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m134e5
Guest
I mean with South Park, specifically. I have heard of celebrities they make fun of who complain- they end up being the ones who get it the worst.
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TamaraS
Guest
Big Vinny and Teen Catholic,
I just want to say thank you! I do not like to get into big debates, especially with my brother and sisters, but I do not want to just let this one go. I know that they do those things just for the “shock value” and maybe even to be offensive or just to make us mad. Well, IT WORKED! At some point we have to say enough. I think that is why our society has gotten to such a lowly state! Prayer is always important, but we need to actively fight for our faith, too.
I just want to say thank you! I do not like to get into big debates, especially with my brother and sisters, but I do not want to just let this one go. I know that they do those things just for the “shock value” and maybe even to be offensive or just to make us mad. Well, IT WORKED! At some point we have to say enough. I think that is why our society has gotten to such a lowly state! Prayer is always important, but we need to actively fight for our faith, too.
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Guar_Fan
Guest
No, not always. Sometimes, yes, but you need a teachable moment, when the other person is open to new views. If the protest comes across as self-righteous, it will just drive them away and deeper into their behavior.
I do think it is better to control your emotions and to act in a sensible manner. Lashing out because you are angry will not help. If the goal is to spread the Gospel, we need to be as wise as serpents. Reach out to them, calmly, and with a sustained effort - not simply in reaction.
The Catholic League asked us to send an email to the employment office of the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse. The theory being that Joseph Califano is chairman of the board there, and he is Catholic and he might care. And he probably does sympathize. And eventually the emails probably will be brought to his attention.
But what can he do? He is part of the Board of Directors (and not involved in day to day operations) of Viacom. Among its many holdings is MTV, and among its holdings is Comedy Central, and among its many shows is “South Park”. We are talking about fishing far from the river.
I do like your suggestion that we not watch South Park. It is a vile show, based upon crude insult humor. If we can evangelize among the target audience - teen and college aged males - and convince them not to watch the show because it is sacrilegious, and because it promotes a spirit of intolerance… this is worth doing. It may not be as emotionally satisfying as sending off an email, it may require more work and effort, but it has a higher chance of actually working.
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2shelbys
Guest
Guar Fan:
Exactly right. This is the best and most productive (especially in the long term) form of action. It is not as easy as getting all indignant and complaining though, which is all most people ever do.
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Chickamauga
Guest
Compare this incident with another:
Remember when the movie “Eyes Wide Shut” came out? Hindus were in an uproar because a ceremonial orgy in the movie had soundtrack music to which lyrics were taken from the Bhagavad Gita. Hindus protested and the estate of then recently-deceased director Stanley Kubrick issued an apology and had the lyrics in the film changed. If it was OK for Hindus to complain and be heard, why is it not OK for Catholics to do so when the media insults our faith?
It should also be pointed out that this incident didn’t help the film with publicity… it bombed at the boxoffice under its own boring weight so I don’t buy the idea that the Catholic League should just be quite because it only brings more attention to South Park.
Remember when the movie “Eyes Wide Shut” came out? Hindus were in an uproar because a ceremonial orgy in the movie had soundtrack music to which lyrics were taken from the Bhagavad Gita. Hindus protested and the estate of then recently-deceased director Stanley Kubrick issued an apology and had the lyrics in the film changed. If it was OK for Hindus to complain and be heard, why is it not OK for Catholics to do so when the media insults our faith?
It should also be pointed out that this incident didn’t help the film with publicity… it bombed at the boxoffice under its own boring weight so I don’t buy the idea that the Catholic League should just be quite because it only brings more attention to South Park.
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Heather07
Guest
The sad thing is, I was on the phone with my friend and all of the sudden he started laughing hysterically along with his younger brother and I asked him what was so funny and he told me to turn it on South Park but I could not find the channel because I don’t watch that show. I then heard the show in the background saying something about the Virgin Mary and blood coming out of **** and I begun to get very angry and I snapped at him for laughing at that garbage and then he said something about a cardinal and the pope getting sprayed with the blood or something and he wasn’t laughing anymore, and was more shocked about the situation, like “wow, theyre actually making fun of the pope” kind of atittude. He kept telling me to turn it on but after hearing all that I had no desire to see it. He has always thought this show was funny for some crazy reason, but then again, he is very ignorant of Catholicism and I am pretty sure he did not realize what he was laughing at…of course I don’t see how any faithful and respectful Christian would laugh at it. Its so sickening…I am just glad that I did not have to see it. I will admit I enjoy television, but its things like that just make me wish I wasn’t so addicted to tv in the first place, because I know this show is not the only one that defiles the Catholic Church…
I know that if I didn’t have EWTN, my digital cable would not be worth what I’m paying for it.
