SOUTHPARK AND CARTOON JIHAD

By Michelle Malkin

Longtime readers know I'm not a fan of South Park. But the e-mails I've been getting all day from South Park viewers about last night's episode just might change my mind.

The Political Pit Bull has posted a video clip from the show.

John Noonan at The Officer's Club watched it and blogged a comprehensive summary--so good I'm quoting at length:

The show's plot centered around the Mohammed cartoon controversy, opening with a scene where main character Stan is startled out of bed by his hysterical father, who rushes the family out of the house to join the shrieking masses already frantically seeking shelter.

The reason for their panic? In the South Park episode, Fox's animated sitcom The Family Guy is planning to air an episode where the Prophet Mohammed makes a cameo appearance. Family Guy is an animated sitcom, meaning a Prophet appearance would be -gasp! You guessed it- a Mohammed cartoon.

The townsfolk of South Park barricade themselves into the village community center, fearing an American repeat of the violent Muslim response to the Danish cartoons. Only after a news report airs the following morning that Fox made a last minute decision to censor Mohammed do they emerge from their makeshift fortifications.

I'll skip to the end of the episode, as the middle was filled with subplots. This is where it gets a little complicated.

Fox announces that the Family Guy episode was a two-part series, and that Mohammed would appear uncensored the following week. The South Park show ends on a cliffhanger, as the people of America begin burying their heads in the sand to prove their sensitivity to Muslims (they won't hear the show or see the show with their heads buried, get it?), while a voiceover announces that South Park is also a two-part series, and begins asking that Adam West-Batman style of questioning: "Will the people of America be safe? Will Fox let the Family Guy air? Will they show Mohammed Uncensored? Find out next week to see if Comedy Central pusses out."

I told you that story so I could write the following.

South Park used the Family Guy as a metaphor for their own show. Trey Parker and Matt Stone announced to the world that they will caticature Mohammed next week, and dared Comedy Central to stop them.

South Park may be an odd place to find inspirational speeches, but one came from a SP citizen responding to a professor's call to submit to the Islamist temper tantrums:

Freedom of speech is at stake here, don't you all see? If anything, we should all make cartoons of Mohammed and show the terrorists and the extremists that we are all united in the belief that every person has a right to say what they want. Look people, it's been really easy for us to stand up for free speech lately. For the past few decades, we haven't had to risk anything to defend it. One of those times is right now. And if we aren't willing to risk what we have now, then we just believe in free speech, but won't defend it.

Wow.

More blogging about the show from:

Newsbusters

Captain's Quarters (named Blogger of the Year by The Week magazine - congrats, Ed!!!)

Brendan Loy (fellow Blogger of the Year nominee - congrats, Brendan!)

And The Anchoress, who writes:

Tonight’s episode was brilliant. And brave. Basically Matt Stone and Trey Parker took all of their creative capital and threw down a gauntlet: America, will you submit to Dhimmitude (beginning with the continual placing of your head in the sand) or will you stand up for free speech and liberty.

It’s about the Mohammed Cartoons. It’s about more than that, though. Much more. Part II is next week. If you can see Part I before then, try to…it is a scathing critique of America and Americans and their willingness to weaken themselves through fear and misplaced sensitivity.

The show will rerun April 6th at 10pm. Part II is set for next Wednesday at 10pm.

I will be watching.

***

Reader Vernon writes:

I know you['re] new to South Park, Mrs. Malkin, but I thought you should know that there has already been an episode of South Park with the prophet Muhammed in it.

It had him, Jesus, Buddha, Krsna, Lao Tzu, Joeseph Smith, and Moses all team
up to form a super squad of "Super Best Friends" to fight against the cult
following of David Blaine.

This episode premiered nearly five years ago and their was no big response
from insulted Muslims or anyone else (at least not on this scale). No one seems to have even mentioned this in light of the recent protests and violence of the Muhammed cartoons.

Comedy Central didn't seem to have a problem with it then and hopefully
won't cave into pulling it (like they did with repeats of the scientology
episode and the AA episode).

Blogger Pat at BelchSpeak:

There is a dual meaning to the South Park episode, including the Muhammad cartoon. Matt and Trey were already censored two weeks ago when Comedy Central pulled an episode that lampooned Scientology. Another character said in the show, "Dont you see? If they censor a show about islam, then next time the show has something about catholics, then the catholics will want the show pulled. And then the Jews. Eventually Family Guy will get pulled off the air completely." Yes, it was about the muslim cartoons. But it is also about how Tom Cruise and his scientologist stooges were able to use a FAKE kooky religion to pull a south park episode. And comedy central caved. I expect that Comedy Central will pull next week's episode too. Or, don't be surprised if there isn't a part two at all. South Park pulled a stunt in the past where they promised a part two to find out who Cartman's father really was, and they refused to show the second part for three weeks.