Religion in South Park Anti Catholic, anti religion?

South Park vs Catholicism

•  Everyone who is not Jewish in South Park is apparently Catholic.

•  “Red Hot Catholic Love” (Season 6) –  Condemnation of the clergy

sexual abuse scandals. –  Condemnation of Catholic

celibacy? –  Condemnation of Catholic

theology regarding Papal infallibility?

•  Would you say this episode of South Park is “anti-Catholic’?

South Park vs Catholicism

•  Bloody Mary (Season 9) •  December 7, 2005 - day before Catholic

Feast of the Immaculate Conception •  Catholic League for Civil and Religious

Rights demanded an apology, and that the episode be “retired.”

•  Catholic groups in New Zealand and Australia attempted to halt broadcast of episode in Feb. 2006 - it aired anyway, gaining 6 times the number of normal viewers.

•  Conclusion of the Broadcasting Standards Authority in New Zealand: “showing disrespect does not amount to the sort of vicious or vitriolic attack normally associated with the denigration standard.” [The episode is] of such a farcical, absurd and unrealistic nature… it did not breach standards of good taste and decency in the context in which it was offered”.

South Park vs Mel Gibson •  South Park’s episode “The

Passion of the Jew” takes on Mel Gibson’s conservative Catholic take on The Passion of the Christ

•  Controversy over Gibson’s film - gratuitous violence

•  “Snuff film”? •  Anti-Semitic? Are there any

positive images of Jews in this film?

•  Are the Jews in this film held to be totally responsible for Christ’s death?

South Park vs Mel Gibson

•  Episode: The Passion of the Jew –  Kyle sees Gibson’s film, and

becomes convinced that Jews really were responsible for Christ’s death - tries to get Jewish people to apologize for killing Christ

•  Does the portrayal of Gibson in this film make the episode “anti-Catholic”?

•  Is the episode anti-Jewish? •  The moral: focus on

teachings, not death - is this a “pro-Christian” or “anti-Catholic?” moral?

Jesus lives (lived?) in South Park

•  Jesus in South Park •  Host of phone-in public access radio

show “Jesus and Pals” •  Son of God •  Super Hero rather than Savior? •  “A really, really nice, ordinary guy?” •  Jesus dies saving Santa from the

Iraqis (“Red Sleigh Down,” Season 6, ep. 17)

•  Jesus is resurrected, dies, and is re-resurrectedso he can save the Easter Bunny (Fantastic Easter Special” season 11, ep. 5), who then becomes Pope.

Jesus lives in South Park

•  What does Jesus teach on South Park? –  “God can’t answer every prayer and suddenly give you everything you

want. That takes all the living out of life... If God answered all our prayers there’d be nothing left for us to do ourselves. Life is about problems and overcoming those problems and growing and learning from obstacles. If God just fixed everything for us there’d be no point in our existence”

–  “God doesn’t want you to spend all of your time being afraid of hell or praising his name. God wants you to spend your time helping others and living a good, happy life. That’s how you live for him.”

–  Is this “anti-Christian?”

God in South Park

•  An animal hybrid?

•  A Buddhist •  Heaven filled

with Mormons? •  What might this

portrayal of God imply?

Satan

•  A nice, easy-going guy doing a difficult job? •  Satan vs Jesus - (“Damien”) who wins? Why?

Islam - Muhammad in South Park

•  The Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy (2005/2010)

•  Qu’ran prohibits depictions of Mohammed.

•  Equal opportunity satire? - •  “The cartoonists treated Islam the same way they treat Christianity,

Buddhism, Hinduism and other religions. And by treating Muslims in Denmark as equals they made a point: We are integrating you into the Danish tradition of satire because you are part of our society, not strangers. The cartoons are including, rather than excluding, Muslims.”

•  Self-censorship out of fear - terrorism wins?

•  Impact - 139 dead, $11 million price put on cartoonists heads.

•  $135 million lost to Islamic sanctions against Denmark

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South Park

•  Censorship issue explicitly confronted in episodes “Cartoon Wars Part I & II” (Season 10), and “200” and “201” (Season 14)

•  William Donohue, of the anti-defamation group Catholic League, argued that Stone & Parker should resign out of principle for being censored, stating, “The ultimate hypocrite is not Comedy Central...it’s Parker and Stone. Like little whores, they’ll sit there and grab the bucks. They’ll sit there and they’ll whine and they’ll take their shot at Jesus. That’s their stock in trade.”[2]

•  According to Trey Parker, after this episode aired the people behind The Simpsons sent flowers to the South Park staff and the people behind King of the Hill called to say they were “doing Gods work.”

•  In an interview on Nightline the creators said that by defacing Jesus in the episode it was showing how anyone can make fun of Christianity and its no big deal, but to deface Islam if forbidden. If one religion must be respected they all should, or the rules go out the window.

LDS (Mormonism) -

Dum, dum, dum? •  Is South Park anti-

Mormon? •  What message does the

episode “All about the Mormons” give regarding Mormon theology?

•  What message does it give about Mormons themselves?

LDS���in���

South Park

•  Gary: All I ever did was try to be your friend, Stan, but you’re so high and mighty you couldn’t look past my religion and just be my friend back. You’ve got a lot of growing up to do, buddy. Suck my balls.

•  Cartman: Damn, that kid is cool, huh? •  South Park’s criticism of religion: theology is stupid, but the people can be

great?