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Censorship Media Television Entertainment Your Rights Online

South Park's Episode 201 — the Expurgated Version 1224

Yesterday we mentioned the controversy facing Matt Stone and Trey Parker after last week's South Park (episode 200) depicted Muhammad, founder of Islam, concealed in a bear suit. Today, penguinman1337 writes "Apparently, all is not well over at Comedy Central. The heavily censored version of episode 201 that aired last night has a lot of people angry, including the show's creators." From their note: "In the 14 years we've been doing South Park we have never done a show that we couldn't stand behind. We delivered our version of the show to Comedy Central and they made a determination to alter the episode. It wasn't some meta-joke on our part. Comedy Central added the bleeps."
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South Park's Episode 201 — the Expurgated Version

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  • by Rei ( 128717 ) on Thursday April 22, 2010 @06:24PM (#31946894) Homepage

    onto BitTorrent.

    • You realize, the original episode that showed Mohammed before it wasn't cool to show Mohommed is on their website? here it is [southparkstudios.com]. Completely un-editied.

      I'm expecting the 201/202 episodes to be posted the same way.

  • by denzacar ( 181829 ) on Thursday April 22, 2010 @06:28PM (#31946950) Journal

    There is no knee-jerk but knee-jerk and jerks are its prophets.

  • by MBGMorden ( 803437 ) on Thursday April 22, 2010 @06:29PM (#31946964)

    Honestly, Trey Parker and Matt Stone basically prop up Comedy Central. They only have, what, 3 shows that are really big? The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, and South Park. South Park seems to be the top even in that category. Comedy Central needs them more than the other way around. Hell South Park has enough following that it could be profitably distributed as a web series and still make plenty of money from ads and merchandise sales.

    • by rolfwind ( 528248 ) on Thursday April 22, 2010 @06:44PM (#31947180)

      I think you overestimate the current profitability of the online audience... hell, South Park even made fun the difficulty to monetize online success in "Canada on Strike", a relatively recent episode.

      Otherwise, I agree with you, those 3 shows carry comedy central. Comedy Central tries to strike out on other good shows but they usually suck, whether cartoons (Drawn Together, Ugly Americans) or shows like Tosh.0.

      Hell, reruns of Futurama is their 4th biggest thing, but seeing the same 60 episodes gets old fast... hopefully the new ones will be good.

  • Give them an inch (Score:5, Insightful)

    by interkin3tic ( 1469267 ) on Thursday April 22, 2010 @06:32PM (#31947010)

    Ah, comedy central has made it clear that in response to death threats, they'll censor themselves. I'm sure that will be the last time religious nuts get their panties in a twist and threaten them with violence because they're angry. After all, religious fundamentalism goes hand in hand with being reasonable.

    Wonder if we'll ever see Colbert gagged because some right-wing "hutatree" terrorist realized they were being made fun of...

    • by feepness ( 543479 ) on Thursday April 22, 2010 @06:41PM (#31947148)

      Ah, comedy central has made it clear that in response to death threats, they'll censor themselves.

      Someone needs to death threat them into releasing the episode.

    • by Kenja ( 541830 ) on Thursday April 22, 2010 @06:42PM (#31947158)
      So we respond in kind. Threaten violence if they censor stuff. I'm sure they'll respond in a reasonable manor.
    • by Shivetya ( 243324 ) on Thursday April 22, 2010 @07:17PM (#31947700) Homepage Journal

      and I am sure Jewish and Hindu would be ignored.

      No, they backed down for two reasons. The radical Islamic groups are known to carry out their threats. The current trend in upper American government is to treat these loons with kid gloves all based on this idiot idea if we are nice to them they will be nice to us. The fact is they totally dictate to the media what the media can say. One or more of their kind makes a real threat but others "the supposedly peaceful side" claims that its not what it seems and that the people who dared to say something bad about Islam are the real problem. It works out so well and we read about it daily.

      They fear them rightfully so but their reaction is still wrong. The reason this fear and threat can persist is because far too many leaders want to act magnanimous in declaring they will turn the other cheek. This is nothing more than the good old policies of liberal lore where certain races are predisposed to violence, theft, or just need help getting an education because they don't have the ability to do good on their own. Condescending through and through

      • Yeah damnit (Score:5, Insightful)

        by Colin Smith ( 2679 ) on Thursday April 22, 2010 @08:10PM (#31948472)

        . The current trend in upper American government is to treat these loons with kid gloves all based on this idiot idea if we are nice to them they will be nice to us.

        You should go over there and bomb them into... Wait, didn't you do that already?

         

  • by Sycraft-fu ( 314770 ) on Thursday April 22, 2010 @06:32PM (#31947026)

    I am more than a little tired of this crap of "Oh we have to be culturally sensitive towards the Muslims." No, we don't. We don't need to be culturally sensitive to anyone. I liked Philip Pullman's talk about this general idea when he said "No one has the right to live without being shocked, no one has the right to spend their life without being offended." (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQ3VcbAfd4w&feature=player_embedded).

