No More Chef!

So Isaac Hayes has quit South Park because (ready for this one?) the show is insensitive toward religion.

I agree with Daniel Pulliam over at GetReligion -- has he really only just now noticed this??

How about this episode? Or what about this one? I guess they played nicely with religion, huh? (H/T to Andrew Sullivan for those references, btw.)

Even the folks at South Park noted the hypocrisy:

“In ten years and over 150 episodes of ‘South Park,’ Isaac never had a problem with the show making fun of Christians, Muslim[s], Mormons or Jews,” Stone said in a statement issued by the Comedy Central network. “He got a sudden case of religious sensitivity when it was his religion featured on the show.”

(from the Reuters story)
I don't like it when faith is used for comedic value, no matter whose faith it is. Usually when that happens, the religion in question is completely misrepresented, and trying to set the record straight simply shows that you don't get humor at all. I actually had this happen on an email list I subscribe to -- someone told a Baptist joke that I found a bit offensive, and I pointed out the inaccuracies. I was told I didn't have a sense of humor. Anyone who knows me can tell you THAT is untrue -- I just hate to see peoples' faith misrepresented just for cheap laughs.

So I can understand why Hayes left South Park. I just wish he'd have been a bit more consistent with his stand on mocking religion, or at least said he was mad because it was his religion this time.

Posted by Warren Kelly at March 15, 2006 05:34 PM | TrackBack