Last week, when the raunchy cartoon series South Park killed off Chef after Isaac Hayes complained about the show's religious intolerance, some CQ readers noted that Matt Stone and Trey Parker had never taken on Muslims. Actually, Mohammed made an appearance in the "Super Best Friends" episode, where Big Mo teamed up with Moses, Jesus, Buddha, Joseph Smith, and Sea Man to stop a giant stone Abraham Lincoln -- by creating a giant stone John Wilkes Booth. They also skewered al-Qaeda in an episode where the boys go to Afghanistan to return a goat sent to them by four boys who received their one-dollar donation.

However, in this week's episode, the duo take on Islamists and the cowardice of the media in confronting their intolerance. The episode begins with the town going insane and stampeding towards the community center for shelter-- because Family Guy is going to depict Mohammed in their cartoon. Fox wimps out at the last moment, but that doesn't stop Family Guy from trying again. In the first installment of a supposed two-parter, the two manage to satirize the ultrasensitive multiculturalists, the scolds of the mainstream media, and Comedy Central for pulling their "Trapped In The Closet" episode from their normal repeat cycle. I suspect that the gag will be that the second half will never air.

South Park may be raunchy and tasteless, but it has become the bravest voice for freedom and common sense in modern entertainment. If you have not yet started watching it or have refused to do so in protest of its language, please give it another shot with this season's episodes, especially this one.

UPDATE: The Anchoress agrees, even though the last episode of last season ("Bloody Mary") offended her enough for her to shut off the television. Too bad everyone doesn't understand how to react when something offends you ...

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» Hurray For South Park from The Coalition of the Swilling
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Tracked on April 7, 2006 11:40 AM

» Hurray For South Park from The Coalition of the Swilling
They're the only ones in our Media with any courage.... [Read More]

Tracked on April 7, 2006 11:43 AM