Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

ort888 · Mar 13, 2006, 05:02 PM

By ERIN CARLSON, Associated Press Writer
11 minutes ago

NEW YORK - Isaac Hayes has quit "South Park," where he voices Chef, saying he can no longer stomach its take on religion.

Hayes, who has played the ladies' man/school cook in the animated Comedy Central satire since 1997, said in a statement Monday that he feels a line has been crossed.

"There is a place in this world for satire, but there is a time when satire ends and intolerance and bigotry towards religious beliefs of others begins," the 63-year-old soul singer and outspoken Scientologist said.

"Religious beliefs are sacred to people, and at all times should be respected and honored," he continued. "As a civil rights activist of the past 40 years, I cannot support a show that disrespects those beliefs and practices."

"South Park" co-creator Matt Stone responded sharply in an interview with The Associated Press Monday, saying, "This is 100 percent having to do with his faith of Scientology... He has no problem — and he's cashed plenty of checks — with our show making fun of Christians."

Last November, "South Park" targeted the Church of Scientology and its celebrity followers, including actors Tom Cruise and John Travolta, in a top-rated episode called "Trapped in the Closet." In the episode, Stan, one of the show's four mischievous fourth graders, is hailed as a reluctant savior by Scientology leaders, while a cartoon Cruise locks himself in a closet and won't come out.

Stone told The AP he and co-creator Trey Parker "never heard a peep out of Isaac in any way until we did Scientology. He wants a different standard for religions other than his own, and to me, that is where intolerance and bigotry begin."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060313/...le_isaac_hayes

ort888 · Mar 13, 2006, 05:03 PM

Scientology is so lame. How the hell can anyone buy into that crap?

Chef was already absent from most of the entire last season and it was heavily rumored that he had left the show for religious reasons. Guess the rumors were true. Screw Isaac Hayes. I hope he gets possessed by 100,000 year old alien ghosts form the earths core. Would serve him right. I also hope that Matt and Trey go off on him big time in a future episode. Don't just burn the bridge, nuke it!

When is the media going to turn on this cult? Hasn't the world had enough of their constant crap and bully tactics? Screw them.

moonmonkey · Mar 13, 2006, 05:25 PM

On a recent visit to Paris To Cruise shouted at a waiter who refused to serve him with his eyes shut, Mr Cruise is not keen on other people seeing his food before him, she said the water had "Dirty Eyes".

Also Scientologists have little machines that measure your brainwaves, this is why he made his wife sign a pre-nup.

They are messed up.

production_coordinator · Mar 13, 2006, 05:33 PM

"my invisible omnipotent god is more important and realistic than your invisible omnipotent god"

Ozmodiar · Mar 13, 2006, 05:40 PM

http://forums.macnn.com/89/macnn-lounge/288948/isaac-hayes-scientologist-quits-south-park/

SirCastor · Mar 13, 2006, 06:44 PM

There really has to be something different about Scientology for celebrities. Something that hooks them. It seems like there are so many celebs involved in it, and I scratch my head about that. There's something.... I just don't know what.

Weyland-Yutani · Mar 13, 2006, 07:37 PM

I'd say that there are also many many prominent Catholic celebrities.

Mel Gibson is Catholic. So are many other celebrities. As is Arnold Schwarzenegger, (a very partial list follows)

Alan Alda, Alec Baldwin, Lara Flynn Boyle, Edward Burns, Nicolas Cage, Jim Caviezel, George Clooney, Stephen Colbert, John Cusack, Danny DeVito, Bill Murray, Mia Farrow, Andy Garcia, Anthony Michael Hall, Alfred Hitchcock, Nicole Kidman, Denis Leary

Originally Posted by Denis Leary

"TOM CRUISE is taking a lot of s**t for belonging to a religion, Scientology, that believes aliens came to this planet 75 million years ago. That is nothing. I was raised Catholic. We believe Mary was a virgin and Jesus ended up walking on water, creating a bottomless jug of wine and rising from the dead."

.. Eva Longoria, Jennifer Lopez, Alyssa Milano, Conan O'Brien, Chris O'Donnell, Al Pacino, Denise Richards, Martin Sheen, Martin Short, Gary Sinise, Kevin Smith, Sylvester Stallone, John Turturro, John Voight, Mark Wahlberg and Maria Shriver.

I don't know how that compares to the Scientologists in Hollywood, but I think they are perhaps fewer and louder than people of other religions.

cheers

W-Y

faragbre967 · Mar 13, 2006, 07:39 PM

Don't know which thread is the real one so I'll post again.

