Please come out of the closet

Postat: 2006-03-18 kl. 13.40

Isaac Hayes har bett om att få komma ur sitt kontrakt som rösten till Chef på grund av att han tycker illa om att South Park driver med organiserad religion. Dessutom lyckades Church of Scientology få Viacom att inte visa reprisen av South Park-avsnittet Trapped in the Closet som skulle visats härom dagen. Hilarity ensues:

"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," Hayes says. "Religious beliefs are sacred to people, and at all times should be respected and honored. As a civil rights activist of the past 40 years, I cannot support a show that disrespects those beliefs and practices."

In a statement of his own, Stone notes that Hayes had never in the past voiced concern about episodes that lampooned religious convictions.

"This has nothing to do with intolerance and bigotry and everything to do with the fact that Isaac Hayes is a Scientologist and that we recently featured Scientology in an episode of 'South Park,'" Stone says. "In 10 years and over 150 episodes of 'South Park,' Isaac never had a problem with the show making fun of Christians, Muslims, Mormons and Jews. He got a sudden case of religious sensitivity when it was his religion featured on the show."

Zap 2 it Isaac Hayes Wants Out of 'South Park' (2006-03-13)

You know how that Scientology episode of "South Park" called "Trapped in the Closet" from last November was supposed to air again Wednesday night?

It didn't.

The episode has a fictional verson of Tom Cruise being coaxed out of a closet by Nicole Kidman, as he denies he is there.

Comedy Central yanked it at the last minute. The episode called "Chef's Chocolate Salty Balls" was shown instead. All this happened right after Isaac Hayes, who's a Scientologist and the voice of Chef, quit over the "Trapped" episode.

ABC News Scientology vs. 'South Park' (2006-03-17)

Matt Stone och Trey Parker publicerar ett eget uttalande:

So, Scientology, you may have won THIS battle, but the million-year war for earth has just begun! Temporarily anozinizing our episode will NOT stop us from keeping Thetans forever trapped in your pitiful man-bodies. Curses and drat! You have obstructed us for now, but your feeble bid to save humanity will fail! Hail Xenu!!!

- Trey Parker and Matt Stone, servants of the dark lord Xenu.

Andrew Sullivan Matt and Trey Fight Back (2006-03-16)

Och jag letar upp avsnittet på You Tube: