# South Park Death Threats **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 22, 2010, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-death-threats/536983 "2010-04-22T14:40:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-death-threats/536983/21 "2010-04-22T17:26:34Z")
You mean that WASN’T A JOKE? Okay, now I’m seriously pissed because clearly irrational muslims can bully others into doing whatever they want in the name of respect and tolerance. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-death-threats/536983/22 "2010-04-22T17:29:00Z")
> [@Lochdale](#): > > I’ve always felt that the World’s media missed a tremendous opporunity to end this issue once and for all. When the Danish cartoons became controversial I feel that every major newspaper in the world should have published one of the cartoons and that would have shown the unity needed to squash these thugs. A number of papers and other media outlets _did_ republish the cartoons; that’s how I saw one or two. As I recall, they were pretty stupid (and not in a good, meta way like _South Park_ can be) I’m not sure there’s any moral imperative to reprint stupidity just to make the point that the coverage itself made–and I’m as big a defender of the right of free speech as _anyone_ you’ll find. Remember, such cartoons are offensive to many Muslims who _didn’t_ make death threats and in fact support the principle of free speech themselves; why rub it in _their_ faces just to antagonize terrorists who presumably can’t _get_ more riled up anyway? ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-death-threats/536983/23 "2010-04-22T17:32:44Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > And so the terrorists win. This seems somewhat cavalierly said, to me. I wish to refrain from making judgements on other people (the cartoonists and editors who are faced with the decision to print the stuff or not) from the safety of my internet anonymity. I wish to refrain from suggesting that other people ought to stand up for a principle and endanger themselves. While I suspect that the majority of the threats made is a bunch of hot air, never-the-less the danger is greater than zero. It’s their call. ---
**Author:** ![Lochdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/edb3f5/32.png) [@Lochdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lochdale)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-death-threats/536983/24 "2010-04-22T17:33:27Z")
Because at some point someone needs to stand up and say enough. A tiny, thuggish minority bullied their way to victory. Ideally a Muslim paper should have published the cartoons but the Western media has an obligation, imho, to be the staunchiest defender of freedom of expression. That sometimes means standing in harms way. And they made the wrong call. Democracy needs a free media and sometimes they have to be in the front line. ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-death-threats/536983/25 "2010-04-22T17:54:31Z")
I want to listen in on a debate over the episode with actual Muslims. I noticed, however, that the Revolution Muslim website is down. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-death-threats/536983/26 "2010-04-22T17:59:26Z")
> [@Lochdale](#): > > A tiny, thuggish minority bullied their way to victory. How do you figure that? The intolerance and terrorism of a small set of radical Muslims was spotlighted and (generally) condemned around the world. That’s their victory? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-death-threats/536983/27 "2010-04-22T18:05:41Z")
> [@spark240](#): > > The intolerance and terrorism of a small set of radical Muslims was spotlighted and (generally) condemned around the world. That’s their victory? Their victory is that people go out of their way to avoid offending them - for example, by heavily editing an episode of South Park. The Muhammad cartoons were available around the world on the 'net shortly after they were published. It’s true that it would have made a very strong stand if more newspapers had run the cartoons in response to the uproar (and let’s not forget that the uproar was started later and involved lying and misrepresenting of their content by the agitators). But it’s also true that the publishers and editors of a newspaper need to be careful about putting their employees at risk. ---
**Author:** ![llcoolbj77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/eb9ed0/32.png) [@llcoolbj77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/llcoolbj77)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-death-threats/536983/28 "2010-04-22T18:06:53Z")
> [@Tahssa](#): > > What I find funny is that South Park did a whole episode staring the Super Best Friends back in season 5 and they showed Muhammad quite a bit in that episode and no one gave a shit back then or at least no news coverage gave a shit if some loon was frothing at the mouth. > > You can watch the episode for free on the South Park Studios website and see for your self how they depicted Muhammad. They were respectful with their depiction. Agreed… the super best friends was one of my favorite episodes. Not a peep. I particularly liked that Moses was represented as a multi-colored swirling cone with a face like the Kool-Aid man. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-death-threats/536983/29 "2010-04-22T18:17:56Z")
