Ghost of a flea: Bloody Mary

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January 02, 2006

Bloody Mary

The complete South Park Episode 914 "Bloody Mary" is available online as a RealPlayer file. Aside from its having been condemned by the Catholic League and subsequently pulled by Comedy Central it is an unexeptional episode. Some frequent targets of fun, and just picking some people who might also have reason to take offense at what some other people think about them, including gay people, black people and Jewish people were overlooked this time. But these twenty-two minutes did manage to begin with east-Asian stereotypes, mock a small child with elephantitis and deliver a scathing critique of Alcoholics Anonymous in addition to the juvenile offense offered to an image of the Blessed Virgin. No word on whether the Catholic League was troubled by any of these other issues.

The Catholic League ... sought a personal condemnation from Viacom board member Joseph A. Califano Jr., who the group noted is a "practicing Catholic." Califano was only too happy to oblige. After viewing the episode, he released a statement calling the episode an "appalling and disgusting portrayal of the Virgin Mary. ... It is particularly troubling to me as a Roman Catholic that the segment has run on the eve and day of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, a holy day for Roman Catholics," Califano said.

I am a bit perplexed how "Bloody Mary", pace the night before the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, was any more offensive to some Catholic sensibilities than many other episodes. Or more importantly why Viacom should cave to this particular pressure group and not representatives of the rest of humanity who might also take offense at the vulgar spectacle so often presented by Trey Parker and Matt Stone. After all, reports have it that previous complaints by the Catholic League concerning a 2002 airing of "Red Hot Catholic Love" got them nowhere. And as far as I know the Catholic Church itself has yet to lodge a complaint.

Posted by Ghost of a flea at January 2, 2006 08:41 AM

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Comments

Reminds me of when NAACP condemned Pulp Fiction for its 'negative portrayals' of blacks. Hello - there wasn't a single redeeming character of any race in the entire movie!

What do u teach, btw? I've just been reading all the Robertson Davies novels, wonderful writer. I also picked up a book of his letters, where he had great fun with a snippy dismissal by (cough) Joyce Carol Oates (the ultimate writer of academic fiction, & I don't mean fiction about academics)

Posted by: beautifulatrocities at January 2, 2006 12:38 PM

The Catholic League is unfortunately yet another of those hypervigilant, perpetually aggrieved activist groups that blast at gnats with an elephant gun. Catholics would be better served if CL would focus on actual legal violations and leave the hypersensitive hystrionics to the Left.
At the very least, they could be more judicious in their choice of targets!

Posted by: Varenius at January 2, 2006 01:26 PM

I can certainly see why the Catholic League, or many Catholics, might find this episode offensive. It just seems to me that demanding the show disappear, even from future dvd releases, only serves to draw attention to it. The main target of the show was AA and the idea that we can somehow avoid resposibility for our own decisions; a criticism to which I am entirely sympathetic.

Posted by: Ghost of a flea at January 2, 2006 02:07 PM

Jeff: I have taught anthropology, archaeology, history, business, communication studies and cultural studies. Give me two weeks head-start and I will teach just about anything. Though for the moment I am going back into research and consulting because I have reached my limit with the undergrad factory teaching model.

Posted by: Ghost of a flea at January 2, 2006 02:09 PM