    The media needs to learn that about the Muslims as well. They aren't a special group any more than Christians or Atheists or anyone else. If they want to get whiny about people making fun of them the answer needs to be "Shut up, nobody cares," and then go back to making fun.

    A very important part of free speech is the ability to make fun of things, including, maybe even especially, the things people hold sacred.

    • by couchslug ( 175151 ) on Thursday April 22, 2010 @06:44PM (#31947184)

      "A very important part of free speech is the ability to make fun of things, including, maybe even especially, the things people hold sacred."

      An even more important part of free speech is the right to attack and ridicule any belief and any person. This is vital to freedom because otherwise restraints on speech will be exploited to censor debate and stop opposition.

      As for the superstitions of the desert, it would be nice if their followers had but one throat and my hands were on it.

    • by interkin3tic ( 1469267 ) on Thursday April 22, 2010 @06:48PM (#31947234)

      The media needs to learn that about the Muslims as well. They aren't a special group any more than Christians or Atheists or anyone else. If they want to get whiny about people making fun of them the answer needs to be "Shut up, nobody cares," and then go back to making fun.

      As an agnostic I'm possibly offended that agnostics weren't specifically mentioned in that statement at all. Maybe offended. I mean, I have no real proof one way or the other.

    • by Erinnys Tisiphone ( 1627695 ) on Thursday April 22, 2010 @07:13PM (#31947624)
      Sensible Christians can smile at themselves. Sensible Atheists can smile at themselves. Sensible Catholics can smile at themselves. Sensible Hindus can smile at themselves... And so on... This is a sacrifice we have to make to coexist with the rest of the planet in globalized society. Taking oneself too seriously all of the time (at others' expense) is an indication that one has absolutely no willingness to permit others to be different.
  • by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 22, 2010 @06:34PM (#31947044)

    The heavily censored version of episode 201 that aired last night has a lot of people angry, including the show's creators.

    The terrorists have won.

  • by QuantumG ( 50515 ) * <qg@biodome.org> on Thursday April 22, 2010 @06:36PM (#31947070) Homepage Journal

    Come get me you extremist fucktards.

  • by NetNinja ( 469346 ) on Thursday April 22, 2010 @06:37PM (#31947098)

    And this is what happens when you let terrorists censor you.

    • by Kozz ( 7764 ) on Thursday April 22, 2010 @08:36PM (#31948732)

      And this is what happens when you let terrorists censor you.

      It's more (worse) than that. I know you didn't literally mean what you said (as the terrorists don't run Comedy Central... I don't think). It is that CC is censoring its own broadcast out of fear, not because of a decree from another governing entity.

  • 1984? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by adbge ( 1693228 ) on Thursday April 22, 2010 @06:38PM (#31947110)
    This kind of draconian censorship is unacceptable. Go tell Comedy Central why you'll no longer be watching:

    http://www.comedycentral.com/help/questionsCC.jhtml [comedycentral.com]
    • Re:1984? (Score:5, Interesting)

      by VoiceInTheDesert ( 1613565 ) on Thursday April 22, 2010 @07:05PM (#31947514)
      I just went to that link and submitted this:

      "I just want you guys to know that in bowing to pressure from a bunch of religious radicals, you have successfully offended millions of Americans who believe freedom of speech needs to be preserved and protected. You have failed the american people and let the agents of terror dictate your actions.

      Now that you have set this precedent, radicals know that all they have to do to get their way is to threaten with violence. Thanks for setting back hundreds of years worth of progressive thought and returning us to the days when the church gets to dictate what the masses can view."
  • by Beelzebud ( 1361137 ) on Thursday April 22, 2010 @06:41PM (#31947156)
    To me this smells like one giant PR stunt.
  • Pathetic (Score:5, Insightful)

    by kuwan ( 443684 ) on Thursday April 22, 2010 @06:44PM (#31947190) Homepage

    What Comedy Central did was absolutely pathetic. Parker & Stone had already self-censored the episode by not actually showing any pictures of Muhammad and the way they did it was absolutely hilarious. But apparently you can't even speak the work "Muhammad" on Comedy Central. That Comedy Central allows them to ridicule anything and everything - any and all other religions are open game - but when it comes to anything Islam-related suddenly there's a whole new set of rules. Hypocrisy and cowardice at its finest.

    I hope that the uncensored version makes its way out soon.

  • by socz ( 1057222 ) on Thursday April 22, 2010 @06:48PM (#31947230) Journal
    This morning I heard "so who is really to blame? The creators of south park who write the offensive satire or those who are making the threats of possible violence and death? Well, obviously those making threats are wrong, but what about the creators?"

    So lets see, at least in the United States of America we have the beleif of "Freedom of Speech" right? That means we can dissent when we feel especially strong about something.

