I like how people, and not just religious ones, sit back and laugh when other groups get made fun of and complain, but then when their little group's turn to comes up they start whining. For more evidence, see the something awful "Your band sucks" reviews; I love it when people say stuff like, "It was funny when you made fun of such and such band, but now when that you made fun of my favorite band, you've gone to far". Shows why you shouldn't care too much about stuff like this.

[John I Tzimisces]

Hypocrit much? He can dish it out but he can't take it, apparently...

[Kanaric]

The Southpark creators say that he had no problem with their basing mormons, muslims, christians, etc, but when they based this cult he quits..... hypocrisy.

[internationalist]

The Southpark creators say that he had no problem with their basing mormons, muslims, christians, etc, but when they based this cult he quits..... hypocrisy.

oh my god the mormon bashing episode was SO DAMN FUNNY!!!!!!!!!!

[Badnercalabrese]

that really sucks....being a catholic i don't care how southpark makes fun of us...they awlays do, it's funny...

but man at the end of the episode...usually they have some sort of message that's right.
does anybody else catch this???


you'll be missed chef!

[John I Tzimisces]

Wait, is the episode in question the one where they have the subtitle below "THIS IS WHAT SCIENTOLOGISTS ACTUALLY BELIEVE" at the bottom? Or a different one?