posted March 18, 2006 05:01 PM              

"South Park" has declared war on Scientology. Matt Stone and Trey Parker, creators of the animated satire, are digging in against the celebrity-endorsed religion after a controversial episode mocking outspoken Scientologist Tom Cruise was yanked abruptly from the schedule Wednesday with an Internet report saying it was covert warfare by Cruise that led to its departure.

"So, Scientology, you may have won THIS battle, but the million-year war for earth has just begun!" the "South Park" creators said in a statement Friday in Daily Variety. "Temporarily anozinizing our episode will NOT stop us from keeping Thetans forever trapped in your pitiful man-bodies... You have obstructed us for now, but your feeble bid to save humanity will fail!"

The Internet blogger hollywoodinterrupted.com said Thursday that Cruise threatened to not promote "Mission: Impossible 3," a surefire summer blockbuster, if the offending episode ran. Comedy Central is owned by Viacom, as is Paramount, which is putting out the film.

But Cruise's representative, Arnold Robinson, told The Associated Press Friday that the mega-star made no such demands.

"Not true," Robinson said. "I can tell you that he never said that."

A call by The Associated Press to a Paramount representative was not returned Friday.

The episode in question, "Trapped in the Closet," which first aired last November, shows Scientology leaders hailing Stan, one of the show's four devilish fourth-graders, as a savior. A cartoon Cruise locks himself in a closet and won't come out. An animated John Travolta, another famous Scientologist, enters the closet to try to get him out.

The battle began in earnest earlier this week when Isaac Hayes, another celebrity Scientologist and longtime show member voicing the ladies' man Chef quit the show, saying he could no longer tolerate its religious "intolerance and bigotry."

Stone and Parker didn't buy that either.

On Monday, Stone told The Associated Press, "This is 100 percent having to do with his faith in Scientology...He has no problem and he's cashed plenty of checks with our show making fun of Christians."

A Comedy Central spokesman said Friday that the network pulled the controversial episode to make room for two shows featuring Hayes.

posted March 18, 2006 05:04 PM              

Poor Tom Cruise, if he hadn't come out with his beliefs, his reputation would not have been so tarnished. Afterall, this is a man who has kept a good reputation for the past twenty years until now.

posted March 18, 2006 06:41 PM            

The show has made fun of Christians and Jews as well.

posted March 18, 2006 07:48 PM              

P.S. Sure, they've made fun of Christians and Jews as well, but not to the extent that they were going to make fun of Scientology. Just look at those comments in the article; they could have never said that about Judaism, Christianity, or Islam. Plus, I don't think that makes it anymore right.

posted March 19, 2006 01:48 AM            

I worked at a company in Oakland, CA that was run by Scientologists. Yes, they were nice people, but every single one of them could be characterized as being a bulldog. It was like they'd been trained to be confrontational. Tom Cruise's debate with Matt Lauer didn't surprise me at all whatsoever.

posted March 19, 2006 11:57 AM              

Go Parker and Stone!

I have that episode on my Tivo list. It's a funny one!

Matt Stone and Trey Parker make fun of people. That's what they do. What's the big deal?

In fact... Brian Boitano had these T-shirts made:

... after he was made fun of on South Park.

posted March 19, 2006 06:04 PM              

But... but... but... OMG! Chef quit the show??? What's the world coming to?

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