Issac Hayes Quits South Park

[Downhome 0]

Now how's this for some shit:

 

http://www.nypost.com/gossip/pagesix/pagesix.htm

 

CRUISE CONTROL SCARES 'PARK'

 

March 17, 2006 -- HOLLYWOOD bully Tom Cruise got Comedy Central to cancel Wednesday night's cablecast of a controversial "South Park" episode about Scientology by warning that he'd refuse to promote "Mission Impossible 3," insiders say.

 

Since Paramount is banking on "MI3" to rake in blockbuster profits this summer, and Paramount is owned by Viacom, which also owns Comedy Central, the tactic worked.

 

The "South Park" episode, "Trapped in the Closet," pokes fun at Scientology and shows Cruise, John Travolta and R. Kelly (who is not a Scientologist, but has a song called "Trapped in the Closet") literally in a closet.

 

The episode, which first aired last November, was set to rerun Wednesday night, but was mysteriously pulled at the last minute.

 

Now, hollywoodinterrupted.com reports Cruise went straight to the top - to execs at Viacom - and warned he'd boycott the promotion for "MI3" unless the "South Park" episode was pulled.

 

Series creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker have been told not to discuss the matter - to avoid embarrassing Cruise as they did Isaac Hayes last week when Hayes, also a Scientologist, quit his role as the voice of the Chef character.

 

Hayes claimed he couldn't stand by while "South Park" made fun of religion, but Stone pointed out that Hayes had cashed plenty of checks while the show made fun of Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Stone hinted that Hayes was pressed to quit by his minders in the Church of Scientology.

 

A rep for Comedy Central, asked if Cruise was responsible for the "Closet" episode being yanked, attributed it instead to Hayes' resignation, saying, "In light of the events of earlier this week, we wanted to give Chef an appropriate tribute by airing two episodes he is most known for." But TV insiders weren't buying that explanation.

 

Now the question is whether Comedy Central will ever again air "Trapped in the Closet" and whether it will be included on the DVD of the show's ninth season.

 

Cruise has a history of playing hardball. He is allegedly responsible for the missing sex scene his fiancée Katie Homes filmed (before she started dating Tom) in "Thank You for Smoking," which opens today.

 

And who will ever forget the way Cruise shouted down Matt Lauer on the "Today" show when Lauer argued that some people have been helped by prescription drugs?

[Ripper 0]

And who will ever forget the way Cruise shouted down Matt Lauer on the "Today" show when Lauer argued that some people have been helped by prescription drugs?

 

You know...thats why I like Matt Lauer. He is all cool morning show interviewer, but everyonce and a while he does the opening to the interview and you can tell he is about to go at someone. That day, he had the swagger while he was introducing Cruise and I was about to walk out the door. I stopped because I knew what was coming. And that time he tore into some guy that was releasing a book about JFK Jr.

 

Matt Fucking Lauer is the man sometimes.

[bob_barron 0]

I love Matt Lauer at the Thanksgiving Day Parade, as you can tell he'd rather be anywhere else.

 

And I call bullshit on that M:I3 story

[Slayer 0]

The real joke is that they're expecting big money from MI:3

[Gert T 0]

I got a quick side topic South Park question: How many episodes are in each season?

[2GOLD 0]

"So, Scientology, you may have won THIS battle, but the million-year war for earth has just begun! Temporarily anozinizing our episode will NOT stop us from keeping Thetans forever trapped in your pitiful man-bodies. Curses and drat! You have obstructed us for now, but your feeble bid to save humanity will fail! Hail Xenu!!!"

God DAMN I love Matt and Trey. The fact that they actually released that as an OFFICIAL press release to the trade magazines is just awesome.

 

The sheer awesomeness of that press release cannot be surpassed.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

I got a quick side topic South Park question: How many episodes are in each season?

 

From the backs of my DVD cases, starting with Season 1:

 

13, 18, 17, 17, 14, 17

[Mik 0]

And they are split in half. So you should see about 8 or 9 during this run and the same amount at a later time.