I know that if I didn’t have EWTN, my digital cable would not be worth what I’m paying for it.
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TamaraS
Guest
So what is your plan of action??
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jman507
Guest
I’ll compare. In Eyes Wide Shut, I don’t think they realized what they where doing, and that happened on accident. In South Park they fully well knew what they’d do would be offensive, they probably wanted to offend. They get much of their audience cause they do lots of things that would normally be offensive. Its even funnier to these immature viewers when those people get in an uproar about it.
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jman507
Guest
Thats funny thats the exact thing I thought when thinking of this thread. The viewers who watch this show are much more like the kid. They don’t really have some agenda, they are just a bunch of punk kids, think everything is funny and really don’t think things through. The main thing you need to do, is to let the Holy Spirit kick them in the butt, then they may wake up to life.
Oh one more thing about it occuring on the day of the Immaculant Conception, I think thats more of a coincidence. I think it got brought up cause of the statue of Mary that is crying blood. I seriously doubt they are really up on their Holy Days other than Christmas and Easter.
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bones_IV
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Well, it seems that the creators of southpark just don’t have a clue do they? Anyone who persecutes the pope like that reminds me of what Fr. John Corapi said, “You can’t spit in the face of God and get away with it”. Well, they won’t get away with it. They’ve lost either way, even they do win, it will be as a punishment. If these immature viewers can laugh when people get into an uproar about this then they are truly lost.
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bones_IV
Guest
This image is exactly what comes to mind of how I think of southpark.:bigyikes:
Hurling and throwing up too.
Hurling and throwing up too.
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jman507
Guest
Yes, it is true, they are lost. They will pay for it too, one way or another. It is like when people think it is the saints that cry and the sinners that laugh, when in reality it usually isn’t true, it is the saints who laugh and the sinners that cry. It is the sinners that have to drink to forget. The people who watch this show, tear down everything, but yet have nothing to build on. When they become tired of living under disallusion, well we be the Chruch that welcomes them with arms as the father of the prodigal son? Pity them, all that they have is this pile of dirt.
It reminds me of the Roman soldiers who beat Jesus in the Passion of the Christ. I seemed to wonder why they always seemed to be laughing about it. It seemed to me they where drunk. If they once ever got a sober view of it, and stop laughing for one moment, they would have been in complete dispair crying for what they have done.
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2shelbys
Guest
That is just the thing. I do not feel that I need a plan of action based on a South Park episode and I do not feel I need to do anything about the show itself. My wife (who has been a great positive influence on me) and I do not need a catalyst in the form of some crude show. We try to express our faith and beliefs and try to be a positive influence on those around us (while being careful not to come across as preachy or pushy) when ever we can. If I got all worked up every time some TV show or movie attacked the Church I would have to seek therapy. Or medication. Or both.
And as Jabronie posted earlier, I am not nearly as concerned about something like South Park which just attacks everyone with sick humor as I am about the various Law and Order shows that have very calculated and intentional anti-Catholic messages that are obviously meant to damage the public perception of Catholics. South Park is never going to influence anyone’s perception of the Church or pull anyone away from it but SVU and the other Law and Order shows probably do.
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TamaraS
Guest
So I’ll take that as** NO** plan of action on anything. Your a true pacifist.
I can understand trying to be a positive influence and being all ecumenical, but never at the cost of those I love, including my Mother in Heaven.
Hmmm. I believe that was the same sort of stance the Polish took with Hitler and the Nazis. Great outcome, by the way!
Remember my dear friend, no one took them seriously either, until the were marching across their own boarders.
And don’t reply saying these people are not like Hitler. Everyone thought he was a joke too, until there was no one left to attack but themselves.
There ARE a few things in Heaven worth fighting for. Our Mother is one of them.
I guess I’ll go schedule my therapy and take my medication now.
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Libero
Guest
There were real reasons why nobody wanted to just start a war with the Nazis, and people did take them seriously.
“Fighting” about this is just going to make us look like grumpy Catholics who can’t take a bit of mockery from a show that attacks everything, it’s not nice, but just put up with it, only the minority of people take the show seriously, and if we were to complain that would not change anything. I wasn’t happy when they said Princess Diana was in hell either, but you just have to ignore it. It helps enhance our forgiving image!!
