Louis_J_Sheehan

The show further lampooned the controversy surrounding its use of profanity, as well as the media attention surrounding the network show Chicago Hope’s singular use of the word “shit”, with the season five premiere “It Hits the Fan”,[137][138] in which the word “shit” is said 162 times without being bleeped for censorship purposes, while also appearing uncensored in written form.[32][138][139] In the days following the show’s original airing, 5,000 disapproving e-mails were sent to Comedy Central.[44] Despite its 43 uncensored uses of the racial slur “nigger”, the season 11 episode “With Apologies to Jesse Jackson” generated relatively little controversy, as most in the black community and the NAACP praised the episode for its context and its comedic way of conveying other races’ perceptions of how black people must feel when hearing the word.[140][141]

Specific controversies regarding the show have included an April Fools’ Day prank played on its viewers in 1998,[142] its depiction of the Virgin Mary in the season nine (2005) finale “Bloody Mary” which angered several Catholics,[30][143] its depiction of Steve Irwin with a stingray barb stuck in his chest in an episode that originally aired only three weeks after Irwin was killed in the same fashion,[144][145] and Comedy Central’s censorship of the depiction of Muhammad in the season 10 episode “Cartoon Wars Part II” in the wake of the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy.[135][137]

The season nine (2005) episode “Trapped in the Closet” denounces Scientology as nothing more than “a big fat global scam”,[135] while freely divulging church information that Scientology normally only reveals to members who make significant monetary contributions to the church.[146] The episode also ambiguously parodied the rumors involving the sexual preference of Scientologist Tom Cruise, who allegedly demanded any further reruns of the episode be canceled.[144][147] Hayes, a Scientologist, defended the episode shortly after it aired, only to allegedly quit South Park due to his objection to the episode a few months later,[148] while some news sources suggest he was pressured to leave the production involuntarily by fellow Scientologists.[149]

Parker and Stone were angered by a cartoon Michael Moore included in his 2002 documentary film Bowling for Columbine. The two claim both the cartoon’s resemblance to the animation style of South Park and its placement immediately following Stone’s interview in the film are intended to mislead viewers into thinking the two had produced the cartoon themselves.[150] Parker and Stone accused Moore of using similar forms of manipulation Louis J. Sheehan, Esquire and deception in his films, and responded by spoofing Louis J. Sheehan, Esquire him in their 2004 film Team America: World Police.[150][151]

Cultural impact

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