Mormons to get 'South Park' treatment

[kpete]

Source: The Independent UK

Mormons to get 'South Park' treatment

By Guy Adams in Los Angeles
Wednesday, 19 November 2008
The creators of the South Park cartoon are planning to stage a Broadway musical

They've tried noisy protests, consumer boycotts, and the odd act of minor terrorism. Now supporters of gay marriage have unveiled a new weapon in their war against the Mormon Church: satire.

The creators of the cartoon South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, are planning to stage a Broadway musical based on the lives and (many) loves of typical members of the Church of the Latter Day Saints.

It will be co-written by the composer Robert Lopez, who wrote Avenue Q, the award-winning musical which sends-up another all-American institution, Sesame Street.

Cheyenne Jackson, an openly-gay Broadway star who appeared in the film United 93, said this week that he has agreed to play the lead role, a Mormon missionary, in the show, which is currently being work-shopped and is slated to open in 2009.

Read more: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/mormons-to-get-south-park-treatment-1024598.html

[sarcasmo]

1. This actually has a chance to be funny.

[sarcasmo]

2. This actually has a chance to be funny.

[skooooo]

3. They had an episode about Mormons before...

...telling the story of Joseph Smith. Anyone see it? The little refrain they had after every verse of the song they song...dum dum dum dum dum!

[Phred42]

5. I saw it - Hysterical

[Richard D]

6. I saw it

dumb dumb dumb and then smart smart smart!

http://www.southparkstudios.com/guide/712/

[slutticus]

7. that was a good one. :D

[amdezurik]

9. yeah but...

they also make the claim that in Heaven only mormons "got it right" so take that as you will. it's not like me, as a man-bear-pig beliver and own-fart-smelling hybrid owner have much love for them anyway...it will be caustic and satirical no doubt, but funny...I have doubts about that

[Ian David]

15. That was meant to be ironic.

Like in this old Rowan Atkinson skit where Satan tells new arrivals in Hell that only Jews go to heaven...

YouTube Video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UbqZ_oN5do

Transcript:
http://www.maths.tcd.ie/~afarrell/things/Hell.html

[amdezurik]

18. So Global Climate Change is just "ironic" too?

Nah i "get" SP, these guys try to make some "point" about how they are the only reasonable people in the world and everyone else is panicing about nothing so they should all just shut-up because there are snakes in rain forests and GCC is just a mtyh and anyone who owns a car like the one some guy flipped them off from after their limo(s) pulled a U-turn in traffic or parked for hours in a hadicapped zone or some such shit they pulled are stupid.

[Ian David]

20. Yeah, I know. They're wrong about some things. As if they're some kind of fallible human beings. n/t

[amdezurik]

22. they will get that beifit from me

just as soon as they extend it to some of their targets. hell they re-inforced the Al Gore BS just this season, fuck em

[Pastiche423]

48. A Climate Change denier "beifits" no one

Props to you for taking two months to out yourself.

[Name removed]

64. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[NeedleCast]

24. Its simply amazing that a cartoon comedy doesn't share your seriousness

about the environment.

When will people learn? We can't spend any time laughing and enjoying life when there are serious issues we need to address!

[progdonkey]

45. dude, you're taking it way too seriously...

Yes, the Libertarian-polemic episodes are always their worst and rarely funny. (The main exception is the smoking one--it's still wrong about equating eating fatty foods with smoking, and I'm a huge anti-smoking person, but it's still damn funny throughout.)

And, no, the Libertarian episodes aren't "ironic" like the aforementioned "'Mormons' was the right answer." That's just a ridiculous leap to make that because they're ironic on one thing they have to be ironic about everything.

They poke fun at Mormons a lot because they grew up in Colorado with a lot of Mormons around them--as well as many Mormon friends. Their movie Orgazmo was about a Mormon missionary-turned-pornstar; they have the Mormon episode where they ridicule their beliefs, but with a sense of "hey, Catholics and Jews and Muslims, etc. all believe pretty stupid shit, too"; and then that Mormons are the "right answer." (Saddam Hussein arrives in Heaven, only to learn that it's filled with nothing but Mormons.)

You sound like you've either only watched the Libertarian episodes (perhaps in order to be offended?) or you've never even seen a single full episode after having only heard of those ones.

[amdezurik]

65. i did not call it ironic ya know

I called them stupid and not really all that funny.

[progdonkey]

68. no, you didn't...

But I didn't say you did--I said you were saying that being ironic on one thing presumed being ironic on another unrelated thing.

