Posted on 03/20/2006 5:33:17 PM PST by shining_city
Reports indicate Church of Scientology and Tom Cruise pressured network to cancel a South Park show satirizing the Hollywood religion. Katharine DeBrecht -- author of "Help! Mom! Hollywood's in My Hamper" -- condemns the actions as censorship and asks "Where's George Clooney now?"
Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) March 20, 2006 -- Best-selling conservative children's author Katharine DeBrecht is pointing to recent reports of a conflict between the creators of the "South Park" cartoon and the Church of Scientology as yet more proof of Hollywood liberal hypocrisy, and she is pointing a finger at Oscar winner George Clooney in the process.
Recent reports in the respected trade magazine Daily Variety suggest that the Church of Scientology used its well known celebrity muscle to pressure Comedy Central into pulling an upcoming episode of "South Park" that satirized the religion. According to the publication, the clash between Scientology and the South Park creators is escalating in the wake of this latest move. The controversy first gained national attention earlier this week when Isaac Hayes, the voice of the popular character “Chef,” quit over an episode mocking Scientology and its most famous adherent, Tom Cruise.
Daily Variety reports a rumor suggesting that Cruise stepped in at the request of the Church of Scientology, by saying he would refuse to help promote his upcoming movie "Mission: Impossible 3" unless the episode was pulled. Comedy Central is owned by Viacom, the media conglomerate that also owns Paramount, the studio behind the "Mission: Impossible" franchise.
"These reports, if true, smack of exactly the kind of strategy Muslims have been using in terms of the Mohammed cartoons -- stifling free speech because it sometimes offends religious beliefs,” says best-selling children's author Katharine DeBrecht, whose new book "Help! Mom! Hollywood's in My Hamper!" (Kids Ahead; hardcover: $15.95; ISBN 0976726912) also satirizes Scientology and Cruise, as well as a number of other Hollywood personalities. "While I am not a fan of 'South Park' -- and I certainly don't think it's an appropriate program for kids -- it’s a show that has consistently skewered many religions, including Christianity and Judaism. What makes Scientology different? We must all defend the show’s right to parody this religion and Tom Cruise, its most outspoken advocate.
"I also satirize Scientology and other trendy Hollywood religions in my new book as something called 'Toenailology,'" adds DeBrecht. "Does this mean the Church of Scientology will come after me next?" DeBrecht adds that Scientology -- which has many Hollywood stars and power brokers in its ranks, including John Travolta, Kirstie Alley, Beck, Jenna Elfman, and Lisa Marie Presley -- teaches that humans can reach a godlike state, something she believes is opposed to traditional values.
"Where are George Clooney and his brave Hollywood friends?" notes DeBecht, chiding the outspoken liberal who made a particular point during the Oscars of patting himself on the back for having the courage to call Joseph McCarthy a bad guy -- 50 years and countless books and documentaries after the fact. "Here’s censorship happening right under Hollywood's nose, but instead of confronting an actual free speech issue, all these brave liberals souls don’t want to take on a clear violation of free speech when it involves a big-name actor who might be able to give them a job somewhere down the road."
About Kids Ahead: Kids Ahead is an imprint of Los Angeles-based World Ahead Publishing, the West Coast's leading publisher of conservative books. Visit http://www.helpmombooks.com to learn more.
Katharine DeBrecht is right to call out George Clooney (or George C. Looney, as Savage calls him) for his hypocrisy on this issue, though. I guess his free speech crusade doesn't go any further than dead senators...
I can't wait for the new SP's... they are gonna satire this new development so well!!!
Never, NEVER, get into a media war with someone cleverer than you.
I really hope they will work it out with him.
That being said, I'm shocked Issac Hayes is into Scientology. Never would have thunk it.
They need to cancel the Church of Scientology. Cruise and Clooney have all the intellect of a constipated flea.
I think Xenu should become a recurring character in the same vein as Towelie.
Uh, that would be 'more clever'...
You probably had tongue in cheek, right?
Read the recent Rolling Stone article about those nutbags. Southpark won't air the episode anymore that deals with the Scientologists. They intimidate by litigation. The article is very eye opening. Can't believe they actually wrote about it. I always knew they were wackos, but this article brought new stuff to light.
Absolutely true! But, that being said, evidently no one in Hollywood ever received that memo. ;-)
A chill wind is blowing!!!!! Where are Timmy Robbins and the ACLU?
http://media.putfile.com/Tom-Come-Out-Of-The-Closet
Tom Cruis wont come out of the closet!
Oops!
Scientology preys on the weak and feeble-minded. Lisa McPherson got involved with these people and look where it got her...an eternal dirt nap.
My wife says shes going to feel sorry for Katie Holmes if she gets post-partum depression.
One link to the episode. The hilarious part is not Tommy in the Closer but the whole Thetan thing that Scientologists really believe (this one streams).
http://firstdistributorsnz.com/scientomogy/south-park.htm
There are better, but even small it is pretty funny.
And here is a whole site bashing Tommy, it looks pretty funny:
http://www.scientomogy.info/
Sorry to nitpick, folks, but what this article describes isn't censorship. Censorship requires government or the use of force. Mr. Cruise isn't threatening anyone's physical safety, he's simply threatening to not do business.
If we describe this situation as censorship, we'd also have to say that people boycotting Dixie Chicks CD's or sponsors pulling support from NBC over the "Book of Daniel" show are also cases of censorship. Clearly, they are not.
Throwing someone in jail for mocking Scientology is censorship. Threatening to cut off someone's head for mocking L. Ron Hubbard is censorship.
Refusing to act in a movie if a company disrespects your religion, despite how silly it may be, is not censorship.
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