South Park's Biggest Controversies

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Article Comments for [link=http://tv.ign.com/articles/108/1086604p1.html]South Park's Biggest Controversies[/link]
by Travis Fickett

Summary: From religion, to celebrities (dead or alive) to other animated series, South Park's choice of topics has managed to court controversy several times in its 13 years on the air. In the wake of an attention-getting situation with the show's 201st episode, IGN looks back at some of the most notable controversies the series has found itself at the center of. [link=http://tv.ign.com/articles/108/1086604p1.html]Read Full Article[/link]

 

[thisdudrocksharder]

Damn all the dumb extremists who havef to ruin it for everyone else!! I haven't even been able to see episode 201 because of dumb death threats. Give me a break and get a life! If you don't like it..don't watch it!

 

[HaloMaggot]

I know, me neither thisdudrocksharder. I skipped watching the episode on TV because I like watching them on SouthParkStudios.com because they're less heavily edited. Instead, I haven't been able to watch "201" because it wasn't able to be shown online or OnDemand.

 

[lepermessiah91]

sorry but i have to correct the author on a part about the family guy episode. It was NOT an attack on the simpsons in any way, they actually included the bart simpson character knowing that the makers of the simpsons hate family guy just as much as matt and trey do. matt and trey have both acknowledged and appreciated that the simpsons is a good show through the DVD commentary of season 6, even though they dont watch it on a regular basis or anythin. some of this harkens back to the "simpsons already did it" episode.

 

[Pwnstar4Life]

Comedy Central pretty much failed. It would be nice to see Trey and Matt respond somehow considering the fact that they weren't even told about the decision. Sort of like how Futurama made fun of the "Box" corporation in the first Futurama movie.

 

[sci-fi_fan]

Whether or not you like Family Guy you do have to admit that the manatees and idea balls were funny.

 

[LightEcoJak]

I'm starting to think what the contents of Stan's speech were is going to be as mysterious as the missing 18 minutes of the Nixon tapes

 

[PS3nobody]

If Muslim extremists love their prophet and god so much, enough to kill over it, they should all kill themselves. That way they can still be crazy and also solve one of the worlds problems. Two birds with one stone I say

 

[goldiggah15]

"Stan''s ENTIRE final speech was bleeped" it was kyle talking, not stan

 

[DutchUberWood]

So we mustn't give into terrorism.. that's how they win... so we'll give into terrorism so they won't bomb us... we win!!

 

[SpongeLikenasir]

I will report everyone who is racist, mean , and offensive !

 

[guiltywingv18]

Y'know, I would've felt sorta okay with the Steve Irwin joke if Satan let him stay at the party. I mean, I don't wanna offend, but you can't take that personally. What's the difference between making light of the situation now or later, really? It's not like they were being especially offensive about HIM - all they did was mention something everyone was already talking about anyway.

Still, best wishes to the family. I do remember seeing his wife and daughter often on his tv show.

 

[jrau18]

Man... Viacom really does sound like an evil corporation... Like they are planning global domination or something...

 

[Endgamer77]

South Park is easily the most conteversial cartoon ever.

 

[Mick009]

South Park is easily the most conteversial cartoon ever.

And that's why I love it so much

 

[Latnok]

PS3nobody- WOW! nice plan, did you come up with it all by yourself genius? Try learn a thing or two about it if you're going to comment on it. If they kill themselves then they'll be sent to eternal damn nation and burrrrrrrrn in hell lol.

Also, revolutionaryislam or whatever, threatened matt and trey. If they done that to me, I'd take it as a threat. How could you post a pic of a guy being stabbed on the street and say could this happen to you? and saying it's not threatening lol.

They're a bunch of idiots who don't even know about their own religion.

Also, for those who haven't seen it, go to tvshacks and watch it. There are plenty of websites that still have the episode uploaded on the net.

 

[DoctorKid]

The Show may be contriversal but it is one of the funniest shows on T.V.

 

[DoctorKid]

The Show may be contriversal but it is one of the funniest shows on T.V.

