![]() Maxi’s faith and his unwavering belief in the goodness of Catholicism. ![]() (Thus, as the characters pass pompous, self-important and derisive comments about religious faith, the “South Park” writers ingeniously have them literally “spewing crap out of their mouths.” No fans of Dawkins or Hitchens, these writers!)Īll of these nonsensical – and occasionally disgusting – details are positioned to contrast with the purity and simplicity of Fr. Maxi quickly becomes the hero of this episode as he corrals a committee of priests to end sexual abuse – only to be met with forceful opposition from church hierarchs, who cite the mysterious “Holy Document of Vatican Law.” The show then parades an assortment of inventive, outlandish elements: a Queen Spider who controls the revision of Vatican law a group of bizarre aliens known as the Gelgamek Catholics (the unspoken joke is that to defend child abusers, you’d surely have to be from another planet) an alienated, now-atheistic community, who, in the absence of a cultural mythology, have latched on to a new fad that involves….well, to put it delicately, reversing the digestive process. Maxi as “nice,” “cool” and “compassionate,” when pressed by a counselor. Maxi’s intentions, perhaps without cause, as all of the consistently foul-mouthed main characters describe Fr. ![]() The parents of South Park are hesitant and suspicious of Fr. Maxi, a Catholic priest who is a regular in the “South Park” cast of characters, is organizing a youth retreat. “South Park” deals in such sharp irreverence as a matter of course – in 2002, during the height of the revelations of abuse, creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone crafted an episode (“Red Hot Catholic Love” – there’s an uncontroversial title!) dealing more specifically with abuse crises. If you’re Catholic, your response is probably a strangled groan-laugh coupled with a heavy sigh. And of course he helps pedophiles, “South Park” adds. Readily Apparent!” “South Park,” whose humor is as ruthlessly acerbic as it is juvenile, double-barbs that quip: of course the Pope is Catholic, says the joke. Typically “Is the Pope Catholic?” is a joke that rebounds on the questioner – “thanks for asking such an obvious question, Captain Obvious, of the S.S. ![]() It’s a joke intended to throw the viewer off-balance, in part because, ironically, the heart of its humor lies in its seriousness. “Is that something I’d want to do? Is the Pope Catholic…and making the world safe for pedophiles?” When asked a question that elicits an obvious yes, notoriously insensitive protag Eric Cartman trots out the “Is the Pope Catholic?” chestnut…with a topical twist: In a recent episode of the animated hit “South Park,” the steady stream of abuse scandals currently rocking the Catholic church became a recurring punchline. ![]()
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