'South Park' Scientology-Bashing Episode to Re-Air

[Mamoth]

LOS ANGELES — "Trapped in the Closet," the controversial "South Park" episode that skewers Scientology and its popular proponent Tom Cruise, is hitting the airwaves again.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,203299,00.html

Interesting article. The network pretty much admits they pulled it because of Tom Cruise (at least that is how I take it.. and I could be wrong)... and at the end, Trey and Matt claim they would not do anything else with Comedy Central if it didn't reair.

I wonder tho. Would they reair it if Tom Cruise's reputation wasn't in the crapper? Would they reair it while Mission Impossible III was still playing? Would they reair it if Mission Impossible III did well in the theaters and Cruise still had a leg to stand on?

Fairly interesting little turn of events.

[MikeMar]

Good, air it a lot! :)

[Meathead]

Much like TNT does 24 hours of A Christmas Story in Dec 25, Comedy Central should do 24 hours of "Trapped in a Closet" on the most significant date for scientologists. I am thinking L. Ron Hubbard's birthday or something.

[MikeMar]

Much like TNT does 24 hours of A Christmas Story in Dec 25, Comedy Central should do 24 hours of "Trapped in a Closet" on the most significant date for scientologists. I am thinking L. Ron Hubbard's birthday or something.

that would be AWESOME.

or play it like back-to-back every day for a week or something

[sieglinde]

My family taught me religious tolerance. Scientology is one I make an exception for.

:(

I will be glad to see this episode.

[Dafaso]

The episode was just nominated for an Emmy:

Outstanding Animated Program (for
Programming Less Than One Hour)

Camp Lazlo • Hello Dolly / Over Cooked Beans • Cartoon
Network • Cartoon Network Studios
Joe Murray, Executive Producer
Brian Miller, Executive Producer
Mark O’Hare, Supervising Producer
Jennifer Pelphrey, Supervising Producer
Shareena Carlson, Producer
Merriweather Williams, Story by
Steve Little, Story by
Kaz Prapuolenis, Story by
Mike Roth, Written by/Director
Kent Osborne, Written by
Clayton McKenzie Morrow, Written by
Cosmo Segurson, Written by
Brian Sheesley, Animation Director/Supervising Director
Lindsey Pollard, Animation Director
Phil Cummings, Sheet Timer
Maureen Mlynarczyk, Sheet Timer

Family Guy • PTV • FOX • Fuzzy Door Productions in
association with Fox TV Animation Studios
Seth MacFarlane, Executive Producer
David A. Goodman, Executive Producer
Chris Sheridan, Executive Producer
Danny Smith, Co-Executive Producer
Michael Rowe, Supervising Producer
Kara Vallow, Producer
Shannon Smith, Animation Producer
Alec Sulkin, Written by
Wellesley Wild, Written by
Peter Shin, Supervising Director
Dan Povenmire, Director
Chris Robertson, Assistant Director
Andi Klein, Timing Supervisor
Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends • Go Goo Go •
Cartoon Network • Cartoon Network Studios
Craig McCracken, Executive Producer/Director
Brian Miller, Executive Producer
Lauren Faust, Supervising Producer/Animation
Director/Written by
Jennifer Pelphrey, Supervising Producer
Vincent Aniceto, Producer
Robert Alvarez, Animation Director
Eric Pringle, Animation Director

The Simpsons • The Seemingly Neverending Story • FOX •
Gracie Films in association with 20th Century Fox
Television
James L. Brooks, Executive Producer
Matt Groening, Executive Producer
Al Jean, Executive Producer
Matt Selman, Executive Producer
Carolyn Omine, Executive Producer
Tim Long, Executive Producer
John Frink, Co-Executive Producer
Don Payne, Co-Executive Producer
Dana Gould, Co-Executive Producer
Kevin Curran, Co-Executive Producer
J. Stewart Burns, Co-Executive Producer
Michael Price, Co-Executive Producer
Bill Odenkirk, Co-Executive Producer/Writer
Joel H. Cohen, Co-Executive Producer/Writer
Laurie Biernacki, Animation Producer
Rick Polizzi, Animation Producer
Ian Maxtone-Graham, Written by
David Silverman, Supervising Director
Raymond Persi, Director
Shannon O’Connor, Assistant Director
Richard Gasparian, Animation Timer

South Park • Trapped in the Closet • Comedy Central •
Central Productions
Trey Parker, Executive Producer/Director/Written by
Matt Stone, Executive Producer
Anne Garefino, Executive Producer
Frank C. Agnone II, Producer
Eric Stough, Director of Animation

[busyba]

The episode was just nominated for an Emmy:

Outstanding Animated Program (for
Programming Less Than One Hour)

<snip>

South Park • Trapped in the Closet • Comedy Central •
Central Productions
Trey Parker, Executive Producer/Director/Written by
Matt Stone, Executive Producer
Anne Garefino, Executive Producer
Frank C. Agnone II, Producer
Eric Stough, Director of Animation

I believe there's a typo there... it should read:

South Park • Trapped in the Closet • Comedy Central •
Central Productions
John Smith, Executive Producer/Director/Written by
John Smith, Executive Producer
Jane Smith, Executive Producer
John Smith, Producer
John Smith, Director of Animation

:D

[pdhenry]

Correct. There's no evidence that the nominees worked on that episode... :D

[The Flush]

My family taught me religious tolerance. Scientology is one I make an exception for.

:(

I will be glad to see this episode.


When did scientology become a real religion?

[ParadiseDave]

Saw the Scientology episode, missed the "Return of Chef" one. :( Anyone heard whether that one will air again?

[Mamoth]

When did scientology become a real religion?
I guess when the courts decided it.