Too bad, I like chef's character... That does seem rather hypocritical of Hayes, though. If you're gonna do a show like South Park, you have to be ready to take as much as you dish out. Hopefully they kill off chef and not try to replace Hayes' voice. I sense a crab people abduction...

wdlove · Mar 13, 2006, 07:52 PM

It seems that there are problems in South Park land.

d4nth3m4n · Mar 13, 2006, 07:58 PM

why didn't this thread get the lock?

Kevin · Mar 13, 2006, 08:03 PM

Yeah odd... the other was first...

Lateralus · Mar 13, 2006, 08:44 PM

This one had more replies.

osiris · Mar 13, 2006, 08:50 PM

Originally Posted by production_coordinator

"my invisible omnipotent god is more important and realistic than your invisible omnipotent god"

but I bet the scientology god has a really cool laser and spaceship.

Ozmodiar · Mar 13, 2006, 10:42 PM

Why was the other thread closed when it was started first?

Chuckit · Mar 13, 2006, 10:55 PM

Originally Posted by Ozmodiar

Why was the other thread closed when it was started first?

Perhaps because…

Originally Posted by Lateralus

This one had more replies.

Ozmodiar · Mar 13, 2006, 11:40 PM

Why don't I read threads first before I post in them?

Kevin · Mar 14, 2006, 05:37 AM

Originally Posted by Lateralus

This one had more replies.

That forum policy will be the cause of problems later on.

Watch.

(BTW there are ways to join two threads)

wallinbl · Mar 14, 2006, 05:37 AM

Originally Posted by SirCastor

There really has to be something different about Scientology for celebrities. Something that hooks them. It seems like there are so many celebs involved in it, and I scratch my head about that. There's something.... I just don't know what.

Scientology is free for celebrities, and they are heavily recruited. L Ron knew that if he were to get high profile people in the door and hooked that they would attract others and would be worth more to Scientology than the free services they were given.

At one point, while still a science fiction writer, L Ron Hubbard was quoted as saying "I want to start a religion - that's where the real money is."

wallinbl · Mar 14, 2006, 05:41 AM

Originally Posted by faragbre967

That does seem rather hypocritical of Hayes, though. If you're gonna do a show like South Park, you have to be ready to take as much as you dish out.

I think he has a reasonable point - you do have to draw a line somewhere. You may disagree with him about where the line is and whether it was crossed (I haven't watched SP in a few years, so I have no idea), but I say good for him for choosing his principles over his money. I'm not saying we don't have free speech, but free speech doesn't free you from being respectful.

Tuoder · Mar 14, 2006, 05:48 AM

Originally Posted by welandyutani

Originally Posted by Denis Leary
"TOM CRUISE is taking a lot of s**t for belonging to a religion, Scientology, that believes aliens came to this planet 75 million years ago. That is nothing. I was raised Catholic. We believe Mary was a virgin and Jesus ended up walking on water, creating a bottomless jug of wine and rising from the dead."

Dennis Leary has a MacNN account? Awesome!!!!!!1

Kevin · Mar 14, 2006, 05:51 AM

Originally Posted by wallinbl

I think he has a reasonable point - you do have to draw a line somewhere. You may disagree with him about where the line is and whether it was crossed (I haven't watched SP in a few years, so I have no idea), but I say good for him for choosing his principles over his money. I'm not saying we don't have free speech, but free speech doesn't free you from being respectful.

Eh, he had no problems when they made fun of OTHER religions.

More than likely, "The Church" and I use that term lightly in this case, pressured him.

Kevin · Mar 14, 2006, 05:52 AM

Originally Posted by Weyland-Yutani

\

I don't know how that compares to the Scientologists in Hollywood, but I think they are perhaps fewer and louder than people of other religions.

cheers

W-Y

Anyone that compares Scientology to Christianity has an agenda™

Millennium · Mar 14, 2006, 06:14 AM

I guess that's what double-standards are all about: making fun of religions is all well and good until it's your own faith's turn. Thankfully, at least some people on that show seem to have a mature attitude about their faith, but it seems that Hayes wasn't one of them. It's a pity.

Kevin · Mar 14, 2006, 06:18 AM

And it says on his site

Isaac Hayes to appear on
That 70's Show, Spring 2006
For preview photos click here

Danny Masterson AKA Steven Hyde is also a Scientologist.

Maflynn · Mar 14, 2006, 06:32 AM

I'm a little late to this party so some of what I'll say has been repeated.
I think its odd and hypacritical that he being on south park for years would now object to them poking fun at religion, when that jabbing was focused on his religion.

He had no problem when it was Christianity, Islam, Jews. So far from what I've seen/heard he's not getting too much sympathy because him being hypacritical.

I don't watch the show (never have) for the very reason's he is quiting - I offended by the material.

