Isaac Hayes Wants Out Of 'South Park' Due To Religious Jokes

Isaac Hayes Wants Out Of 'South Park' Due To Religious Jokes


Voice of Chef upset with show's 'growing insensitivity.'


After nine seasons, more than 100 episodes and thousands of hot lunches served, Chef is apparently hanging up his apron and leaving the tiny town of South Park, Colorado.

Or at least the man who cooks up Chef's voice is. On Monday (March 13)

Isaac Hayes — who's provided the booming baritone for "South Park" 's cafeteria employee and resident ladies' man since the show began in 1997 — released a statement announcing his desire to be released from his contract with "South Park," blaming the program's "growing insensitivity towards personal spiritual beliefs."

"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 wrote in the statement. "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."

"South Park" has taken potshots at just about every religion (episodes include such titles as "Christian Rock Hard" and "All About the Mormons?"), but the breaking point for Hayes was apparently "Trapped in the Closet," a November 2005 episode that makes several scathing attacks on Scientology, the religion he practices.

A spokesperson for Hayes confirmed to MTV News that the soul legend is a Scientologist but would not elaborate on whether or not the "Trapped in the Closet" episode had any impact on his decision to leave. However, according to one of the show's creators, that's exactly what happened.

"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,' " Matt Stone said. "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. To bring the civil-rights struggle into this is just a non sequitur. Of course we will release Isaac from his contract and we wish him well."

In a GQ interview earlier this year, Stone's partner, Trey Parker, said, "To be honest, what kept us from [parodying Scientology] before was Isaac Hayes. We knew he is a Scientologist and he's an awesome guy. We were like, 'Let's just avoid that for now.' ... Finally, we just had to tell Isaac, 'Dude, we totally love working with you and this is nothing personal, it's just we're "South Park," and if we don't do this, we're belittling everything else we've ripped on.' "

The "Trapped" episode is slated to air again at 10 p.m. Wednesday on Comedy Central. The 10th season of "South Park" begins March 22.

— James Montgomery, MTV NEWS

***

Any thoughts ... ?

Peace
Mr7

he's a hypocrite. he had no problem making fun of everything else under the sun, but when it hits close to home it's a big no no.

byronic said:

he's a hypocrite. he had no problem making fun of everything else under the sun, but when it hits close to home it's a big no no.

i'm all in favor of cultural and religious sensitivity, but sometimes having a sense of humor about one's own religion and those of others serves us well. i hate to see Isaac Hayes leave - i would have thought he'd be above all that.

IrresistibleB1tch said:

i'm going to miss his musical interludes on the show

XxAxX said:

yet another reason to miss Barry White...

byronic said:

he's a hypocrite. he had no problem making fun of everything else under the sun, but when it hits close to home it's a big no no.

Neversin said:

IrresistibleB1tch said:

Relevant part of article is near the bottom ...



Tom Cruise Freaks Over Biographer's Gay Porn P.I.
by Tashi Singh
Feb 14, 2006


Tom Cruise is reportedly threatening to sue acclaimed biographer Andrew Morton after discovering he has hired a gay porn star to shed light on his private life.

Morton, who famously collaborated with Diana, Princess Of Wales to pen an account of her life, has hired Los Angeles private investigator and former gay adult actor Paul Baressi to look into the on-going speculation that the Top Gun hunk is gay, according to a published report.

Baressi has reportedly already given Morton letters from Cruise's attorney insinuating the star enjoyed a homosexual liaison while shooting Eyes Wide Shut in the UK.

Cruise's lawyer Bert Fields was quick to shhot down the story: "I wrote a letter to Mr Morton back in November and said he obviously was entitled to write the book but 'make sure you check your facts' ... If he tries to use my letter to create the impression that Mr Cruise did have a gay affair, we will certainly sue... because the story is false. Mr Cruise is not gay."


Recently, an episode of "South Park" featuring Tom Cruise coming out of the closet will never be aired again, after alleged threats of legal action by the movie star.