 

[DementedAvenger27]

I don't doubt tom cruise tried to get this episode pulled. he's kind of a cry baby. i watched a prank show where he got water squirted in his face by a fake microphone and he lost it. take a joke dude

 

[kevMeatGrinder]

Its only controversial cause people dont wanna accept the truth

 

[cvpooler]

I never knew Donohue had a still of his South Park inclusion in his office; kinda shows he can be a good sport.

 

[Godofallchickens]

I hope that when all this shit calms down, they'll put up even a slightly less censored version of 201 on SP Studios.
Or at least re-up Super Best Friends. It was seriously messed up to take that episode down.

 

[JPman162016]

the only time I watched South Park at any point and was like wow that was really fu*ked up was the Steve Irwin bit in the Hell on Earth episode, I thought it was in bad taste and not funny. but beside that iv got no problem with anything they have done they are fair and rip on everyone and don't take sides, plus its all in good fun.

 

[ahmadWR200M]

To come up with a top 10 controversial moments for south park??? That's just about impossible.

But I'm a little disappointed that "The Return of Chef" wasn't on here. It may not have been overly controversial, but it sure was talked about a lot afterwards.

 

[Bucherman7]

Actually there have been 2 moments went Matt and Trey got death threats... the first was when they didn't tell who Cartman's father was and did a Terrence and Philip special instead... hahaahaha

 

[kantankruz]

Umm, the Bloody Mary Ep. She wasn't bleeding from the anus, she was bleeding from her "Front Bum." That was the joke. She's a woman. Get it.

 

[krishn]

they should do an episode that parodies comedy central's intimidation and willingness to give into bullshit threats

 

[Spence_Mgence]

I am actually very surprised the author didn't include IsIsaac Hayes' departure from South Park under the "Trapped in the Closet" episode. While Hayes never said it was because of that episode, he departed less than 6 months after the episode aired because "recent episodes satirized religious beliefs as being intolerant." If a cast member's departure from the show because of an episode isn't controversial, I don't know what is.

 

[RP-29]

@ Spence_Mgence

I've read several interviews from people close to Hayes and it's virtually unanimous that they think the leaders of Scientology essentially bullied Hayes into abandoning the show.

 

[Lord_Turdsley]

Lord Xenu, LOL! That crazy cult.

South Park is way better than that turd of a show Family Guy. That is all.

 

[Theshireling]

Maybe Comedy Central should grow a sack.

 

[Go4thAndDie]

"It's hard to blame the executives at the station for not wanting to put their employees at risk."

Obviously Matt and Trey aren't scared, why does Comedy Central feel the need to play mommy to two grown men?

 

[dtherpgfan982756]

I think that at the very least, they should try to get the uncensored version of 201 published on the DVD set. If they do that, I would gladly buy it.

 

[Ironjake]

and now the episode "super best friends" from season 5 isn't even online anymore. I respect all cultures, but I also respect the freedom I have as an American to draw a picture of Mohammed taking a piss on the Koran...just as I have the right to draw Moses dumping on a Torah and Jesus masterbating to animal porn. Obviously these things are obscene and immature. But the fact is that violence and anger shouldn't govern what I can and can't say.

 

[AaronJW72]

Hey if you want to stand up for freedom against this kind of terrorism that went on, this site will do it.

http://everyonedrawmohammed.blogspot.com/

The name of the site is "Everyone Draw Mohammed." Its your way of saying to the terrorists "f--- you, we are not intimidated."

So draw your own creations and send it to the site. or post it on your own site and send me a link. Artistic quality is not necessary. Seriously, we have already published alot of terribly drawn cartoons. Because quality is not the point, giving the terrorists the finger, is.

 

[oopap]

"Trapped In the Closet" doesn't make any remarks about Tom Cruise being a homosexual. It simply addresses that he's in the closet. Or a fudge packer. Geez.

 

[imfagentsamfisher]

Very good article.

"It's hard to blame the executives at the station for not wanting to put their employees at risk."