> [@llcoolbj77](#): > > I particularly liked that Moses was represented as a multi-colored swirling cone with a face like the Kool-Aid man. Moses is portrayed as the Master Control Program from Tron. ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-death-threats/536983/30 "2010-04-22T18:25:57Z")
I thought the editing was part of the joke, and all the statements by Comedy Central and lack of statements from Trey and Matt part of a publicity stunt. The episode works with the censoring, because Tom Cruise becomes censored and thus immune to insult. Of course, it doesn’t last, and the emperor is revealed to have no clothes, which is basically the entire theme. Even bleeping out the whole “I learned something today” speech works because it was done excessively and ridiculously, sorta akin to airing that Terrance and Phillip April Fools episode in place of the conclusion to the Cartman’s dad episodes. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-death-threats/536983/31 "2010-04-22T18:31:02Z")
I’m another one who thinks that religions should be mocked at every opportunity. They’re entitled to believe what they want, but we should also be allowed to find it hilarious that some people are so gullible or insecure about their place in the world. ---
**Author:** ![Spit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/76d3ee/32.png) [@Spit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spit)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-death-threats/536983/32 "2010-04-22T18:37:02Z")
|||||||||| ||o||||o|| |||||I|||| ||||_O_|||| Does the SDMB have the stones to show my interpretation of Mohommad? We shall see. I guess I should lock my doors tonight. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-death-threats/536983/33 "2010-04-22T18:38:09Z")
That looks more like Edvard Munch’s interpretation of Doug Funnie. Do radical Muslims like Norwegian Symbolist interpretations of Nickelodeon cartoons? ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-death-threats/536983/34 "2010-04-22T18:43:59Z")
The Prophet revealed: …………………………………….**,-,_…………………… …………………………_,~~’’—— ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;—’’-,_…………………………………………………. …………………….,-~’’ ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;—’~,_…………………………………………… …………………,-‘’ ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;’’~-,……………………………………… ………………,-‘’ ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; _,_ ; ; ;—’-,…………………………………… ……………,-‘’ ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;,-‘’\_ —’-,\ ; ; ; ; ‘,………………………………… …………,’ ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;,-~’’’’’~-, ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;’-‘;;;’, : ; ; ; ; ; ‘,………………………………. ……….,-‘ ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;,-‘/ :,-~’’~, : ‘, ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;’-,-‘ : // ; ; ; ; ; ;’,………………………… ………,-‘ ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;’,| : ‘-,;;;;,-‘ : /’ ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; —’’’— ; ;; ; ; ‘-,………………… …….,’ ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;’’-,**_,-~’ ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;’’~, ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;’-,…………………. …….| ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;-,;;’, ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;’-………………. ……,’ ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;-;;;;| ; ; ; ; ;; ; ; ; ; ; ; |……………… ……| ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ,-‘,;;;;|’’-~ ; ; ;; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ‘,…………… …| ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;-_\_,_,-~’’, ‘-,;;;| ,-‘ ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;’,…………. ……| ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;—’’~-,_ , , , , , , ‘,;,’,’ ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;\…………. ……| ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;’’-,~-, , ,’’,’ ; ; ; ; ; ;; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;’,…………… ……’, ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ‘’-,—’’;;;;| ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;’,………… …….| ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;’’-,\_,’ ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ‘,…………… …….’, ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;’,………… ………’, ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;; ; ; ; ; ; ; \……. ………\ ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ‘,……… ……….’, ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;|……… …………| ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;’-,……. Actually… [SPOILER] …IT’S A TRAP! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ,-‘ : : : :::: :::: :: : : : : :º ‘-, . . /. