Censoring of 'South Park' episode underscores struggle to balance free speech and religious sensitivities

 
In its run of 200 shows, the irreverent animated program “South Park” has mercilessly satirized Christianity, Buddhism, Scientology, the blind and disabled, gay people, Hollywood celebrities and politicians of all persuasions, weathering repeated protests and threats of boycotts. But this week, after an ominous warning from a radical Muslim website, the network that airs the program bleeped out all references to the Prophet Muhammad in the second part of a two-episode storyline that featured the holy figure dressed up like a bear.

In episode 201, which aired Wednesday night, Comedy Central covered the character with a block that said “censored" and bleeped out audio apparently referring Muhammad. 

Many Muslims consider visual representations of Muhammad offensive.

The incident provides the latest example of how media conglomerates are still struggling to balance free speech with safety concerns and religious sensitivities, six years after Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh was shot to death for making a film critical of Islamic society.

Comedy Central declined to comment on the incident. But “South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone clearly disagreed with their bosses’ handling of the situation. A statement posted on their website said executives “made a determination to alter the episode” without their approval and noted that the usual wrap-up speech from one character didn’t mention Muhammad “but it got bleeped too.”

The network may have felt it had no choice after revolutionmuslim.com, the website of a fringe group, delivered a grim warning about the previous week’s episode, which seemed to depict Muhammad dressed as a bear. “We have to warn Matt and Trey that what they are doing is stupid and they will probably windup like Theo Van Gogh for airing this show," the posting said. A photo of Van Gogh’s body lying in the street was included with the posting. "This is not a threat, but a warning of the reality of what will likely happen to them.”

Revolution Muslim, the extremist group that issued the graphic warning, is a relatively small fringe organization based out of New York, according to Oren Segal, director of the Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism.

The organization, which formed in 2007 and includes about a dozen members, is mostly known for posting inflammatory and often threatening comments on its website, including a poem in October during Jewish High Holy Days asking God to kill all the Jews. Its members also stage protests in front of New York mosques, advocating a more fundamental form of Islam.

“This group definitely crosses the line, or is right on the line, in terms what is acceptable speech,” Segal said. “There is no direct link between this group and violence yet. But by posting this type of information, you never know who is going to take it seriously.”

Still, legal experts said the reaction by Comedy Central may set a dangerous precedent. UCLA law professor Eugene Volokh said that while he sympathizes with the predicament faced by the network, it has potentially empowered other extremists with its actions. “The consequence of this position is that the thugs win and people have more incentive to be thugs,” said Volokh, who teaches free speech and religious freedom law. “There are lots of people out there who would very much like to get certain kind of material removed, whether religious or political. The more they see others winning, the more they will be likely to do the same. Behavior that gets rewarded gets repeated.”

-- Scott Collins and Matea Gold

Photo: Tom Cruise was satirized on this week's "South Park." Credit:http://www.southparkstudios.com/

Comments

[andy]

Parker and Stone should tell the fundies to go shag themselves. And quit Comedy Central and put out SP online. We'll support them!

[hapa]

where are the muslims who are u.s. citizens in all of this? Are there no u.s. citizens that are muslims that are willing to stand-up for what this country stands for? If anyone strong in their faith they should not worry about some silly cartoon and stand-up for what allowed them to practice their religion in this country in the 1st place, the U>S> Constitution, which to all you muslims out there, includes freedom of speech.

Unfortunately, it's a few bad muslims that give the rest a negative perception IMO....

And you know, when you think about it, the execs that made this decision are not giving in to terrorists, they are giving into the almighty $$$....let's be clear on that one...I doubt for one second they're actually concerned with censorship or winding up dead...(corporate america doesn't give a crap about people's lives...look @ the coal mining incident a few weeks ago, the CEO tried to defend their safety record...hahaha, what a joke) what the execs here are worried about is when someone actually does die that they get smeared and the show is cut for going to far, thus impacting ratings and thus ad $$ and eventually everyone's pocketbook...

[Vonbrucken]

Freedom of speech and secularism is not negotiable, they should be arrested for death threats !
If they hate our societies the door is open, they can leave !!!

From France !

[mitchellson]

All muslims must wear Bear costumes in America from this day forward - I have declared such a Fatwa!

[Cody]

What I find funny about this whole situation is how accurate some of the commentary found in the 200th episode is. A group of celebrities South Park has made fun of over the years want the "power" to never be made fun of, a "power" that they feel that Muhammad has. This power is backed, not by some mystical power, but instead by guns, explosives, threats, violence, and intolerance.

