By ERIN CARLSON
NEW YORK (AP) - Isaac Hayes has quit ``South Park,'' where he voices Chef, saying he can no longer stomach its take on religion.
Hayes, who has played the ladies' man/school cook in the animated Comedy Central satire since 1997, said in a statement Monday that he feels a line has been crossed.
``There is a place in this world for satire, but there is a time when satire ends and intolerance and bigotry towards religious beliefs of others begins,'' the 63-year-old soul singer and outspoken Scientologist said.
``Religious beliefs are sacred to people, and at all times should be respected and honored,'' he continued. ``As a civil rights activist of the past 40 years, I cannot support a show that disrespects those beliefs and practices.''
``South Park'' co-creator Matt Stone responded sharply in an interview with The Associated Press Monday, saying, ``This is 100 percent having to do with his faith of Scientology... He has no problem - and he's cashed plenty of checks - with our show making fun of Christians.''
Last November, ``South Park'' targeted the Church of Scientology and its celebrity followers, including actors Tom Cruise and John Travolta, in a top-rated episode called ``Trapped in the Closet.'' In the episode, Stan, one of the show's four mischievous fourth graders, is hailed as a reluctant savior by Scientology leaders, while a cartoon Cruise locks himself in a closet and won't come out.
Stone told The AP he and co-creator Trey Parker ``never heard a peep out of Isaac in any way until we did Scientology. He wants a different standard for religions other than his own, and to me, that is where intolerance and bigotry begin.''
this is sad day...
ReplyDeleteI hope they find a replacement voice for Chef, but Isaac Hayes will be hard to follow.
ReplyDeleteI don't know. I feel that he was always compromising himself by being in that role. The wizened black chef who knew all the prostitutes by name, that episode about the town's divisive line on racial tolerances ("I'm not racist! only my right arm is racist!") seemed to marginalize him. Moreover, he really didn't enter into the South Park enterprise thinking anything good could come of his character, which forces one to ponder....
ReplyDeletemaybe I'm just being a pollyanna white girl.
Yeah, I guess when you think about it his relationship with the show has always been complicated. Kind of makes me think about the Dave Chappelle situation.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's for the best.