Wow, Tom Cruise has more power than I thought...(meaning, Viacom is a wimp)

[vivilasvegas]

South Park has an episode making fun of Scientology coming up this Wednesday. Tom Cruise threatened to not promote Mission Impossible 3 if Viacom (who owns comedy central) did not pull the episode.
So they did. It will not be shown.

Pathetic.

 

[Alicnwondrln]

wow that is sad
he looks more and more like a tool everyday
i feel bad for kaite holme si bet she had no idea at what she was getting herself into

 

[vivilasvegas]

It think it's also awful how Viacom gave into him.
People would have seen the stupid movie even if he didn't do "press".

Now for sure I won't be seeing it.

 

[cardaway]

Yet many people here would applaud if it was a famous Christian upset that a show was mocking their religion and taking a stand.

And for the record, I think Tom's a fool for doing this, but it's always interesting how people go after Tom but applaud others for doing the same things he does.

 

[Planogirl]

I'm surprised that they would pay attention to him or any other scientologist.

I wouldn't worry about Katie Holmes. She's an adult and went in with eyes wide open IMO.

 

[vivilasvegas]

Yes many people here would applaud if it was a famous Christian upset that a show was mocking their religion and taking a stand.

And for the record, I think Tom's a fool for doing this, but it's always interesting how people go after Tom but applaud others for ding the same thing he does.

what are you talking about? Me and one other person posted here before you.

And the point is Viacom shouldn't have given in.

 

[mtblujeans]

Oh, great....

 

[palmtreegirl]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/TV/03/13/south.park.hayes.reut/

Soul singer Isaac Hayes quits 'South Park'

Tuesday, March 14, 2006; Posted: 9:29 p.m. EST (02:29 GMT)

Singer Isaac Hayes has provided the voice for "Chef" since 1997.



LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- Soul singer Isaac Hayes said Monday he was quitting his job as the voice of the lusty character "Chef" on the satiric cable TV cartoon "South Park," citing the show's "inappropriate ridicule" of religion.

But series co-creator Matt Stone said the veteran recording artist was upset the show had recently lampooned the Church of Scientology, of which Hayes is an outspoken follower.

"In ten years and over 150 episodes of 'South Park,' Isaac never had a problem with the show making fun of Christians, Muslim, Mormons or Jews," Stone said in a statement issued by the Comedy Central network.

"He got a sudden case of religious sensitivity when it was his religion featured on the show." (Watch how 'Chef" got fed up with the show -- 1:58)

He added: "Of course we will release Isaac from his contract, and we wish him well."

In a statement explaining his departure from the show, Hayes, 63, did not mention last fall's episode poking fun at Scientology and some of its celebrity adherents, including actor Tom Cruise.

Rather, Hayes said the show's parody of religion in general was part of what he saw as a "growing insensitivity toward personal spiritual beliefs" in the media, including the recent controversy over cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammad.

"There is a place in this world for satire, but there is a time when satire ends and intolerance and bigotry toward religious beliefs ... begins," Hayes said.

The crudely animated cartoon, heading into its 10th season next week as one of Comedy Central's biggest hits, centers on the antics of four foul-mouthed fourth graders in the town of South Park, Colorado.

Outlandish religious satire has been a mainstay of the show since its debut on the Viacom Inc.-owned network in 1997. The series grew out of two short films by Stone and collaborator Trey Parker -- "Jesus vs. Frosty" and "The Spirit of Christmas," the latter featuring a martial-arts duel between Jesus and Santa Claus over the true meaning of Christmas.

Hayes, the first black composer to win an Oscar for best song with his theme to the 1971 film "Shaft," gained renewed fame on "South Park" as the voice of Jerome "Chef" McElroy, the school cafeteria cook whom the boys often seek out for advice.

In an episode last fall, one of the gang, Stan, scores so high on a Scientology test that church followers think he is the next L. Ron Hubbard, the late science-fiction writer who founded the religion. Hayes did not take part in that episode.

In an interview with Reuters late last year, Hayes talked about a foundation he formed to bring Scientology-based study techniques to disadvantaged inner-city schools, in partnership with fellow devotee Lisa Marie Presley.

"But it's not religious," he said then, describing himself as Baptist by birth and Scientology as "an applied religious philosophy."

Comedy Central spokesman Tony Fox said producers have not decided whether Chef would be dropped from the show or continued with another actor supplying his voice.

 

[disykat]

I actually do kind of applaud Tom Cruise for standing up for his beliefs. I think he had every right not to want to do business with a network he didn't agree with their practices.

