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**See This Page With Full Graphics, Pictures and Color!** CLICK HERE --> : Russian Evangelical Christians try to get South Park banned


oandapartycock
09-08-2008, 10:10 PM
It's weird the Boys were just talking about this today, that cartoons somehow seem to have a "pass" to get away with offensive material.

Good thing this is happening over in Glorious Soviet Republic and could never happen here. :rolleyes:

Apparently Christians in Russia have a problem with cartoon turds singing Christmas carols.

http://www.reuters.com/resources/r/?m=02&d=20080908&t=2&i=5906317&w=&r=2008-09-08T175513Z_01_L8697318_RTRUKOP_0_PICTURE0

© Thomson Reuters 2008.
Bid to ban "extremist" U.S. cartoon
Mon Sep 8, 2008 1:55pm EDT

By Chris Baldwin

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Prosecutors in Russia want to ban the award-winning satirical U.S. cartoon South Park, calling the series "extremist" after receiving viewer complaints, a spokeswoman said Monday.

South Park, a cartoon aimed at adults and featuring a group of nine-year olds in a Colorado ski town, has courted controversy from its 1997 debut, parodying celebrities, politicians, religion, gay marriage and Saddam Hussein.

Basmanny regional prosecutors office spokeswoman Valentina Titova said investigators filed a motion after deciding an episode broadcast on Moscow television station 2x2 in January "bore signs of extremist activity."

"In accordance with the conclusions made by experts from the court investigations committee, a claim has been filed against 2x2 for its broadcast of an episode of South Park," Titova said.

South Park has won two Emmy Awards and was first shown on the U.S. Comedy Central network. It is dubbed into Russian and rebroadcast on local networks, including 2x2, a channel which broadcasts animated series in Moscow and St Petersburg.

A representative for 2x2 was not immediately available for comment.

The Russian Union of Christians of Evangelical Faith had asked prosecutors to ban South Park after it said 20 experts had studied the show for its effect on young viewers.

The group's leader, Konstantin Bendas, said "South Park is just one of many cartoons that need to be banned from open broadcast...as it insults the feelings of religious believers and incites religious and national hatred."

"Our complaint is against a lot of cartoons, but this one was from South Park season three, episode 15," he said.

The episode, called "Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics" on the cartoon's website www.southparkstudios.com, first aired in December, 1999, and features the cast singing Christmas carols.

"It's one thing if they are on cable TV and viewers pay money and make a conscious choice. But young children should not be able to turn on the TV after school and watch this. They need to be defended," Bendas said.

Russia passed a 2006 law widening the definition of extremism to include "the abasement of national dignity" and "inciting religious and national hatred," which backers say was needed to stem a wave of violence aimed at ethnic minorities.

http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSL869731820080908?sp=true

jackjack
09-08-2008, 10:22 PM
This is a good example of why our broadcast industry shouldn't be so quick to cave and apologize to anyone who complains here in our country. We're still far away from the kind of censorship the Russians think they need to impose on South Park, but we sure don't want to get any closer.
It's scary and pathetic to be so afraid that your belief system will be shattered with the least bit of criticism that you have to pretend there is no other way of thinking.

DonTheTrucker
09-08-2008, 11:18 PM
Don't worry. If things keep going like they are, those same Christians are gonna be in gulags before South Park is canceled.

chiapeteater
09-08-2008, 11:53 PM
Don't worry. If things keep going like they are, those same Christians are gonna be in gulags before South Park is canceled.

Right where they should be put I say. If you're that offended by a cartoon and can't figure out how to change the channel, then die.:arrrh:::hammer::hamm:

mascan42
09-09-2008, 12:35 AM
I wouldn't have thought SP would translate well, but I guess it works well enough if it pisses off douchebags on the other side of the world.

ZeoVGM
09-09-2008, 12:35 AM
Good luck with that.

Dumb religious idiots.

LiddyRules
09-09-2008, 12:40 AM
oops

Well at least we know one plot come October

bethm1b
09-09-2008, 07:49 PM
I thought religion was opiate for the masses in Russia?