This lack of fear for pushing the network's buttons and forcing them to ban some shows while allowing to show others deemed disrespectful, won the creators a lot of criticism. Both good and bad. Yet, the undenying truth that this show was a success was plain to see. Tackling every issue known to man from religion, to race, to sex, etc... South Park has done it all. And in deciding whether or not they have insulted audiences is up to the audiences themselves. But, as for the ratings, it seems that the material being shown is not bad enough to turn off all televisions.
Trying to please everyone involved in such a controversial show with even more controversial material, is not a simple task. Regular, Isaac Hayes (voice of Chef), has recently quit the show due the improper display of religion shown. Stone and Parker decided not to "poke fun" at Scientology due to Hayes' beliefs, but after hearing that other shows were banned from discussing the religion, they wanted to express their feelings.
So where does the line get crossed? When does a show take advantage of the freedom of speech act? Sure, the creators are allowed to express their sentiments towards any topic, but how far are they willing to take it? And how much are the networks going to tolerate shows that create negative connotations towards religions or races? And all are the messages negative? These are questions that can only be answered by an individual, and hopefully, in exploring this webpage, some answers may be found.