From a PR standpoint, I think he's committing suicide with yet another behavior that people (including myself) will see as Tom Cruise trying to be omnipotent and more than a little nutty! He'd be better off realizing South Park makes fun of everything and learning how to take a joke or turn the channel.

In other words - I agree with cardaway.

 

[Robinrs]

Money = Power...

Tom Cruise, with all of his misguided theatrics last year was the TOP grossing actor of 2005! The public gave him that honor.

I'm proud to say he didn't get a DIME of my money..

His idiot sister makes sure he gets all of this negative publicity but he continues to pile the money in. No accounting for taste, I guess.

As for feeling sorry for Katie, heck, I know women who chase after bigger jerks than him with NO money and NO power. At least she'll be sure to get child support for the rest of her child's childhood....

 

[vivilasvegas]

I knew that about Isaac Hayes, but that's his right. Hypocrite, but still his right.

The part about all of this is that is so frustrating is that the entire episode is gone (well, not really) because Viacom/Paramount is afraid of Tom Cruise.

 

[ToriLammy]

Ah, VIACOM is just waiting. Imagine they pull the episode so Tom willl promote MI3. He does, they make millions, while the whole inicident creates interest in the "pulled episode", so they show it shortly after MI3 opens, making even more money

Now what would serve them and Tom right is if neither makes money. Don't go see MI3 and ignore South Park. Power to the people!

 

[vivilasvegas]

I actually do kind of applaud Tom Cruise for standing up for his beliefs. I think he had every right not to want to do business with a network he didn't agree with their practices.

From a PR standpoint, I think he's committing suicide with yet another behavior that people (including myself) will see as Tom Cruise trying to be omnipotent and more than a little nutty!

In other words - I agree with cardaway.

Sure, so then they should have told him to get lost. Instead they give in to him and pull the episode. It's pathetic.

The movie still would have made the money without his press tour.

 

[AuntieM03]

Yes many people here would applaud if it was a famous Christian upset that a show was mocking their religion and taking a stand.

And for the record, I think Tom's a fool for doing this, but it's always interesting how people go after Tom but applaud others for ding the same thing he does.

South Park makes fun of Christianity all the time. It is an equal opportunity offender.

 

[PixieDust32]

South Park has an episode making fun of Scientology coming up this Wednesday. Tom Cruise threatened to not promote Mission Impossible 3 if Viacom (who owns comedy central) did not pull the episode.
So they did. It will not be shown.

Pathetic.

Oh pathetic.

We saw that episode already and I see why he doesn't like it the episode is so funny.

 

[anewvance]

He drives me nuts.... I tell ya what. Sheesh.

 

[vivilasvegas]

Oh pathetic.

We saw that episode already and I see why he doesn't like it the episode is so funny.

It is a great one! And if people still want to see it, it's all over the internet...

 

[Tigger_Magic]

Yes many people here would applaud if it was a famous Christian upset that a show was mocking their religion and taking a stand.

And for the record, I think Tom's a fool for doing this, but it's always interesting how people go after Tom but applaud others for ding the same thing he does.

Yup! It does seem to depend on who the target du jour is.

 

[ashjohnson80]

South Park has an episode making fun of Scientology coming up this Wednesday. Tom Cruise threatened to not promote Mission Impossible 3 if Viacom (who owns comedy central) did not pull the episode.
So they did. It will not be shown.

Pathetic.

Nooooo! I missed that the first time it was on. Maybe they'll release it on DVD sooner. I hate Tom Cruise.

 

[brerrabbit]

Okay I admit it, I watch Southpark. Yes it is a show that will not hesitate for one minute to make fun of anybody and anything. It is a time crude and pretty rude. Here's the thing though, I am a Christian and they have taken their amount of shots at Christianity as well as Muslims, celebrities, countries, satan, and everybody else. What I find more interesting than Tom Cruise's threat is the fact that Isaac Hayes who voices Chef on the show has had no problem over the years lampooning every other faith, or group, or celebrity, but as soon as they pick on Scientology, Hayes who is one says he is quitting the show and thinks that the show is to critical of religion. That is pure hypocrisy. Further threats from Cruise or other Scientologists are obviously going to be ingnored by Parker and Stone, the shows creators. They have issued a statement saying they support Thetans, which if you are not aware are the souls of beings floating around ever since Xenu set a nuclear bomb off on earth killing billions. They claim they are supporters of Xenu and end their statement with "Long live Xenu"

This ones going to be fun to watch. Scientologist lawyers will no doubt be filing lawsuits soon to attempt to block further showings of that episode. No doubt Christians, or Muslims, or individual celebrities that have been saterized on the show would have no chance of winning any lawsuits and most would say it's Stone and Parkers right to free speech. But when they do it to Tom's religion, its time to stop those guys.