[Guest Smues]

the last few seasons have been 14 episodes (two chunks of 7), and I think I read somewhere that 10 will be 14 episodes as well.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

People still watch South Park?

[ZGangsta 0]

People still watch South Park?

Yup, and unlike most shows, it keeps getting better and more relevant with age.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Eh I outgrew their humor a long time ago.

[Ripper 0]

Thier humor got smarter as time went on. Probably to keep up with the maturity of their audience.

 

Not really sure what I am saying about you there...just throwin that out there.

[Failed Bridge 0]

Matt and Trey said long ago they weren't going to do more than 10 seasons of South Park as they feel that's around the time a show covers most everything and gets stale. If they keep to that then not having Chef around anymore is no big deal.

 

Somebody go over this suicide thing though. I didn't know the voice actress offed herself.

[Guest Princess Leena]

People still watch South Park?

 

It appalls me how nobody ever insults this waste.

[cbacon 0]

The show has been renewed till Season 12.

[chaosrage 0]

Eh I outgrew their humor a long time ago.

 

Thanks for stopping by and letting us all know that you lost a sense of humor as you got older.

[Slayer 0]

Legitimate burn

[Guest BillyTheStud]

Matt and Trey are the only ppl in Hollywood with balls

[LivingLegendGaryColeman 0]

Now there is rumor of taking the Scientology one off the DVD set too? Last I knew they were debating whether the banned "Virgin Mary" one would make the DVD. So now the season set may potentially be missing two episodes from the DVD... that's just not right.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Oh hell no they better not do this.

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

People still watch South Park?

 

It appalls me how nobody ever insults this waste.

 

Aww c'mon, Porter ain't that bad.

[AndrewTS 0]

Hayes was so pissed he had this bottled up for 4 months.

 

Guess he needed time to cool off before he said something he really regretted.

[EricMM 0]

In related news, I've already downloaded this ep to my computer anyways.

 

Are they still not showing the Simpsons episode with the World Trade Center in it, like they promised?

 

If not, I would like to say that this episode has been, "Crab Juiced".

[Zorin Industries 0]

That Simpsons episodes definatly been shown in the UK a number of times

[Slayer 0]

Are they still not showing the Simpsons episode with the World Trade Center in it, like they promised?

I saw it a couple months ago

[BlackFlagg 0]

Looks like they're not gonna waste anytime getting to this, a blurb describing the upcoming episode...

 

"From Comedy Central: He's Back !!! Chef returns to South Park."

 

"The launch of "Soth Park's" tenth season is marked by the triumphant homecoming of school chef, Jerome McElroy.

"The Return of Chef", prermieres Wednesday, March 22 at 10:00pm, only on Comedy Central"

 

" The town is jolted out of a case of the doldrums when Chef suddenly reappears. While Stan, Kyle, Kenny, and Cartman are thrilled to have thier old friend back, they notice that something about Chef seems different."

[2GOLD 0]

Are they still not showing the Simpsons episode with the World Trade Center in it, like they promised?

I saw it a couple months ago

 

Yeah, it's been aired quite a few times. Didn't you hear? The Towers are back to being big money for Hollywood.

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

Looks like they're not gonna waste anytime getting to this, a blurb describing the upcoming episode...

 

"From Comedy Central: He's Back !!! Chef returns to South Park."

 

"The launch of "Soth Park's" tenth season is marked by the triumphant homecoming of school chef, Jerome McElroy.

"The Return of Chef", prermieres Wednesday, March 22 at 10:00pm, only on Comedy Central"

 

" The town is jolted out of a case of the doldrums when Chef suddenly reappears. While Stan, Kyle, Kenny, and Cartman are thrilled to have thier old friend back, they notice that something about Chef seems different."

 

Hmmm. There's a fine line between being funny and being bitter. Hopefully the Matt and Trey don't cross it.

[Downhome 0]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,188463,00.html

 

Isaac Hayes did not quit "South Park." My sources say that someone quit it for him.