    So I figure, for anyone who says "the creators are wrong in their satire" just opens the door for "those hippies supporting marijuana" (Viva Marijuana was the sign I saw this morning on the way to work) to also be "censored."

    Oh but that's totally different right? Lets move to 'scientology.' Why should they not be allowed to censor people? Political groups? Schools? Religions with abuse scandals? Where/when do we stop censoring?

    The best and most straightforward argument I have heard regarding this is:
    "South Park has made fun of Christians, Jews, people of different ethnicities and organizations. But none other than the Muslims have threatened violence before." That should tell us where the real problem lies.

    From my point of view, when I first saw South Park I was offended (Jesus Christ Vs. Santa Claus). But as time passed and I gave it a chance... eventually viewing it when it came on Comedy Central I enjoyed it. As a matter of fact, I regularly recommend it to people when key issues come up. Such as their red cross/catholic scandal episode.

    Finally, what happened with Issac Hayes was tragic but eye opening. He shows that "I can be part of something (great) that covers a lot of subjects - that consequently offend everyone at some point or other, as long as it doesn't offend me or my beliefs."
  • by adamofgreyskull ( 640712 ) on Thursday April 22, 2010 @06:58PM (#31947388)
    I'm not being funny, but South Park has made fun of a lot of other religions [wikipedia.org] and as far as I know, have not received death threats from any of them. This is what I remember, but you can see for yourself at Wikipedia:
    • Atheism
    • Christianity - (Jesus's public access show, etc.)
    • Mormonism - (Complete deconstruction/mockery of the articles of faith, mockery of John Smith)
    • Catholicism - (General mockery, representation of priests as homosexual paedophiles, queen spider controlling the religion)
    • Scientology - (Do I need to elaborate?)

    What's more, they've even depicted Muhammad before!! In the episode Super Best Friends [wikipedia.org]. It boggles the mind that followers of a religion of love can be so hateful over something so mind-bogglingly ridiculous.

  • by Henry Pate ( 523798 ) on Thursday April 22, 2010 @07:01PM (#31947434) Homepage Journal
    Questions and Comments form [comedycentral.com]
  • by RapmasterT ( 787426 ) on Thursday April 22, 2010 @07:38PM (#31948014)
    Funny how no Muslims gave a crap that south Park already showed Muhammed in full face glory, and conversed with him during the Super Best Friends episode...but that was years before the Dutch cartoon crisis that made us all "sensitive". Frankly, the idea that Muslims are being portrayed as irrational, murderous, religious fanatics is more disturbing than any insult SP might offer. Muslims should be pissed that everyone thinks they'll flare up into terrorism at every sideways glance at their faith. or conversely, if Muslims really ARE that prone to murderous violence, that's kind of important to know too, and we should do something about it. yes, I am actually saying that if a group of people are one off color joke away from committing murder, we need to "do something" about them.
  • by helgihg ( 843017 ) on Thursday April 22, 2010 @07:56PM (#31948272) Homepage
    Man, am I getting tired of muslims being offended. Hey, muslims, here's a news flash! WE'RE ALL OFFENDED! ALL THE TIME! People with half the guts of a mouse just live with it, and it's not rocket science, either. You just... live with it. It's really just that simple, and you're not beyond it. Get over yourselves, you whining, gutless, fucking pussies.
  • by frovingslosh ( 582462 ) on Thursday April 22, 2010 @07:59PM (#31948324)
    The terrorists made threats, and in response Comedy Central gave the terrorists what they wanted. The terrorists have won.
  • Flex your rights (Score:5, Insightful)

    by WilyCoder ( 736280 ) on Thursday April 22, 2010 @08:08PM (#31948444)

    Trey and Matt should have Mohammed in every fucking episode they air from now on. I don't just mean in the intro to the show, I mean like a new character like one of the boys.

    Let those censoring assholes fucking WORK to achieve censorship...

  • by blueworm ( 425290 ) on Thursday April 22, 2010 @09:31PM (#31949402) Homepage

    Any time force is threatened, the threatening party has lost moral authority. If you seek to affect moral change in somebody, then your own representation of your ideals should be enough to convince them.

  • by Chowderbags ( 847952 ) on Thursday April 22, 2010 @11:35PM (#31950542)
    Censoring yourselves due to fear of violence is a quick way to the bottom. If any nutjobs can threaten you and you'll back down, you might as well just show Teletubbies all day (until someone complains of gay overtones, then you have to stick to static). Your network wants to think it's edgy by airing movies without bleeping a couple swears, but you can't even say one person's name. Just a name. That's it. All because there's some possibility that already unbalanced people (who probably already hate you anyway) will go off the deep end and commit violence? There's always the possibility that someone will commit violence against you, but you can't live in fear because of that. You can't hide your thoughts and hope that crazy people won't act crazy. You can't censor an idea just because someone might not like it. Because if you do, you'll just be giant fucking pussies waiting for the next person trying to fuck you.

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