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .,-‘ :: : : :::: :::: :::: :::: : : o : ‘-, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ,-‘ :: ::: :: : : :: :::: :::: :: : : : : 😮 ‘-, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .,-‘ : :: :: :: :: :: : : : : : , : : :º :::: :::: ::’; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .,-‘ / / : :: :: :: :: : : :::: :::-, ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;\ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . /,-‘,’ :: : : : : : : : : :: :: :: : ‘-, ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;;| . . . . . . . . . . . . . . /,’,-‘ :: :: :: :: :: :: :: : ::_,-~~,_’-, ;; ;; ;; ;; | . . . . . . . . . . . . _/ :,’ 😕 :: :: :: : : :: :: ,-‘/ : ,-‘;’-‘’’’’~-, ;; ;; ;;,’ . . . . . . . . . . . ,-‘ / : : : : : : ,-‘’’ : : :,‘’ :|| /,-‘-‘‘’’**,’’’ \ ;; ;,-‘ . . . . . . . . . . . \ :/, : : : ,-‘ , : : \ :\ ||/ /,-‘-‘x### ::\ \ ;;/ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . / /-‘’’’ : \ #\ : :\ : : \ :\ | | : (O##º : 😕 /-‘’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . /,’ **_** \_\_ : :\ ‘-#\ : , : :\ :\ \ \ : ‘-,**_,-‘,-`-, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ‘ ) : : : :’’’’,¯ \ \ :: ::,_’’-,’’’¯ :’- :’-, . . . . . . . . . . . . . .) : : : : : : , : ‘’’’ ~~~~ ’ \ :: :: :: :’’’’’¯ :: ,-‘ :,/\ . . . . . . . . . . . . . .,/ /|\| | 😕 / : : : : : : : ,’-, :: :: :: :: ::,‘’ :,-‘ \ \ . . . . . . . . . . . . .\’|\ |/ ‘/ / :: :_, : , | )’; :: :: :: :,-‘’ : ,-‘ : : :\ , . . . . . . . . . . ./¯ 😑 \ |\ : |/\ :: ::, 😕 :|/ :: :: ,-‘’ : :,-‘ : : : : : : ‘’-,_ . . . . . . …| : : 😕 ‘’-(, :: :: :: ‘’’’’~,’’ :: ,-‘’ : :,-‘ : : : : : : : : :,-‘’’\ . . . . . ,-‘ : : : | : : ‘’) : : :¯’’’’~-,: : ,‘’’ : :,-‘’ : : : : : : : : : ,-‘ :¯’’’’’-,\_ . ./ : : : : :’-, :: | :: :: :: \_,-‘’’’¯ : ,‘’ : : : : : : : : : : : / : : : : : : :’’-, / : : : : : -, :¯’’’’’’’’’’’¯ : : \_,-~’’ : : : : : : : : : : : : : 😑 : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :¯’’ ~~~~~~ ’’’ : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : | : : : : : : : : :[/SPOILER] ---
**Author:** ![TheFaerie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c57346/32.png) [@TheFaerie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheFaerie)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-death-threats/536983/35 "2010-04-22T18:46:23Z")
> [@MOIDALIZE](#): > > I thought the editing was part of the joke, and all the statements by Comedy Central and lack of statements from Trey and Matt part of a publicity stunt. The episode works with the censoring, because Tom Cruise becomes censored and thus immune to insult. Of course, it doesn’t last, and the emperor is revealed to have no clothes, which is basically the entire theme. Even bleeping out the whole “I learned something today” speech works because it was done excessively and ridiculously, sorta akin to airing that Terrance and Phillip April Fools episode in place of the conclusion to the Cartman’s dad episodes. I took it to mean this, also. Does anyone have proof otherwise? Is there official word that the long sections of censoring was added later and not part of the original script/animation? ---
**Author:** ![Spit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/76d3ee/32.png) [@Spit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spit)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-death-threats/536983/36 "2010-04-22T18:51:09Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > That looks more like Edvard Munch’s interpretation of Doug Funnie. Do radical Muslims like Norwegian Symbolist interpretations of Nickelodeon cartoons? |||||||||||| ||||o|||||| |O|||\_|o|| |||||||||||| Are you more of a Picasso man? Oh, no- I’ve done it twice. Why is my coworker walking toward me with a scimitar?!? ---
**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-death-threats/536983/37 "2010-04-22T19:07:56Z")
This is where Fox news could show some balls - portray Moe somewhere on the screen 24/7. ---
**Author:** ![Lochdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/edb3f5/32.png) [@Lochdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lochdale)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-death-threats/536983/38 "2010-04-22T19:10:02Z")
> [@sparky\_1](#): > > This is where Fox news could show some balls - portray Moe somewhere on the screen 24/7. Why Fox? Why not all of them. Much more powerful statement. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-death-threats/536983/39 "2010-04-22T19:10:51Z")
I still haven’t seen it. But I’m starting to suspect that not only is the censorship itself intended to be a joke, but that _that joke was the point all along_. Meta upon meta! Man, I hope so. That would be brilliant beyond measure. This joke also _makes_ the political point more effectively than an un-“censored” version would, too. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-death-threats/536983/40 "2010-04-22T19:14:00Z")
> [@TheFaerie](#): > > I took it to mean this, also. Does anyone have proof otherwise? Is there official word that the long sections of censoring was added later and not part of the original script/animation? I’ve been trying to watch the episode on their website, and right now there is just a message that says: > [@](#): > > WE APOLOGIZE THAT SOUTH PARK STUDIOS CANNOT STREAM EPISODE 201 AT THIS TIME. > > AFTER WE DELIVERED THE SHOW, AND PRIOR TO BROADCAST, COMEDY CENTRAL PLACED NUMEROUS ADDITIONAL AUDIO BLEEPS THROUGHOUT THE EPISODE. WE DO NOT HAVE NETWORK APPROVAL TO STREAM OUR ORIGINAL VERSION OF THE SHOW. > > WE WILL BRING YOU A VERSION OF 201 AS SOON AS WE CAN. Pretty sure it wasn’t part of the joke. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-death-threats/536983.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-park-death-threats/536983.md?page=3)