Wikipedia (Jan. 2007): "Trapped in the Closet (South Park)"
"Trapped in the Closet"
is episode 912 (#137) of the
Comedy Central series
South Park. It originally aired on
November 16,
2005. The episode was nominated on
July 6,
2006, for the
Emmy Award for
Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming less than
One Hour),[1]
the show's sixth nomination (one of which they won, for
2005's "Best
Friends Forever"[2]).
It made #10 on
Comedy Central's list of "10 South Parks That
Changed The World" as well.[3]
The episode parodies
Scientology and its founder,
L. Ron Hubbard. The episode also parodies several
celebrities, including
Tom Cruise,
John Travolta and
R. Kelly.
Isaac Hayes, who had voiced
Chef, quit the show in March 2006, shortly before
the start of the tenth season of South Park. The reason
for his departure, as reported by
Matt Stone, was due to his faith in Scientology and
this episode, which he felt was very offensive.[4]
ABC News (Sep. 2006): "Secrets of 'South Park'"
Its creators have stayed true to
the spirit of "Spirit," taking on Tom Cruise (implying
that the twice-married father is gay), as well as
Cruise's religion (Stan declares that "Scientology is
just a big fat global scam"). But when the episode
"Trapped in the Closet" (Cruise hides in the closet and
refuses to come out) was scheduled to be rebroadcast,
Comedy Central pulled the plug. "We were told that the
people involved with 'Mission: Impossible: III' demanded
that show be pulled off the air," Stone says. "And it
was."
ABC News (Sep. 2006): "Secrets of 'South Park'"
Its creators have stayed true to
the spirit of "Spirit," taking on Tom Cruise (implying
that the twice-married father is gay), as well as
Cruise's religion (Stan declares that "Scientology is
just a big fat global scam"). But when the episode
"Trapped in the Closet" (Cruise hides in the closet and
refuses to come out) was scheduled to be rebroadcast,
Comedy Central pulled the plug. "We were told that the
people involved with 'Mission: Impossible: III' demanded
that show be pulled off the air," Stone says. "And it
was."
BBC News (Mar. 2006): "South Park gets revenge on Chef"
South Park has exacted revenge on its former star Isaac
Hayes by turning his character Chef into a paedophile
and seemingly killing him off.
Washington Post (Mar. 2006): "'South Park' Responds: Chef's
Goose Is Cooked"
"South Park" fans have struck back, threatening to
boycott Viacom's upcoming Tom Cruise flick "Mission:
Impossible III" until Viacom's Comedy Central puts back
on its schedule the show's Scientology spoof episode the
network yanked last week. Meanwhile, Comedy Central
and the show's creators, Matt Stone and Trey Parker,
hoped to placate the angry mob (as if) with a hastily
thrown together season-opening episode in which Chef is
brainwashed by "a fruity little club" whose members
travel the globe having sex with children.
Fox
News (Mar. 2006): "Chef's Quitting Controversy"
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.
MSNBC (Mar.
2006): "Scientologist Isaac Hayes quits ‘South Park’"
NEW YORK - 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.
Radar Online (Nov. 2005): "Scientology Comes to South Park"
South Park is the highest-rated show on
Comedy Central thanks to its willingness to slaughter
sacred cows, but sources say even show creators
Trey Parker and Matt Stone are
a bit nervous about the blowback from tonight’s episode.
Entitled “Trapped in the Closet,” the duo set their
crudely animated sights on Scientology and Tom
Cruise—topics previously deemed “off limits”
due to the actor’s close ties to Comedy Central’s sister
company, Paramount Pictures, we’re told.
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