You said, "So Global Climate Change is just 'ironic' too?" in response to the other poster's comment that they were being ironic re: Mormons in Heaven.

So, no you didn't call anything ironic--you just assumed they were being literal when they said Mormons were the right answer (and criticized them for that), and when the other poster pointed out that it was meant ironically, you came back with a complete non sequitur instead of just admitting you misunderstood the subtext.

They're ironic on some things and literal on others--they have that ability, ya know. They're also right on some things and wrong on others. So sorry that they're not always literal so you can understand it. :eyes:

[Coexist]

36. that was damn funny.

I really enjoy South Park. I also enjoy the cries of pain around here when they poke fun of liberals. Its unreal.

You have to be able to laugh at yourself, you know?!

[GodlessBiker]

4. "Shut your fuckin face, Mormon fucker."

"You're a cock-sucking, ass-licking Mormon fucker.
You're a Mormon fucker, yes it's true.
NOBODY fucks Mormons quite like you."

[8 track mind]

8. "There was a man named Joeseph Smith...

Dum Dee Dum Dum Dum!"

[progressoid]

27. "He started the Mormon Religion"

Dum Dum Dum Dum Dum.

:rofl:

[8 track mind]

37. I laughed my ass off when i saw that episode! n/t

[wildflowergardener]

10. Avenue Q

I'm sure it will be funny if written by composer of Avenue Q.

Meg

[dysfunctional press]

32. we saw avenue Q at the wynn in las vegas- it was a GREAT show.

that was the trip where we saw LOTS of shows- avenue Q, O, Zumanity, Mystere, Penn & Teller, and the Amazing Jonathan.

it was an expensive trip, especially since we were in the first 5 rows at every show, except penn & teller where we were in the 10th row...but it was an overall great time. penn & teller was the biggest disappointment(and not because of the seats), except for getting to talk some with teller when they do an after-show 'meet-n-greet' as the audience members are filling out. he had a checkerboard tie, and i was wearing my checkerboard vans, so he actually initiated the conversation with me by admiring my shoes.

for 'O', we waited in the cancellation line for two hours, and ended up with 3rd row 'wet seats', which was really just dumb luck, because of the system they use, your place in line has no bearing as to what tickets you're offered when it's your turn at the counter...

i'd like to see parker & stone bring the show to chicago for a pre-broadway trial run.

[Naipes]

11. Hilarious South Park Episode about Mormons

http://www.southparkstudios.com/episodes/103933

[Initech]

16. Great episode!

Dum dum dum dum dum!!!!!

[AlbertCat]

42. Of course...

....but no dumb dumb dumb dumb dumber than most other religions.

Mormons and Scientologists seem dumb dumb dumb dumb dumber because they were made up in a time when people should've known better.
But ancient malarkey seems to get a pass just because it's old. We shake our heads and click our tongues at the absurdities of the Book of Mormon (dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb indeed) but notions made up by some cave man gigantically ignorant of the universe.... notions like a soul, or gods... these are OK! Who would question such things? The average 3rd grader knows more about the world and universe than any author of the Old or New Testament.

[mcg]

49. Golden plates (Wikipedia), Caption Kidd and Comoros Islands

I had to check this out.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_plates

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angel_Moroni

Some scholars have theorized that Smith became familiar with the name "Moroni" through his study of the treasure-hunting stories of Captain William Kidd.<7> Because Kidd was said to have buried treasure in the Comoros islands, and Moroni is the name of the capital city and largest settlement in the Comoros, it has been suggested that Smith borrowed the name of the settlement and applied it to the angel who led him to buried treasure—the golden plates. Complementing this proposal is the theory that Smith borrowed the names of the Comoros islands and applied them to the hill where he found the golden plates, which he named Cumorah.<8>

Latter-day Saint apologists have reasoned that this line of argument commits the logical error of appeal to probability; they also point out that it is unlikely that Smith had access to material which would have referred to the then-small settlement of Moroni.<9>

The angel Moron-i. Ironic.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Kidd

The belief that Kidd had left a buried treasure somewhere, contributed considerably to the growth of his legend.

http://www.exmormon.org/mormon/mormon330.htm

It has been suggested elsewhere that Joseph Smith, Sr., had some scheduled shipment that was not delivered/received as planned, and shipwrecked instead on the Comoros Islands. I'd have to search for the reference for this, but I've seen it recently.
...
There are references to Smith Jr. wanting to find Captain Kidd's treasure and references to other people looking for Kidd's treasure with divining rods around Tunbridge where the Smiths came from--I don't have the source, but it's either Orasmus Turner or Pomeroy Tucker.
...