 

I can tell you that Hayes is in no position to have quit anything. Contrary to news reports, the great writer, singer and musician suffered a stroke on Jan. 17. At the time it was said that he was hospitalized and suffering from exhaustion.

 

It’s also absolutely ridiculous to think that Hayes, who loved playing Chef on "South Park," would suddenly turn against the show because they were poking fun at Scientology.

 

Last November, when the “Trapped in a Closet” episode of the comedy aired, I saw Hayes and spent time with him in Memphis for the annual Blues Ball.

 

If he hated the show so much, I doubt he would have performed his trademark hit song from the show, “Chocolate Salty Balls.” He tossed the song into the middle of one of his less salacious hits and got the whole audience in the Memphis Pyramid to sing along.

 

I can tell you, Hayes was very pleased with himself, was in a great mood and, as always, loved his fans' coming up to him and asking him about Chef.

 

As recently as early January, before his stroke, Hayes defended the "South Park" creators in an interview with “The AV Club,” the serious side of the satirical newspaper, The Onion.

 

AV Club: They did just do an episode that made fun of your religion, Scientology. Did that bother you?

 

Hayes: Well, I talked to Matt [stone] and Trey [Parker] about that. They didn't let me know until it was done. I said, 'Guys, you have it all wrong. We're not like that. I know that's your thing, but get your information correct, because somebody might believe that [expletive], you know?' But I understand what they're doing. I told them to take a couple of Scientology courses and understand what we do. [Laughs.]

 

The truth is, Hayes has a sly sense of humor and loves everything about "South Park." It’s provided him a much-needed income stream since losing the royalties to the many hits he’s written, such as “Shaft” and “Soul Man,” in the mid-1970s.

 

Even though he’s one of America’s most prolific hit writers, Hayes has been denied access to profits from his own material for almost 30 years.

 

But it’s hard to know anything since Hayes, like Katie Holmes, is constantly monitored by a Scientologist representative most of the time. Luckily, at the Blues Ball he was on his own, partying just with family and friends. He was very excited about having gotten married and about the impending birth of a new child.

 

Friends in Memphis tell me that Hayes did not issue any statements on his own about South Park. They are mystified.

 

“Isaac’s been concentrating on his recuperation for the last two and a half, three months,” a close friend told me.

 

Hayes did not suffer paralysis, but the mild stroke may have affected his speech and his memory. He’s been having home therapy since it happened.

 

That certainly begs the question of who issued the statement that Hayes was quitting "South Park" now because it mocked Scientology four months ago. If it wasn’t Hayes, then who would have done such a thing?

 

Meantime, Tom Cruise may have gotten Comedy Central to pull its repeat of "South Park"'s Scientology spoof last week, but the result is that episode is all over the Web. You can see it for free at youtube.com.

 

Not only that, the Comedy Central Web site has four clips from the 21-minute show. And it also says that “Trapped in the Closet” will air this Wednesday at 10 p.m.

 

So whether or not Cruise actually did use influence at Viacom/Paramount to get the show pulled from last week’s schedule, here it is, bigger and better than ever. Of course, no one would have cared one way or another if “Trapped” simply had aired on schedule.

 

Of course, no one could blame Cruise, John Travolta or even R&B singer R. Kelly for being upset about the episode. They are poked fun at mercilessly.

 

In the episode, Stan, one of the "South Park" characters, is solicited into Scientology. He gives them $240 and takes an EMeter test. This convinces the higher-ups that Stan is the reincarnation of the group’s founder, L. Ron Hubbard.

 

That would be bad enough, wouldn’t it? But Cruise visits Stan in his bedroom and winds up hiding in his closet when Stan tells him he’s not the greatest actor. Thus is born the line “Tom Cruise won’t come out of the closet.”

 

It’s repeated dozens of times. Travolta soon joins Cruise in Stan’s closet. He won’t come out, either. And when they do, there is the ecstatic announcement that they’ve “come out of the closet.”

 

You get the picture. But nothing in “Trapped in the Closet” is any worse than anything "South Park" creators Stone and Parker have done before. Just rent “Team America” and see what I mean.