Not movie, but t.v. news (though the people responsible all have credits in some films)
Issac Hayes quits South Park. Possibly hypocrisy? In a situation involving a scientologist! STUNNING!
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"There is a place in this world for satire, but there is a time when satire ends and intolerance and bigotry towards religious beliefs of others begins," the 63-year-old soul singer and outspoken Scientologist said.
"Religious beliefs are sacred to people, and at all times should be respected and honored," he continued. "As a civil rights activist of the past 40 years, I cannot support a show that disrespects those beliefs and practices."
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First off they rarely mock the belief itself, usually just misuse of a faith or really blatant faux pas. Though Scientology did get raked over the coals a bit more...
Possibly because dianetics was masqueraded as a self-help book initially until Hubbard saw that a church would mean more money and more tax breaks, the fact the entire beief structure is based around money (this isn't "pass the collection plate", it's "the only way up is through writing that check"). And that Hubbard even blatantly stated to a friend it would be a 'great con'. But yeah other than THAT...So unfair of Parker and Stone.
Anywho, the response though sort of puts this in perspective I think.
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South Park" co-creator Matt Stone responded sharply in an interview with The Associated Press Monday, saying, "This is 100 percent having to do with his faith of Scientology... He has no problem -- and he's cashed plenty of checks -- with our show making fun of Christians."
Stone told The AP he and co-creator Trey Parker "never heard a peep out of Isaac in any way until we did Scientology. He wants a different standard for religions other than his own, and to me, that is where intolerance and bigotry begin." |
In closing:
I wonder if Hayes will ever get to fully cleanse himself of Thetans without the steady gig.
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| I think he was probably in it. |
No, he wasn't. Before it aired, the synopsis mentioned an "r&b star", many assumed Hayes was breaking with the scientology herd and actively poking fun at it. But the r&b star thing turned out to be the R. Kelly gag.
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| It was an amazing episode, though. |
Easily one of the gutsiest moves I've seen pulled on t.v. as far as satire in a long while. I can't really think of any other show thats done something that...well, the adjective ballsy is all that truly fits.
Then again...Sticking to political figures and celebrities is, at worst, like staring down a speeding volkswagon jetta. Doing it to Scientology is like playing chicken with a Sherman tank.
Though when you've got viacom backing you up (they own comedy central), you can have a slightly more cavalier attitude.
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| Scientology once again ruins something. |
In all honesty this dosen't surprise me, there had been increasingly fewer appearances of Chef. This just sort of sealed it.
It's a loss but...not a huge one AT ALL.
Besides, this could make for even better comedy if they feel like it.
What Scientology COULD theoretically ruin is the simpsons (yeah yeah "whats left to ruin", not my point) since the voice of...bart and a couple of other characters is one of theirs. Hence why if you look at the "movementarian" episode...it's got some undertones of scientology, but they steer far from really mentioning it. Thats why you'll never see an episode on that show referencing it, or probably anything too closely related.
Example. The Tom Cruise couch thing...ripe for parody. Especially since admittedly the simpsons IS prone to jumping on media events like that as of late, they could even have made the episodic "couch gag" revolve around it. They haven't...not to assume but...
Three guesses why not.