Tax-exempt status and status as a religion (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientology#Tax-exempt_status_and_status_as_a_religion)

:o

[busyba]

I guess when the courts decided it.

Tax-exempt status and status as a religion (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientology#Tax-exempt_status_and_status_as_a_religion)

:o

Neither courts nor any other branch of the government in this country decide that something is or is not a religion. There's that pesky First Amendment that gets in the way of that.

From the link you provided:
However, the tax-exempt status the IRS gives to charitable organizations is not necessarily the stamp of a "bona fide religion", nor does the US Government make that claim, because the IRS also grants this same tax-exempt status to non-religious entities, such as the Red Cross, the United Way, and tens of thousands of other groups, including kids soccer clubs and local neighborhood theatre groups. All are granted tax-exempt status because of IRS Tax Code, section 501(c)(3), while none are necessarily considered "bona fide religions".[60] In any case, it is not possible for any branch of the United States government to declare an organization a "bona fide religion" since this would be in violation of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution which forbids "an establishment of religion".

[Mamoth]

Neither courts nor any other branch of the government in this country decide that something is or is not a religion. There's that pesky First Amendment that gets in the way of that.

From the link you provided:
Yea.. what I meant was that the courts gave them tax exempt status (since, in my understanding, they had to go to court in order to get that status). Getting that tax exempt status makes, in most peoples minds, them a religion since they have a belief in something... like... christians in their belief in God and Jesus.

Bad wording on my part.

[busyba]

Yea.. what I meant was that the courts gave them tax exempt status (since, in my understanding, they had to go to court in order to get that status).
The courts didn't. The IRS did. And only after a long campaign of harassment of IRS officials by the Co$.

That's how badass the Scineos are, the freaking IRS is afraid of them. :eek:

[Worf]

Germany rightfully classified $cientology as not a religion a while ago...

Though, considering the extent to which the Cult of $cientology goes to when you see http://theunfunnytruth.ytmnd.com/ and http://theunfunnysequel.ytmnd.com/ - they're willing to infiltrate government just to get their way. I when a few members joined the IRS they did a little internal lobbying. (Hrm. "So, Mr. Cruise, why do you want to be a file clerk here?")

[Agatha Mystery]

I want to know when the 'dum dum' one for the Mormons re-airs.

[Shakhari]

I want to know when the 'dum dum' one for the Mormons re-airs.

Joseph Smith, with the power of ice and reading things in hats!

[heySkippy]

I don't have a problem with Scientology being called and classified as a religion. They have exactly the same amount of evidence that they're a valid faith as any other.

But I'm still going to laugh and make fun of them. :)

[Magister]

Saw the Scientology episode, missed the "Return of Chef" one. :( Anyone heard whether that one will air again?

They have showed that one a few times.

[Vito the TiVo]

I don't have a problem with Scientology being called and classified as a religion. They have exactly the same amount of evidence that they're a valid faith as any other.

But I'm still going to laugh and make fun of them. :)

Scientology is the only 'religion' that has their dogma copyrighted.

Scary crazy scientology guys attacking an opponent: http://www.screenhead.com/funny/scientology-doesnt-like-you-180535.php

There are only five countries that acknowledge Scientology as a religion, United States, Thailand, Taiwan, Spain, and Australia, then Canada sees it as a religious non-profit organization and then most of Europe has official classified it as a cult or corporation.

More on wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientology

[Bondelev]

Scary crazy scientology guys attacking an opponent: http://www.screenhead.com/funny/scientology-doesnt-like-you-180535.php

]


It gets interesting about 2 minutes in. Skip the beginning.

[Mamoth]

Wow.. my original starting post was about a cartoon... didn't know it was going to morph into this ;)

[DevdogAZ]

I want to know when the 'dum dum' one for the Mormons re-airs.
My TiVo caught that one on June 2nd. I saved it. If the rotation intervals are the same for all the episodes and it took from approx. March until now for the slot for Trapped in the Closet to come around again, it might be a few months before it airs again.

[Worf]

I don't have a problem with Scientology being called and classified as a religion. They have exactly the same amount of evidence that they're a valid faith as any other.

But I'm still going to laugh and make fun of them. :)

See my earlier links - some rather scary documentation on some recent acts.

http://theunfunnytruth.ytmnd.com/ covers several people whose lives ended suddenly at the hands of the cult.

http://theunfunnysequel.ytmnd.com/ covers what happened when the first one got a bit popular. Considering the first link was created in June, this one is fairly recent and covers what the Co$ has done to silence its critics. (And according to their dogma, doing anything to silence their critics is fair game. And this includes people that wish to leave.)

In fact, the Co$ is guilty of trying to censor every possible form of criticism, mostly by claiming copyright infringement.

Check out Operation Clambake - http://www.xenu.net/ - and see the takedown notice the Cult has sent to Google to remove it from its listings.
http://www.chillingeffects.org/dmca512/notice.cgi?NoticeID=232
and
http://www.chillingeffects.org/copyright/notice.cgi?NoticeID=548

If this thread gets any more popular, I expect this forum to be listed on Chilling Effects.

Edit: Removed some rather inflammatory comments that would rankle Co$ members, even though it's true.

[heySkippy]

See my earlier links - some rather scary documentation on some recent acts.
Uh, I know all that stuff. I am not a CoS member or defender.

All I meant to say was the CoS has as much evidence that their faith is "real" as any other religion. In other words, none at all.

[wmcbrine]

Scientologists themselves sometimes claim it's not a religion, when it suits them. For instance, they'll say "You can be a Scientologist and still be a Christian," when trying to recruit someone. At other times, like tax time, it suits them to be a religion.

[sieglinde]

I heard that any cult that has a million members becomes a religion. :)

I wonder how many members Scientology has.