South Park is known for making parodies of everything, from testicular cancer to the iPad. Religion has always been a favorite topic for the creators, and no religion is safe from their side splitting comedy. When South Park went after the controversial Church of Scientology in 2005, no one realized how much they would upset and offend the members of this organization. I guess members of this "church" do not understand how to take a joke.
In the episode Trapped in the Closet, Trey Parker and Matt Stone poke fun of L. Ron Hubbard, the head of the church, along with various celebrities who have admitted their affiliation with the group. Some of our favorite actors, including Tom Cruise and John Travolta, lock themselves in a closet. On the outside, it is made known that the Church of Scientology is actually for-profit and a cult. I don't want to spoil the jokes for anyone who hasn't seen the episode, but let it be known that this is a classic.
In an interview with the Village Voice, former head of Scientology Marty Rathbun admitted that the leaders of the church actually started tracking every move of Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Old documents were read. Phone calls were traced. Garbage was gone through. Wow. Just wow. They made every attempt to find dirt on the duo, but they came up empty handed.
The episode even struck a sour chord with actor Isaac Hayes, who had voiced the character Chef for several years. He had no problem mocking religion until the creators decided to go after his own. It bothered him so much that he actually ended up leaving the show forever.
The Church of Scientology really needs to lighten up. If an organization founded by a fictional sci-fi writer cannot handle the comedic fiction of a cartoon, how will they ever handle the true problems of the world?
