Thursday, March 23, 2006

South Park: Scientology and Chef Get Skewered

Over the years South Park has roasted just about everybody and everything. Politics, religion, race, you name it, nothing is sacred in the little town just outside of Hells Pass Colorado. Aside from being pretty damn funny, I have always respected the show for two reasons. First, they refuse to moralize at the expense of being funny and second they are equal opportunity offenders.

Last night was no exception. They took aim at Chef (Isaak Hayes) and his hypocritical reaction to South Parks terrific satire of Scientology in the episode titled "Trapped in the Closet".

The premise was that Chef had been brainwashed by a group calling itself the "Super Adventure Club". Unlike the "Adventure Club" which is a group of kayuk enthusiasts, the "Super Adventure Club" devotes it's efforts to the worldwide pursuit of pedophelia. The groups founder was an explorer who was always "second" " when it came to exploring and discovery so he devoted his life to being "first" at having sex with underage children in remote locations throughout the world.

The groups leader attempted to defend their charter against the SP kids characterization of it as being "retarded" by trying to make a moral comparison between it and Judaism/Christianity (a God giving his own son up for crucifixation). "No" Stan says, "Your group is way WAY more retarded"

Later in the episode Chef dies in by far the funniest death scene ever. In eulogizing their friend Stan states that Chef has been a terrific friend and advisor to the kids and" it's just too bad that his mind had been scrambled by a fruity little group"

Trey Parker and Matt Stone are really geniuses in the art of exposing hypocrisy through pure satire. The Press could learn a lot from their even handed approach to ridicule. Take your shots, but apply them equally and across the board.

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