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Confiteor
Guest
This is exactly what I was thinking, about all the Jews who thought they could stay out of the fray by keeping a low profile and living their lives as best they could. Please be careful about being accepting of blasphemy and sacrilege and the kind of things that our Lord would be offended by. “We are his hands on earth for we are His body.” Step 1 in the “Action Plan” for current viewers: Let the shows sponsors know you won’t be watching or buying their products in the future unless this is remedied. If you watch this show, you contribute to the degradation of our faith and our culture. Sponsors and ratings keep it on the air.
Contrast the tolerance for this show with the complaints by some about the Chronicles of Narnia this week: that it has Christian overtones, is a covert effort to convert. That, people found offensive. Go figure!
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TamaraS
Guest
That is a cruel thing to say about Princess Diana and None of us are really in a place to state whether or not “where” someone is when they die, but with all due respect, Princess Diana and the Blessed Virgin Mary really do not fit the same category.I wasn’t happy when they said Princess Diana was in hell either, but you just have to ignore it. It helps enhance our forgiving image!!
Last night I was not myself. I should never call someone a name (a pacifist), BUT looking up the definition of a pacifist does coincide a lot with the view that 2 Shelby’s expressed. One has to ask “When is it okay to be upset enough to warrant action?” Usually when it has gotten to that point, we often look back and wished we took things more seriously earlier.
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TamaraS
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2 Shelby’s,
As I explained to Libero, I was not myself last night. I should never call someone a name (a pacifist or anything else) and I apologize. But also like I told Libero, the view you expressed did seem to fit the definition of a pacifist quite well. I think I was upset because of the crack you made about therapy and medication- I DO feel that comment was made somehow in regards to my self or others who hold my view. I will never know if your intent was completely pure there- only you and God knows.
In post # 64 to Guar Fan, he spoke of what sounded like a definite action to take in this situation and you agreed with that. Then when I ask what that would be, you said you’re plan is to do nothing. Then if I remember correctly, the way you spoke you made it sound like those of us that hold a view different than you would rather waste time complaining and being angry about what happened on the show here than anything else. May I point out that you also have waisted a conderable amount of time on this thread, not really to show how you necessarily feel about what happened to the Blessed Virgin May, but rather to critique the rest of us. People that hurt and defile the Church are the “bad guys” so to speak, not your brothers and sister in Christ. I also agree with you that those other shows are evil in what they portray about Catholic (that’s why I usually only watch EWTN). But distorting how we Catholics are and what we believe, and defiling the Blessed Virgin are equal forms of being persecuted to me, and they both deserve attention. But even though I wish this weren’t true, we have had quite a few Catholics who helped to give people a bad view of the church, while the Blessed Virgin is completely innocent!
Last of all, there has been a not-positive response about writing a complaint letter or e-mail because it may not accomplish anything. That may or may not be true, but that doesn’t matter. What does matter is that people were hurt enough by what was done to our Blessed Mother that they feel they need to express it in her deffense, and that is what matters most. If I’m going to be persecuted, then I will be lucky to have them on my “team”. Remember faith without works is dead.
Sorry to ramble on, please forgive me if I have offended you in any way, but I love the Church and Mary is very dear to my heart. I guess I’m just very sensitive when our Mother gets picked on. And boy am I done with this thread.
Tamara
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Marquette
Guest
I wrote to the guy. This not only insults Catholics but protestants too. And the more I thought about it, even if I were an athiest, I would find it insulting to women in general. And if someone insulted and made fun of my own earthly mother, I would be offended. Why should I not be offended that they were insulting my Lord’s mother.
The bottom line in this country seems to be “anything for money.” It’s truly amazing how low people will stoop for the almighty dollar.
Who said that…all it takes for evil to thrive is for good people to sit back and do nothing. And someone else above made a good point about Muslims–if they made fun of them Viacom would probably be blown up the next day.
The bottom line in this country seems to be “anything for money.” It’s truly amazing how low people will stoop for the almighty dollar.
Who said that…all it takes for evil to thrive is for good people to sit back and do nothing. And someone else above made a good point about Muslims–if they made fun of them Viacom would probably be blown up the next day.
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bones_IV
Guest
I used to watch the show myself, and many people would take a shot of wisky every time one of the characters swore or used foul language. They would be so drunk! Talk about craziness. I watch the show no more! Thank God. The show might as well be entitled “the passion for liberals”.
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