The similarity of the names could be just a coincidence, but it is interesting.

[crim son]

72. Just watched it.

:rofl:

[Ian David]

12. I want to know if it's too soon to buy tickets! Or if they need investors! n/t

[Auggie]

13. Another "Springtime for Hitler" production number?

:rofl:

[LatteLibertine]

14. They already owned the Morons well with at least one episode of SP.

The got Scientology well too.

[Ian David]

21. The conclusion of their Mormon Episode, though...

... was "everything The Mormons believe is wrong and stupid, but they're happy and don't bother anyone, so why should we care what they believe?"

I have a very strong feeling that Mormons on Broadway won't take such a charitable position toward The Magic Underpants Cult.

[LeftinOH]

17. "'Caffeine' is the worst word that you can saaaay...its easy, mmmmkay?"

[ksimons]

19. heh heh - good to see someone taking this forward that way! nt

[southpaw]

23. When I think of South Park, I always think of these quotes:

"I hate conservatives, but I really fucking hate liberals."
-Matt Stone


"Yeah!"
-Trey Parker

[AlbertCat]

26. They also said...

"I don't plan to still be doing this when I'm 35"....or something to that effect.

Alrighty then!

Like every TV show....South Park and its creators get it right sometimes and get it wrong sometimes.

Even Penn & Teller had an episode of "Bullshit" about the Endangered Species Act. It was really lame and ignored any good that may have come from it. So you see.... hits and misses everywhere!

[KamaAina]

70. How do they feel about progressives?

:shrug:

Lotsa liberal-hatin' going on right here at the mighty DU this week...

[ryanmuegge]

25. The Mormon corporate censorship mafia will find a way to make sure nobody sees it.

I'm glad to see the Mormons getting some scrutiny, though. Because of their idiotic beliefs, they deserve it.

[Diclotican]

30. ryanmuegge

ryanmuegge

Good for me, if they shoose to make it, I do not care if someone want to tell us that we believe in some "idiotic" belief, that are your choose to mean what you mean.. As it is my choosing to belief that this is true.. And I for one would never in print or face to face tell YOU what ever you belief in, is silly.. Or idiotic. I would respect you even if you choose to worship the Devil. As long as you just are human to me.. I do not care, and I do not want to "convince," about your "wrongdoing".. If you choose to do as you want, then you choose it regardless of what I would say to you..

I for one like irony, and if this is made tastefully, and excellent, i would be more than happy to se it and enjoy the show also. Even that is is a low Chance that I would be coming to a show on Broadway every time soon.. Maybe if I was to be a rich man or something like that...

Diclotican

Sorry my bad english, not my native language

[Diclotican]

28. kpete

kpete

I for one would be very happy to se this, if it ever work out... I like irony... Specially the great understatement who specially the Britt's are so clever of doing... So I look forward to se what they can do, and if I ever was to go to a Broadway musical. I hope it Will be one of them.

But then, I am not the ordinary LDS man too... And I like irony as the other man/woman..


Diclotican

Sorry my bad english, not my native language

[daveskilt]

29. I am mormon - looking forward to seeing this

The mormon episode of south park was hysterical.

Although there is a fairly high level of vitriol towards mormons on DU these days - just remember we are not all idiots and bigots anymore than all catholics are.

http://www.mormonsformarriage.com

[Dukkha]

31. whatever. in the past 8 years they never ONCE went after Bush

But they constantly attacked Al Gore, are constantly bashing environmentalist, always maintaining their juvenile posturing that they are ‘too cool to care’ and dismiss all activists as ‘fags’ now they are pretending to support gay marriages while they have defended other homophobic groups like the boy scouts and hate crime defenders. It’s rather poignant that they use forth graders to push their libertarian agenda, that’s the exact intellectual level of their ideology.

[nxylas]

40. Not to mention being largely responsible for the resurgence of "gay" as a pejorative

As in "that's so gay".

[Tarc]

43. Resurgence? Dunno where you've been, but it never really waned

Blaming South Park for it is kinda dim.

[nxylas]

46. I heard it a lot as a kid (late '70s/early '80s), less so later on

Then I started hearing it a lot again when South Park became popular, and the characters started using the phrase. I know correlation doesn't prove causality, but I don't think it's a coincidence.