Obviously Matt and Trey aren't scared, why does Comedy Central feel the need to play mommy to two grown men?

While the death threats were primarily against Matt and Trey, there was a strong implication by the posting of Comedy Central's LA location that there was also a threat against CC employees working on the show there as well. I mean, they are Muslim extremists, they're famous more for bombs and other forms of exploding devices than they are for traditional murder. In that sense, can't blame them.

However, I think the article captured it perfectly: It's very much sad to see an American organization being bullied and pushed around and intimidated by thugs/criminals/terrorists. I admire Trey and Matt very much for this stand, because of course if you don't stand up to the bully, even if it's a very small minority, they will get their way. And if getting their way means blatantly infringing on one of our most sacred rights as Americans, we can't just stand by and let that happen.

I think that at the very least, they should try to get the uncensored version of 201 published on the DVD set. If they do that, I would gladly buy it.

Same here. I would love to see both those two episodes as well as the original Cartoon Wars II episode uncensored.

and now the episode "super best friends" from season 5 isn't even online anymore. I respect all cultures, but I also respect the freedom I have as an American to draw a picture of Mohammed taking a piss on the Koran...just as I have the right to draw Moses dumping on a Torah and Jesus masterbating to animal porn. Obviously these things are obscene and immature. But the fact is that violence and anger shouldn't govern what I can and can't say.

A friend of mine back in school once said that the true test of freedom of speech and if we actually believe in it and stand for it is if we can bring ourselves to allow it even when it's hard for us to do so. When it offends us (for me, Jesus watching porn), when we hate the people in question (for me, KKK verbally hating black people), even when it threatens our well-being, that's when it's more important than ever for us to stand up for free speech and show that we really care about it.

Otherwise, we're full of shit.

 

[Psycold]

What a load of shit about Steve Irwin, that guy was constantly putting himself and his family in danger, he INEVITABLY got killed and I totally laughed at that episode.

 

[Welshmen92]

@AaronJW72
Sorry but that website is of very bad taste, because really it's not just offensive to extremists and terroritsts in a minority, but potentially to every Muslim who peacefully practises their faith, which is as valid as any other, it just so happens they find representation of their prophet offensive. Plus goading the extremists even more isn't going to make matters any better. Poking a bear with a stick isn't going to make it less likely to claw your face off.

Having the right to do something doesn't make it right for you to purposefully offend someone.

 

[agentbuckwald86]

Pretty solid list. I have to say, though, that they didn't really "attack" The Simpsons in Cartoon Wars. I actually just watched that episode the other day on DVD and in the commentary Trey and Matt talked about how, after part 1 aired, they received calls from writers of King of The Hill and The Simpsons saying they're glad they called out Family Guy's lazy writing. They even mention that was the main reason they put Bart into part 2. Not trying to correct what the article said, but when I heard the commentary I found that little bit of info to be super neato!

And I apologize for typing "neato".

 

[cujoshunt92]

Get this guy to write more articles!

 

[AaronJW72]

@Welshman

Of course it is offensive. Its supposed to be. Read my mission statment. http://everyonedrawmohammed.blogspot.com/p/mission-statement.html

Offensiveness is part of the point. We are intentionlaly trying to anger the radicals so that it isn't just Matt and Trey in the cross hairs. We are like the soldiers in Spartacus' army standing up and shouting, "I am Spartacus!" We are dispersing blame and danger. We are virtually locking arms and singing "we shall overcome."

And i might add that the most offensive cartoon, in my opinion, was drawn by a self-described muslim. http://everyonedrawmohammed.blogspot.com/2010/04/yet-another-cartoon.html

If you don't have the freedom to be offensive, then you don't really have freedom of speech.

Mind you, in ordinary circumstances, i would never want to offend good muslims who simulataneously love freedom and their prophet. If courtesy is all that motivates your restraint, more power to you. But when you are told not to say something or risk death, then courtesy goes out the window.