South Park has inferred in an episode that Jesus was an imaginary character (since he appeared in imaginationland). South Park has in a song called Joesph Smith, the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints dumb, yet called Mormons themselves nice people. Muhammad was actually depicted in an episode a long time ago as a member of the "Super Best Friends League", a group where religious figures are shown as super heroes. In the same episode Moses was shown as a supercomputer. The Catholic church has been made fun of many many times for a variety of reasons.

In these instances the show been not been censored.

It's seems that an exception has been made in this case either because of the threat of violence or because of the people making the threats. I guess some people just want to be treated differently.

[Nomo Stew]

Muslims, threatening to kill Americans for using free speech is not a good way to win friends and influence people. If you really want exactly zero support and understanding in the West, that's a good way to go about it. Until I hear the resounding Muslim outcry over this fatwah, I'm pretty much done considering that there might be any difference between Islam and Islamic terrorism.

[Carol]

Comedy Central is WRONG! Report the threat to the police and FBI, and shout from the rooftops that you will not let other people tell you what you can and can't put on TV.

Anyone who disagrees with South Park's viewpoint is free to write the sponsors, boycott the sponsors, not watch the show, but Comedy Central must not bow to threats.

[reza]

I'm an apostate of Islam and I've become angry and sad that they censored south park in such a free country. Nobody has the right to determine what should be the content of the media and what should not.

I've been recently come to Canada from Iran. I've seen lots of extremists with retarded and horrible thoughts and idea. When I came to Canada I thought it was finished but now I see even in a such a free country, people and media do not have the decent freedom in expressing their opinions and artwork.

I hope next time, we see a harsh satire on Prophet Mohammad, Islam and Muslims in south park or wheresoever.

[Elaine Edford]

Joy Behar also aired the bear costume scene on her show. Is she the only one besides Matt and Trey who has a pair? What's happened to our country? Are we only raising cowards?

[netzero]

The Terrorists win again. Comedy Central did not do us any favors. The first episode walked a fine line trying to avoid creating a Danish like problem....but Comedy Central's cave in to a predictable 'threat' now has played into the Islamists hands.

[Ken Adlum]

I don't feel badly for the creators of South Park. Though I find some of their episodes very funny, some are downright offensive. The way they lampoon the handicapped is disgusting, and their repeated use of the words "retard" and "retarded" indicate that Stone and Parker suffer from a profound lack of character.

Leave the handicapped and mentally retarded alone; they're not "fair game."

[antarez]

If these Muslims can't take a joke maybe they should leave.I find oppressing women,suicide bombers and beheadings MORE offensive.

[netzero]

Oh - just as I hit the return button on my first Post - I went to see if this recent episode was on iTunes yet. Well, apparently, this situation is a little deeper than even noted in this LA Times article because the 200th episode of South Park (on the site for sale only 48 hours ago is now no longer on iTunes for purchase! Yes, not only was the TV episode censored, but the 200th episode with CENSORED over Mohammad's image and the bear costume was removed from iTunes. This action harms the United States, the right of Freedom of Speech, and does nothing but play into the hands of extremists. Shame on Comedy Central!

[Tony Tony Tony]

If Moslems are concerned about how they appear in the media, they should learn to respect all life as God's creation and realize that ONLY God (Allah) or whatever name you want to use, Only our Creator has the right to end any life. To disrespect any life, is to disrespect God. Isn't this one of the most obvious things in all creation? It should be. If, indeed, Mohammed teaches them to kill, whether in God's name or not, then Mohammed should be canonized and disrespected.

[Michael Ejercito]

Once again, Comedy Central gave in to the likes of the Columbine High School shooters.

The people behind these threats are the people who blew up Jews in Israel, blew up our troops in Iraq, and stabbed Theo Van Gogh. And now we are supposed to capitulate to them?

Would we excuse or condone the use of terrorism even for good causes like stopping eminent domain abuse or criminal justice abuse? If not, why should we accomodate the radical Islamist sand Nazi terrorists.

They are at war with us, and victory over them is the only civilized option.

[David Huffington]

Get some cojones Viacom. Just 1 website is all it takes to censor a show?

I hope Matt & Trey take their show somewhere else, to somebody who will stand behind their work.

[Mathew]

Brilliant. This episode is getting more publicity now than if it just aired. The extremists did just the opposite. The "uncesored" dvd version will sell. It will be all over the internet. The network got a lot of advertising for nothing out of this. Brilliant.

[Piotr Orloff]

Great. The SCOTUS can allow depictions of animal cruelty, but this is out of bounds?

[Ron]

Check out "What I know about Islam" posted by Pat Condell on YouTube. An excellent piece on what is wrong with Islam.

[Mott]

I can't believe some of the posts that I am reading. Are these not some of the same people who was angry at Bush for going to war with the extremist? Now that their liberty to insult has been called into question with death threats now they fully understand the war on terror? I find the liberal progressive cry extremely laughable.