MiamiHerald.com | 03/21/2006 | Cartoons -- not for the faint-hearted

MiamiHerald.com 03/21/2006 Cartoons -- not for the faint-hearted

When Muslims around the world took to the streets to protest Danish cartoons depicting the prophet Mohammed, I kept thinking that they should take a break and watch South Park. Anyone complaining that the West treats Islam without the respect it affords other religions has not seen the outrageous, offensive, hilarious cartoon about the foul-mouthed children growing up in South Park, Colo. If all the groups who have stood at the cutting end of one South Park's jokes went outside to protest, there would be nobody left at home anywhere.

Crossing the line
As it happens, the only notable walkout came from inside the show, when the singer Isaac Hayes, the velvety voice of Chef in the show, decided to quit, saying that South Park has gone too far in disrespecting religion. No kidding. South Park goes too far all the time. Every show crosses the line. That's what makes it so great. You can't watch without cringing, and sooner or later everyone reaches a point when they say, ''Wow, that really was too much.'' And then you keep laughing and you keep watching. South Park is fabulous satire. Nobody is sacred. Trust me, nobody.

As the show's producers noted, however, Hayes never had a problem playing the raunchy, sexually savvy school chef who treats the children with peculiar respect as he imparts the raunchiest adult advice. After nine years on the show, Hayes decided to take offense when his own faith, Scientology, became the subject of South Park's merciless writers. His accusation that the show engages in ''inappropriate ridicule'' of religion reminds me of the cries of Muslim extremists, who still find nothing wrong with insult, ridicule or worse when it comes to Christians and Jews, but demand only reverence and respect for Islam. Special treatment for one religion amounts to bigotry.

Hayes, as far as we know, expressed no objection to the show in which Satan, the long-suffering boyfriend of a sex-crazed Saddam, took on a sad and scrawny Jesus -- who has his own public-access cable show -- in a boxing match. (Jesus won, but only because Satan took a dive to win a bet against himself.)

Nothing is sacred
Hayes did not object when, at the height of the Terri Schiavo controversy, with America torn over the heart-wrenching plight of a woman about to be disconnected from life support, the show took on that subject. A truck runs over the hapless Kenny. God needs his sharp video game skills to coordinate the final war against evil, but his friends want Kenny disconnected so they can inherit his Gameboy toy. That's not him anymore, says one of the boys looking at Kenny hooked up to machines. ``It's a tomato.''

One of the children, Kyle, is a Jew, which makes for incessant mockery that some have called anti-Semitic. Critics have called the show anti-Semitic, anti-Muslim, anti-Christian, homophobic, sophomoric, infantile, inexcusable and very badly drawn. I call it really, really funny.

My favorite episode took on the Katrina disaster. In Two Days Before the Day After Tomorrow, the children cause a massive flood in Beaverton. A journalist standing outside the city limits says he cannot go in and has seen nothing but can report hundreds of millions have died. As Beavertonians stand desperately on their rooftops, South Park residents discuss whose fault it is. Half blame Osama, the other half blame Bush. Then a scientist blames global warming, which he calculates will begin two days before the day after tomorrow.
Freedom makes you cringe

These riotous characters have argued that the Japanese and redheads have no soul, Mormons are not strong enough to fight the devil and God is a Buddhist.

As Hayes rightly noted, the show has no deference for religion. The creators make fun of just about everyone, but they reserve their sharpest penknives for the hypocritical and sanctimonious. I shudder to think what they'll say about Hayes.

Call it the ticklish underbelly of a free society.

For those considering opening up their countries to free speech, look closely. Sometimes that freedom makes you cringe, other times it makes you laugh so hard you can hardly wait for the next episode.

Frida Ghitis writes about world affairs