OreoCookie · Mar 14, 2006, 07:01 AM

I agree that he quite because of the scientology episode (which was hilarious, by the way

).
From day 1, they've made fun of Jews and Christians (and Muslims in a few episodes). That's part of the show …

Kevin · Mar 14, 2006, 07:12 AM

And JWs, and everyone else on the planet

Even wiccans

I have always said, they are equal opportunity offenders.

Y3a · Mar 14, 2006, 07:24 AM

So Issac Hayes give Southpark the "Chef" I hope they find a really good impersonator to do the part, and then hammer Issac just for the fun of it.

Maybe that Chef was taken over by a cult. Maybe have Jerri Blank as one of the cult members.

OreoCookie · Mar 14, 2006, 08:01 AM

Originally Posted by Kevin

And JWs, and everyone else on the planet

Even wiccans

I have always said, they are equal opportunity offenders.

Don't forget about the Mormons … the show with that Happy Family(tm)

OreoCookie · Mar 14, 2006, 08:01 AM

Originally Posted by Y3a

So Issac Hayes give Southpark the "Chef" I hope they find a really good impersonator to do the part, and then hammer Issac just for the fun of it.

Maybe that Chef was taken over by a cult. Maybe have Jerri Blank as one of the cult members.

Or let Chef come out of the closed

wallinbl · Mar 14, 2006, 08:47 AM

Originally Posted by Kevin

Eh, he had no problems when they made fun of OTHER religions.

I haven't seen the episodes related to Scientology. I've seen a few that poked fun at Christianity (Jesus vs Santa; "the correct answer was Mormon"; etc). From reading articles on the net, it seemed that the Scientology episode departed from being good fun and was more along the lines of belittling. There's a difference between good fun (something like the movie Dogma), and just plain old belittling (something like Penn & Teller's Bullsh!t).

Perhaps more simply it was the same experience a lot of people have - you don't realize the impact it has until it impacts you. It's not hypocritical, it's a realization. I would only consider him a hypocrite if he were to move on to another show that ripped on other religions in whatever fashion the ripping of Scientology offended him.

Maflynn · Mar 14, 2006, 08:48 AM

I read these quotes over at boston.com and it was from the AP news wire

Isaac:

"Religious beliefs are sacred to people, and at all times should be respected and honored," he continued. "As a civil rights activist of the past 40 years, I cannot support a show that disrespects those beliefs and practices."

Stone:

"South Park" co-creator Matt Stone responded sharply in an interview with The Associated Press Monday, saying, "This is 100 percent having to do with his faith of Scientology... He has no problem -- and he's cashed plenty of checks -- with our show making fun of Christians."

Stone told The AP he and co-creator Trey Parker "never heard a peep out of Isaac in any way until we did Scientology. He wants a different standard for religions other than his own, and to me, that is where intolerance and bigotry begin."

I loved the part that Matt stone said that he had no problem cashing his checks when they were making fun of Christians and he's100% right when he said "He wants a different standard for religions other than his own, and to me, that is where intolerance and bigotry begin."

Mike

wallinbl · Mar 14, 2006, 08:52 AM

Originally Posted by Maflynn

I loved the part that Matt stone said that he had no problem cashing his checks when they were making fun of Christians and he's100% right when he said "He wants a different standard for religions other than his own, and to me, that is where intolerance and bigotry begin."

Don't be so quick to judge. Sometimes you need to experience something yourself in order to learn a lesson. Perhaps he didn't realize how offended people get until it happened to him.

osiris · Mar 14, 2006, 08:52 AM

Originally Posted by Kevin

Eh, he had no problems when they made fun of OTHER religions.

Exactly.

andreas_g4 · Mar 14, 2006, 08:58 AM

This episode will definitely become a nice SP episode. Anyway, for me it is less of a miracle that life developed on earth than the fact that "Scientologists actually believe this". Screwed up brainiacs they are.

andreas_g4 · Mar 14, 2006, 08:59 AM

Originally Posted by wallinbl

Don't be so quick to judge. Sometimes you need to experience something yourself in order to learn a lesson. Perhaps he didn't realize how offended people get until it happened to him.

lame

ort888 · Mar 14, 2006, 09:12 AM

Originally Posted by wallinbl

Don't be so quick to judge. Sometimes you need to experience something yourself in order to learn a lesson. Perhaps he didn't realize how offended people get until it happened to him.

Or his cult leader told him he had to quit.

Kevin · Mar 14, 2006, 09:14 AM

Originally Posted by wallinbl

I haven't seen the episodes related to Scientology. I've seen a few that poked fun at Christianity (Jesus vs Santa; "the correct answer was Mormon"; etc). From reading articles on the net, it seemed that the Scientology episode departed from being good fun and was more along the lines of belittling. There's a difference between good fun (something like the movie Dogma), and just plain old belittling (something like Penn & Teller's Bullsh!t).

