what did you think? i thought it was a heart-felt tribute to Chef, wrapped in some typical SP humor.

'South Park' kills off 'Chef' -- maybe
Mourned as victim of the 'Super Adventure Club'


"South Park" has taken on a variety of sacred cows, including religion and spirituality.

NEW YORK (AP) -- Isaac Hayes' Chef character got a true "South Park" send-off Wednesday night -- seemingly killed off but mourned as a jolly old guy whose brains were scrambled by the "Super Adventure Club."

The thinly disguised satire continued the show's feud with Scientologists in its 10th season premiere on Comedy Central.

The soul singer has voiced the Chef character in "South Park" since 1997, but left recently because of what he called the animated show's religious "intolerance and bigotry." Founders Matt Stone and Trey Parker said Hayes, a Scientologist, was mad that "South Park" mocked the religion in an episode last November.

A rerun of that Scientology episode was mysteriously pulled off the air last week amid published reports that actor Tom Cruise, another Scientologist, had used his clout to bury it. A Cruise spokesman denied that.

Hayes didn't participate in making Wednesday's episode; the character's lines appeared to be patched together through tapes of past dialogue.

Chef repeatedly said he wanted to "make sweet love" to the "South Park" elementary school kids -- it seems the "Super Adventure Club" turns its members into child molesters.

The children try to rescue Chef, but in the end he turns to head back to the "Super Adventure Club" -- until he falls off a bridge onto rocks, is burned, stabbed and mauled by a mountain lion and bear.

Then he apparently dies.

"A lot of us don't agree with the choices the Chef has made in the last few days," one of the children eulogizes him at a funeral. "Some of us feel hurt and confused that he seemed to turn his back on us. But we can't let the events of the past few weeks take away the memories of how Chef made us smile.

"We shouldn't be mad at Chef for leaving us," the eulogy concludes. "We should be mad at that fruity little club for scrambling his brains."

The door for Hayes' return wasn't completely closed. In the show's final scene, members of the "Super Adventure Club" try to revive Chef, and it's not clear he's really dead.

I thought it was outrageous and just wonderful! It kills me how fast those guys can put an episode together to address current issues and how fast they can inact revenge on people. I wouldn't want to cross them. They're brilliant!

applekisses said:

i was surprised about that, too. overall, while they may have painted him as a looney, i think there was a lot of sadness about losing him written in the end of the episode.

IrresistibleB1tch said:

I agree...when Stan said "But, we love you" when chef was crossing the bridge at the end I got choked up.

applekisses said:

yeah, i thought that was sweet.

It is sad when folks cannot take a joke. Every religion around the world has been jabbed on this show. They just show the absurdity in somethings. It would be different, if they called Chef or Hayes himself a bad name. Then I would be pissed too.

I don't agree with what Isaac Hayes did or said but just reading that article makes me not want to see that episode.

scary scientology

Brilliant episode..and one of the most offensive shows I have ever seen. I laughed my ass off but the whole episode I just kept wondering if the censors just closed their eyes when they looked at it. It will never show unedited again, I don't think. If they do ever re-rerun it, my guess is they will have to do a lot of carving to it.

applekisses said:

Yep, I totally agree. Long live South Park.

I HAVE to see this episode.

TMPletz said:

must see tv, for sure!

they're re-running it at 10 p.m. and midnight tonight
[Edited 3/23/06 15:07pm]

IrresistibleB1tch said:

What time zone?

i still don't get why Issac did what he did.

oh well.

TMPletz said:

Eastern

IrresistibleB1tch said:

I'll still be at work.

IrresistibleB1tch said:

Aw, Isaac

Excellent episode, though.

to Tray and Matt.

I don't agree with what Hayes's did. I thought it was very hypocritical of him to only get offended after his religion was made fun of, when practically every other religion, organization, and public figure hade been the subject before.

Still, I'm gonna miss Chef. He was one of the best characters.

I thought the episode was very well done -- biting, yet still sincere and heartfelt in its appreciation for what Chef has meant to the show and to the characters.

I think if a person saw the Scientology episode that began this whole brouhaha, they'd appreciate this episode more and get more of the references and humor.

That said, I too was a bit surprised at just HOW extreme last night's episode got at some points!

Did anybody else catch the split second during the opening credits where Tom Cruise went running into the closet? heh

I LOOOVE SOUTH PARK..it just keeps gettin better since 2000....


SAD, VERY SAD!!

TMPletz said:

bummer! it'll be on again over the weekend - check the Comedy Central website for the schedule.

WillyWonka said:

I missed that!

Sounds like a good way to address the issue. I've not personally cared about South Park in a looooong time (I think the show has been consistently unfunny since the season following the movie), but I would like to see this one.

applekisses said:

co sign. that line there was the one of the best parts