South Park Skewers Scientology and Tom Cruise, uh oh, are they in trouble?

NOPE!

South Park is satire, at least they're equal opportunity offenders....

LINK: http://www.postchronicle.com/news/entertainment/article_2121343.shtml


South Park Mocks Tom Cruise, Scientology In Newest Episode
by M. CentanniNov 18, 2005

You know, they say South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone go too far. Well, admittedly they sometimes do, but they are also extremely funny and irreverent. No one and no topic is sacred. They are equal opportunity insulters and frankly quite bright as well.
Sure, the Jesus and Friends bit is offensive to me as a Christian, but on the other hand, the Satan episodes are rather humorous.
The duo's most recent targets are none other than Tom Cruise and Scientology, thereby setting their crudely animated sights on topics previously deemed "off limits" due to the actor's close ties to Comedy Central's sister company, Paramount Pictures.
The episode starts off with Stan visiting a Church office, where he is hailed as the reincarnation of L. Ron Hubbard by the leaders of Scientology because of his "ot-9" results on the Churches E-meter test. Several Hollywood A-listers gather outside Stan's house, with Tom Cruise going in to talk to the 'Prophet.' Cruise asks Stan what
he thinks of him as an actor and Stan simply says "You're O.K. I mean you're not Leonardo DiCaprio or Napolean Dynamite or anything." To which Cruise responds by saying: "I'm a failure in the eyes of the Prophet!" and locking himself in Stan's bedroom closet. Cruise is then begged by Stan and his entire family to 'Come out of the Closet, Tom.'
Hilarious.
Cruise won't come out, so John Travolta, Nicole Kidman and R. Kelly go in to try and persuade him. All end up joining him in the closet except for Kidman.
Meanwhile, the head of the church reveals the Secret doctrine of life behind Scientology to Stan. He tells Stan that the reasons for everyone's woes in the world are because the Evil Lord Xenu frozen some alien souls and dumped them into a volcano in ancient Hawaii. The aliens' souls thawed and found human hosts at the dawn of time, inflicting the woes of the world on man. While this story is being told, the words "Scientologists Really Believe This" are shown in various ways on the screen.
Stan eventually buys in and sets his pen to write down new "rules" and "laws" for the church. Kyle, Cartman and Kenny try to talk some sense into Stan: "L. Ron Hubbard is a sci-fi writer that got busted by the Feds for living with boys on a boat numerous times," says Kyle.
Stan comes out dressed like Caesar 'as the reincarnate of L. Ron Hubbard' ...but Stan, after realizing that the Church was only in it for the money, just can't go through with perpetuating the lie.
"Scientology is just a big fat global scam," Stan says.
Only then does Cruise come out of the closet [along with Travolta and R.Kelly] and threatens to sue Stan saying: "I'll sue you in England!"
The unwanted cartoon cameo sure comes at a rough time for Cruise. The actor recently dumped his career-wrecking publicist sister, Lee Anne DeVette, and has been trying to restore his image with help from Rogers & Cowan spin-masters, Paul Bloch and Arnold Robinson.
Comedy Central's parent company, Viacom (which also owns Paramount, Cruises' studio), probably wasn't too keen either about once again seeing its big-money Mission Impossible 3 star ridiculed.
Knowing Parker and Stone, they probably threatened to walk out if they weren't allowed to do their irreverent thing.
Comedy Central spokesman, Tony Fox, told Radaronline that he didn't know any details of the show because, "these guys literally write and rewrite the episode almost right up to the moment it airs." Asked whether taking potshots at Cruise and Scientology was a wise move, Fox said the network has Stone and Parker's back: "If you know South Park, they are free and have been free to satirize anybody and anything they want to. They've made fun of MTV, they've made fun of Viacom, they've made fun of Comedy Central, and we've never interfered with them."

Missed it? Go here to view at Scientomogy.info Hat Tip - Glen