But hey, look over the site and you will see alot of other links to other people doing the same thing and i think at least a few of them are filtering the comics for offensiveness.

 

[Welshmen92]

AaronJW72

I realise being offensive is the point and I get what your doing, by using your freedom of speech/action tp stand up against these extremists. But freedom of speech isn't any easy topic. Sure everyone has the right to say what they like even if it causes offence and if we truly accept democracy we should treasure freedom of speech, but what if it conflicts with a person's right to live free of persecution? I don't know you but from your mission statement you seem like a decent and tolerant guy and I'm sure you don't want to insult real Muslims, but I'm not sure this is the way. What is the way? I don't know so I'll keep judgement to a minimum. However I don't think making potential terrorists angry is going to make things better. My courtesy may be a restraint but I see that as more empowerig to me, when such fanatics threaten life over a cartoon or for whatever reason I know that my courtesy is something that keeps me a level above them.

 

[AaronJW72]

@Welshman

Also, blogger/blogspot has alot of great tools to create your own blog and for free (they apparently are paid with ad revenue). So if you don't like the offensive cartoons people are sending me, but you like the idea of posting a less-offensive picture of mohammed, maybe that would work for you.

I am not here to argue with you. I would love you and everyone to join in this in some way. To quote the Cartoon wars episode:

"Freedom of speech is at stake here, don’t you all see? If anything, we should all make cartoons of Mohammed and show the terrorists and the extremists that we are all united in the belief that every person has a right to say what they want. Look people, it’s been really easy for us to stand up for free speech lately. For the past few decades, we haven’t had to risk anything to defend it. One of those times is right now. And if we aren’t willing to risk what we have now, then we just believe in free speech, but won’t defend it."

 

[Welshmen92]

AaronJW72

And I'm not here to argue with you either We clearly have a clash of ideas here which is one of the greatest things about freedom of speech and I appreciate your efforts to stick up for it, even if I disagree with the methods. Maybe my own blog would be a good idea.

 

[deadpoolrising]

Yo guys, check this out! southparkstudios.com has now posted a message saying that they will be able to show a version of episode 201 on may 22! i dont knnow if it will be censored or not but it should probably have at least less censorship thatn the aired version

 

[DaCrazyBeast]

Wow, I really wish those damn extremists would die. They give a much worse picture of Islam than South Park ever could. Honestly, these extremists know nothing about Islam. In Islam, Mohammad and Jesus are equal, so it would be just as bad to draw Jesus, but you don't see them going after every church in the world, do you? South Park summed it up pretty well: "Its forbidden for MUSLIMS to draw Mohammad".

These bastards are more ignorant than AaronJW72...quite a feat

 

[Airwolf873]

Let me just clarify one thing: taking drawn depiction of the Prophet seriously is not extremism. Matt and Trey technically shouldn’t be depicting something they know would cause an uproar, plus if I’m reading this right: they made such a move after the incident with Danish Newspaper: why being stubborn and provoke more anger? Why can’t they just leave the matter alone, it’s not like there’re no other ideas they can tackle? If Hindus or Christians or whoever else is not bothered by their historical figures showing up in South Park or any cartoonish depiction, then it’s their business. I don't think they ever raised a voice against Jesus because Islam doesn't have exclusive rights to him. I think it’s being inconsiderate of Matt and Trey to not adhere to what’s been asked of them or anyone else in similar profession. Why make a fuss about it and then say “O my freedom of speech is at stake here” ? Do something like this in your own time and place, but don’t publicize it. Death threats are rather extreme; talking is the way to go. I just think it's childish and stubborn of them to knowingly to cause trouble.

 

[slimredninja]

I did a pic of Mohammed a couple of weeks ago and unlike them I didn't wimp out. Also my site is taking over the everyone draw mohammed day since that chick wimped out. So anyone with a depiction of Mohammed send it to me and will post it.
http://www.morningsquirtz.com/index.html

[image=http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z237/danielmehlhorn/mohammed.jpg]

 

[shikee]

@slimredninja

Nice dude, i went to your site, lold.