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South Park Prophet Downgrade

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Unfortunately Comedy Central , the Producers of South Park have bleeped out any references to Muhammad from the episodes aired.

The creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone strongly disagreed with this decision.

this from the LA Times.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv/la-et-south-park-20100423,0,5940860.story

But this week, after an ominous threat from a radical Muslim website, the network that airs the program bleeped out all references to the prophet Muhammad in the second of two episodes set to feature the holy figure dressed in a bear costume. The incident provides the latest example that media conglomerates are still struggling to balance free speech with safety concerns and religious sensitivities, six years after Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh was slain for making a film critical of Islamic society.

Comedy Central declined to comment on the latest incident. But "South Park" creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone clearly disagreed with their bosses' handling of the situation. A statement posted on their website said that executives "made a determination to alter the episode" without their approval and that the usual wrap-up speech from one character didn't mention Muhammad "but it got bleeped too."

The network may have thought it had no choice after revolutionmuslim.com,
the website of a fringe group, delivered a grim warning about last week's episode, which depicted Muhammad dressed as a bear.
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Its a very strange decision by Comedy Central.

gg
 
South park is a great show...i especially love it when they take the piss outa religion and popular icons, the episode when Santa was tortured by the Iraqis (or was it Al-Qaeda?) was a classic, and the episode when God chose the Mormons as his chosen people was so funny.

You really don't know what your missing skcots....SP is comedy Gold!
 
Bushman said:
Mmmm lets dredge up a few stereotypes shall we.

The West has done such a great job of empowering women too. Anorexia anyone?
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Actually, I'd suggest the West has done a pretty good job of empowering women. A work in progress certainly, but I'm struggling to think of any culture or region which comes close.

Anywhere in Asia? Japan maybe, but I'm not sure Japanese women are 'more empowered' than in the West.

China? South-East Asia? Indian subcontinent? Africa? Middle East? OK, there's Israel, but they presumably count as the West (after all, there're in the Eurovision song contest :) ).

Russia? I really don't think so.

It is the aspiration of the West to achieve social equality between the sexes, and there's been enormous progress in the last 3 centuries, which continues. It's our defining characteristic. One of the reasons why certain mindsets in this world despise us.

P.
 
The only way you can stop the extremist is if you make it mainstream. If everyone starts making fun of muslims, like the way they make fun of Jews, Christians, Scientology etc then they can't assassinate everyone.

By making it taboo to make fun of Muslims only gives them more power.

And BTW, before 9/11 people were making fun and painting pictures of Mohammed. It only the media who has made it taboo and given the extremist power
 
Dowdy said:
The only way you can stop the extremist is if you make it mainstream. If everyone starts making fun of muslims, like the way they make fun of Jews, Christians, Scientology etc then they can't assassinate everyone.

By making it taboo to make fun of Muslims only gives them more power.

And BTW, before 9/11 people were making fun and painting pictures of Mohammed. It only the media who has made it taboo and given the extremist power
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What you are saying Dowdy, and I agree, is that appeasement does not work.

It didn't work with Hitler and it won't work with Bin.

As many other posters have noted, all other religions have been pisstaken by Comedy Central and South Park, and it seems a bit precious to leave Islam alone amongst religions, sacrosanct from comment or comedic portrayal.

gg
 
Awaiting explicit, public condemnation from Richard Dawkins.

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*crickets chirp*
 
Atlas79 said:
Awaiting explicit, public condemnation from Richard Dawkins.

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*crickets chirp*
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Atlas, I assume for your post that you think Dawkins attacks Christianity but is afraid to attack Islam, because you haven't yet seen a comment from him on the South Park issue. You really ought to do a google search on Richard Dawkins Islam and you will find numerous talks and articles on Islam by Dawkins where he doesn't mince words on his contempt for that religion.

Here is one not to different from the South Park issue, where he is interviewed on radio with a Muslim who objects to some verses of the Koran being incorporated in a game by Sony.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8NRX5osjhg

While you are viewing it, take a look at some of the links on the right.
 
bellenuit said:
Here is one not to different from the South Park issue, where he is interviewed on radio with a Muslim who objects to some verses of the Koran being incorporated in a game by Sony.
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It all comes down to respecting other people. There is a distinct lack of respect in societies around the world. Don't we see that daily in Australia? Leave them (Muslims) alone and allow people to make a natural transition from blind faith to freer thinking.
The ploy by Sony could have been to attract Muslim oriented people to buy the game but it backfired and hence a hasty withdrawal.

The payoff for being religious is group security. When the group feels threatened then the basic survival pattern is to nullify the threat.

Richard Dawkins .... know when to pull your head in. :D
 
Wysiwyg said:
It all comes down to respecting other people. There is a distinct lack of respect in societies around the world. Don't we see that daily in Australia? Leave them (Muslims) alone and allow people to make a natural transition from blind faith to freer thinking.
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I agree that Muslims, like any other group, should be left alone so long as they are not infringing on the rights or dignity of others and that includes the rights and dignity of members of their own community.

I am not familiar with the Sony game case, other than what can be gleaned from that video, but in regards to South Park, you should not forget that the people not showing respect for other people are those threatening to kill the writers of that episode.
 
bellenuit said:
I agree that Muslims, like any other group, should be left alone so long as they are not infringing on the rights or dignity of others and that includes the rights and dignity of members of their own community.
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And there be the problem that has existed since thinking began.

I am not familiar with the Sony game case, other than what can be gleaned from that video, but in regards to South Park, you should not forget that the people not showing respect for other people are those threatening to kill the writers of that episode.
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A reaction was provoked and who knows why the provocation? The extreme element and maybe a larger more passive element of the group cannot laugh at themselves for their mind is bound by hand-me-down beliefs. The teacher says to defend thy faith. The teacher says to take offense. I haven't read the qur'an but the portrayal of the believers words & actions shows aggressive behaviour in many cases of perceived threat.
 
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