Russians Think South Park is Offensive

TV Station 2x2 Prosecuted For Airing Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics

Sep 10, 2008 Dominic von Riedemann

Comedy Central's South Park is getting more heat, this time from Russian authorities who think the show is offensive.

Over its 11-year run, the Comedy Central show South Park has offended everyone from Catholics to Tom Cruise. Now the show's creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, can add another group to its enemies list: The Russian courts.

Moscow prosecutors filed suit against the Russian television channel 2x2 after it aired the South Park episode "Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics," claiming that both the episode and the show "bore signs of extremist activity."

A law enacted in 2006 expanded the definition of "extremism" to include "the abasement of national dignity" and "inciting religious and national hatred." At the time, proponents of the law claimed it needed to be strengthened to forestall a possible wave of violence aimed at ethnic minorities.

South Park "Offends Christians and Muslims Alike"

The show features Trey Parker and Matt Stone's versions of classic Christmas tunes. It depicted Adolf Hitler singing "O Tannenbaum" ("Oh Christmas Tree" in German), Satan performing "Christmas Time in Hell," and a duet between Jesus and Santa Claus.

"In accordance with the conclusions made by experts from the court investigations committee, a claim has been filed against 2x2 for its broadcast of an episode of South Park," Valentina Titova, a spokeswoman for the Moscow office, said in a prepared statement.

"It offends the honour and dignity of Christians and Muslims alike, and affronts believers, regardless of their faith (and) could provoke ethnic conflict and spark inter-religious hatred. It could just have easily included Jews, Scientologists, Catholics, Mormons and Moonies, all of whom have been mercilessly targeted by (the) American series."

"South Park is just one of many cartoons that need to be banned from open broadcast . . . as it insults the feelings of religious believers and incites religious and national hatred," Konstantin Bendas, leader of The Russian Union of Christians of Evangelical Faith, told the CBC.

"It's one thing if they are on cable TV and viewers pay money and make a conscious choice," Bendas continued. "But young children should not be able to turn on the TV after school and watch this. They need to be defended."

2x2 has clashed with religious groups before. Last year, a coalition of Christian and Muslim groups attempted to have the station taken off the air, claiming it aired content that was anti-religious, violent and promoted homosexuality.

In February of 2008, Rossvyazokhrankultura, Russia's television regulations group, issued warnings to the channel, urging it to remove two other cartoon series, Happy Tree Friends and The Adventures of Big Jeff, from the air. The first show depicts animated animals dying in graphic ways, while the second show features a naked Australian on roller skates.

The copyright of the article Russians Think South Park is Offensive in Animated Films is owned by Dominic von Riedemann. Permission to republish Russians Think South Park is Offensive in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

scene from South Park

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