The episode, called "trapped in the closet" shows a depiction of Tom Cruise being coaxed to come out about his homosexuality by former wife Nicole Kidman and fellow actor John Travolta. Kidman cajoles Cruise, saying: "Don't you think this has gone on long enough.. It's time for you to come out of the closet. You're not fooling anyone." The episode also features Scientology founder L Ron Hubbard criticizing Cruise's acting skills.

Paramount Television bosses say that although the show aired last year, they will not play it ever again, nor release it on syndication to other countries. "Tom was said not to like the episode and Paramount just didn't dare risk showing it again," said a spokesperson for the distributor, who suggested that Cruise has threatened legal action should the South Park episode which "outs" him ever be shown again.

-- Compiled fromn wire reports

Mr7 said:

i guess there's not much Tom can say about that one...

have they done an episode mocking islam yet?
[Edited 3/14/06 13:37pm]

Mr7 said:

This is the biggest display of hypocracy I have ever seen. Listen I am a Christian and God knows the boys at South Park give it too us!! But damn it its funny and they are just as harsh on Jews and Muslims and any other religion or social stance that crosses their minds.

Where was Issac when they were skewering other faiths? I am sure he found it just as funny as could be. Now all of a sudden its not cool because his faith system was called onto the carpet.

Well I say get over it and grow a sense of humor like everyone else was forced too. Or at least have the guts to take what you were more than willing to dish out.

I think he should start beheading the infidels.

btw: I love South Park. I never take anything seriously on that show - I would imagine that anyone who watches it gets the darn humor!

'South Park'-Scientology Battle Rages On By ERIN CARLSON,


"South Park" has declared war on Scientology. Matt Stone and Trey Parker, creators of the animated satire, are digging in against the celebrity-endorsed religion after a controversial episode mocking outspoken Scientologist Tom Cruise was yanked abruptly from the schedule Wednesday — with Internet rumors it was covert warfare by Cruise that led to its departure.

"So, Scientology, you may have won THIS battle, but the million-year war for earth has just begun!" the "South Park" creators said in a statement Friday in Daily Variety. "Temporarily anozinizing our episode will NOT stop us from keeping Thetans forever trapped in your pitiful man-bodies... You have obsructed us for now, but your feeble bid to save humanity will fail!"

Internet bloggers accused Cruise of threatening to not promote "Mission Impossible 3," a surefire summer blockbuster, if the offending episode ran. Comedy Central is owned by Viacom, as is Paramount, which is putting out "MI:3."

But Cruise's representative, Arnold Robinson, told The Associated Press Friday that the mega-star made no such demands.

"Not true," Robinson said. "I can tell you that he never said that."

A call by The Associated Press to a Paramount representative was not returned Friday.

The episode in question, "Trapped in the Closet," which first aired last November, shows Scientology leaders hailing Stan, one of the show's four devilish fourth graders, as a savior. A cartoon Cruise locks himself in a closet and won't come out. An animated John Travolta, another famous Scientologist, enters the closet to try to get him out.

In another dig at the famously secretive religion, the credits at show's end are filled with names like "John Smith" and "Jane Smith."

The battle began in earnest earlier this week when Isaac Hayes, another celebrity Scientologist and longtime show member — voicing the ladies' man Chef — quit the show, saying he could no longer tolerate its religious "intolerance and bigotry."

Stone and Parker didn't buy that either.

On Monday, Stone told The Associated Press, "This is 100 percent having to do with his faith in Scientology...He has no problem — and he's cashed plenty of checks — with our show making fun of Christians."

A Comedy Central spokesman said Friday that the network pulled the controversial episode to make room for two shows featuring Hayes.

"In light of the events of earlier this week, we wanted to give Chef an appropriate tribute by airing two episodes he is most known for," the spokesman said.
[Edited 3/17/06 15:29pm]

Well Im not one to throw stones, but it just seems that most of these celebrity scientologist are Frakin Koo Koo.

LITTLE KNOWN FACT THAT PRINCE WAS OFFERED A RECORDING DEAL BY ISSAC HAYES'
WHEN HE (PRINCE) WAS LOOKING FOR A RECORDING CONTRACT.
HE TURNED DOWN ISSAC HAYES BECAUSE OF WANTING COMPLETE CONTROL OF HIS MUSIC.