Perhaps more simply it was the same experience a lot of people have - you don't realize the impact it has until it impacts you. It's not hypocritical, it's a realization. I would only consider him a hypocrite if he were to move on to another show that ripped on other religions in whatever fashion the ripping of Scientology offended him.

It was more making fun of Tom Cruise than scientology.

And they didn't say ANYTHING about Scientology or really any other religion that isn't true for the most part.

If Scientology truths is hurting them, maybe they should think why.

Scientology has a habit of sueing everyone and anyone that says anything about Scientology. Truth or not.

Go do a search for "Barbara Schwartz" on Google. One of the more kooky Scientologists (Even though the church kicked her out)

She earned of my fanboy cards for threatening to sue me many times.

She kept trying to tell people I was some anti-religious wacko that has been in prison for anti-religious hate crimes.

MacNStein · Mar 14, 2006, 09:36 AM

Originally Posted by osiris

but I bet the scientology god has a really cool laser and spaceship.

pew pew

Weyland-Yutani · Mar 14, 2006, 09:47 AM

"One day, in L.A., we got in the limousine and went down to the Scientology center on Sunset, and Elvis went in and talked to them. We waited in the car, but apparently they started doing all these charts and crap for him. Elvis came out and said 'fuçk those people! There's no way I'll ever get involved with that son-of-a-bitchin' group. All they want is my money.' Well, Peggy still kept on about it, so Elvis didn't date her any more. And he stayed away from Scientology like it was a cobra. He'd sh¡t a brick to see how far Lisa Marie's gotten into it." - Elvis Aaron Presley: Revelations From The Memphis Mafia by Alanna Nash, with Billy Smith, Marty Lacker, and Lamar Fike (copyright 1995, Harper Collins).

W-Y

ReggieX · Mar 14, 2006, 09:47 AM

Originally Posted by MacNStein

pew pew

Poll: whose space ship has the best laser sound?

Wiskedjak · Mar 14, 2006, 10:00 AM

Originally Posted by Kevin

Anyone that compares Scientology to Christianity has an agenda™

I didn't read that Weyland-Yutani was comparing Scientology to Chritianity. I thought he was responding to the question about why Scientology is so appealing to Hollywooders with a long list of Hollywooders who find Christianity to be more appealing and an observation that maybe the Scientology Hollywooders appear so numerous because they make more noise than the Christian Hollywooders.

turtle777 · Mar 14, 2006, 10:59 AM

Originally Posted by Kevin

(BTW there are ways to join two threads)

Yes, but in my experience, the mods only use it when it DOESN'T make sense...

-t

Weyland-Yutani · Mar 14, 2006, 11:06 AM

Originally Posted by Wiskedjak

I didn't read that Weyland-Yutani was comparing Scientology to Chritianity. I thought he was responding to the question about why Scientology is so appealing to Hollywooders with a long list of Hollywooders who find Christianity to be more appealing and an observation that maybe the Scientology Hollywooders appear so numerous because they make more noise than the Christian Hollywooders.

And right you are

cheers

W-Y

Tyler McAdams · Mar 14, 2006, 11:41 AM

Scientology... the faith that no celebrity named Tom Crusie will get until it's too late. I don't feel that for Isaac Hayes though. not based on this.

MrsLarry · Mar 14, 2006, 12:50 PM

i know it's all the same, just re-hashed, and he's got the right to do what he wantsm hypocritcal or not, but to throw fuel on the fire...

the show makes fun of black people too, no? and he's black, isn't he? why did the scientology thing offend him to the point of quitting, but the black thing didn't.

Just one of thsoe things i guess. Maybe Chef can go live with Big Gay Al.

ort888 · Mar 14, 2006, 01:02 PM

It makes fun of white perceptions and media treatment of black people more then anything else. I mean, they do play on black stereotypes for laughs, but they play on every stereotype to get laughs.

Tyler McAdams · Mar 14, 2006, 02:11 PM

Originally Posted by MrsLarry

i know it's all the same, just re-hashed

You can say that again.......... wait NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I Bent My Wookiee · Mar 14, 2006, 04:05 PM

Quite the hypocrite isn't he. Never seen that from a religious person before

Kevin · Mar 14, 2006, 05:48 PM

Originally Posted by what_the_heck

Yes, but in my experience, the mods only use it when it DOESN'T make sense...

Yeah but I was just offering it as a solution. A reasonable one.

Originally Posted by I Bent My Wookiee

Quite the hypocrite isn't he. Never seen that from a religious person before

If someone bitched about gays as much as you do religious people, they would be labeled homophobes. Probably by you as well.

So we know the gay "community" has it's share of hypocrites.