[Tarc]

50. Ever think that maybe since you grew older, and didn't hang around with kids anymore

that that might be why you heard it less? :)

I was a 'kid' of the late 80's - early 90's, and the penultimate insult that one testosterone-filled teenaged boy could hurl at another ways still to call his sexuality into question.

[nxylas]

58. That could be it

Doesn't explain why I started hearing it more when South Park started airing, though. Or maybe it's just that I didn't notice it so much.

[progdonkey]

47. defending the boy scouts?

You mean when the boy scouts kicked out Big Gay Al--who had been in the scouts all his life--because the parents thought he'd make their kids gay, and replaced him with an über-hetero, gruff, military guy that the parents loved ... and who happened to like taking naked pictures of the boys because "they're all pink on the inside"?

Yeah, they were totally endorsing kicking gays out of the boy scouts there. :eyes:

[spoony]

54. They made two whole SERIES about Bush

That's My Bush and Lil Bush.

[Dukkha]

59. Lil Bush was created by Donick Cary

who was a writer for The Simpsons. That's my Bush was never critical of him at all instead it made fun of those who were against him in their typical fashion.

[nam78_two]

60. Lil Bush has nothing to do with the South Park guys

That was directed by some guy called Donick Cary. As far as I know, they had nothing to do with it.

[spoony]

61. My bad! Funny show though.

Rrrrah rrah rrah rah Cheney.

[valerief]

33. Orgasmo: the Sequel! Fabulous. nt

[catrose]

38. Yeah!

[Kolesar]

34. South Park sucks

Someone had to say it.

[terrya]

35. I want to see this!

"Avenue Q" is clever, I like "South Park", and Cheyenne Jackson is HOT. The whole thing works for me!

[happygoluckytoyou]

39. "Marriage is a union between 1 man and 1 woman and 1 other woman and 1 other woman and 1 other woman

[slampoet]

41. Having seen "Cannibal the Musical" i can say that these guys can do a lot with a stage and no $$$$$

I pretty much hate watching South Park,


But i like most of the other parker-stone projects and I do bow to their skills in musicals.

[Drunken Irishman]

44. Mormons do not take criticism well.

Most groups can laugh at themselves. Whether it's gays, Catholics, blacks or what have you. However, Mormons get offended really easy. Anything negative toward them that is not done by a member of the LDS Faith, they bitch and moan far more than anyone I've ever heard.

So this should be fun for those living in Utah.

[siligut]

62. Agreed.

They always go on about how they are persecuted too. Not nearly enough say I. I know businessmen who refuse to do business with mormons, because they are dishonest cheats and have connections (mostly other mormons and masons) which they misuse.

However, any injustice that they perceive against them and they come out with the big guns. Really a difficult lot as a whole. If you are in the minority, you are pretty much up a creek.

[Gen. Jack D. Ripper]

51. I take Stone and Parker about as seriously as they take everything else

which is not seriously at all. They get it right some times and they get it wrong some times, appealing mostly to nihilist juveniles.

[iamthebandfanman]

52. while i dont always agree with trey and matt

i think south park has always been a great outlet for these types of things...
thats what great about the show, is while they do put a lil ideology into their work, for the most part everyone is a target...
by the time south park goes off the air, i highly doubt any group of people will have gone without being ridiculed by them...
and thats what makes it great... they arent picking on any one certain type of people... just the idiocy of all human beings regardless...

heck, ive been offended before by the show... but you know, its a joke... so i laughed. everyone should have a sense of humor about themselves.

[budkin]

53. South Park is so 1997.

Does anyone give a fuck about this show anymore?

[trumad]

55. My kids---my kids friends, and their friends....

It's still a huge hit with the younger set.

[Systematic Chaos]

57. Yes.

Your concern is duly noted.

:eyes:

[silverojo]

71. Yeah

Get a sense of humor, or get out of the way. ;)

[GinaMaria]

56. Best news I've heard all day

Satire (though they probably won't get it) is protected for a very good reason. Holy crap I can't wait.

[Acadia Blue]

63. LOL I would love to see this. I am so sick of mormons and others

who cram their beliefs down the throats of others. And the Mormons spent so much money that could have been used to do Christian work and feed the poor on keeping Gays from marrying.

[budkin]

66. South Park bashes on "liberals" all the time - I don't support the show

[LanternWaste]

67. Oh, well... Who's the Boss had a long run too...

That petulant, self-defined-as-clever, trendy, petulant little fluff of a show is still on? Is it still trying to come across as "edgy"?



Oh, well... Who's the Boss had a long run too.

[Sequoia]

69. But, will Tom Cruise finally come out of the closet?