Some Muslims believe that depictions of Muhammad or any of the other prophets – for example in images, drawings, statures or cartoons – are a violation of Islamic beliefs. Further, they went back and removed "Super Best Friends" from the South Park lineup, as well as censored "Cartoon Wars Parts 1 and 2." While South Park has released episodes in the past that have pushed the boundaries enough to warrant censorship, episodes "200" and "201" are notable due to their focused plot points, as well as the threats that were leveled against both show creators - before the episodes even aired.In the Islamic faith, Muhammad was chosen by God to receive his divine revelations and spread the word of the lord. While Trey Parker and Matt Stone continued to advocate against censorship and defended their work, Comedy Central heavily censored the episode in order to protect its employees. Additional threats and veiled references were made comparing the creators to Dutch director Theo Van Gogh, who was murdered after a film he made portrayed violence against women in some Islamic societies. Revolution Muslim, a group known for advocating the end of western imperialism, had an author post to Twitter wishing death and Hell for both Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Related: South Park: Every Celebrity Guest StarĪfter episode "200" aired, threats were leveled against both creators of the show and Comedy Central if they depicted the image of Muhammad further. Throughout the story, past celebrities, angered by the town of South Park for continually ridiculing and mocking them, want to steal the powers Muhammad has to not be shown or insulted.
Irritated that they could show Jesus and other religious icons, the inability to display Muhammad becomes a focal point of the episode. Episodes "200" and "201"Įpisodes "200" and "201" revolve around past South Park episodes, storylines, and controversies, with Trey Parker and Matt Stone pushing the boundaries of censorship, especially in the case of Muhammad. For the US, religious sensitivity along with a larger population of people of the Islamic faith was a more important factor. While US news outlets covered the controversy, they did not reprint any of the depictions of Muhammad, even though the US values freedom of speech and the press. In the United States, tensions were high between the West and Islamic people due to the 9/11 terrorist attack. Despite this, the newspaper ran the images, and even with outcries from several prominent Muslim groups, the paper did not back down. In Islam traditions, the Prophet is not allowed to be depicted in any way. Ross Douthat of The New York Times stated that the move to censor South Park was a result of the Danish newspaper, Jyllands-Posten, running unflattering images of the Prophet Muhammad in 2005, which lead to global riots and death threats. The creators weren't happy with the network's decision (as per a statement South Park Studios released), which was no doubt increased by the fact that an image of Muhammad had already aired in 2001 during season 5 episode 3's "Super Best Friends." Danish Cartoon Controversy The episodes upon airing, however, were censored even the dialogue at the end of "201" was completely bleeped.
Related: Why Winnie The Pooh Is Banned In ChinaĬensorship was at the heart of episodes "200" and "201," with series creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone taking a strong stance against it. Still, despite its offensive material, the show has earned itself an array of awards and accolades, such as Primetime Emmy Awards, and its success has not waivered, remaining one of Comedy Central's most-watched shows. Released in 1997, South Park became known for its crude animation and subject matter, before pivoting to more political, current-events-based satire. While there are five episodes banned in total, season 14 episodes "200" and "201" sparked an enormous outcry from Middle-Eastern terrorism groups over their planned depiction of the Prophet Muhammad. South Park is well known for its crude and controversial material however, there are some episodes that have caused such an uproar that they are now banned from Comedy Central, South Park Studios website, and any streaming platform that airs the show.