Russia's big gang seeks to ban "South Park"

[Porcupine_in_MA]

Russia in legal bid to ban "extremist" U.S. cartoon 

Mon Sep 8, 5:12 AM ET

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Prosecutors in Russia want to ban the award-winning satirical U.S. cartoon South Park, calling the series "extremist" after receiving viewer complaints, a spokeswoman said on Monday.

South Park, a cartoon aimed at adults and featuring a group of nine-year olds in a Colorado ski town, has courted controversy from its 1997 debut, parodying celebrities, politicians, religion, gay marriage and Saddam Hussein.

Basmanny regional prosecutors office spokeswoman Valentina Titova said investigators filed a motion after deciding an episode broadcast on Moscow television station 2x2 in January "bore signs of extremist activity."

"In accordance with the conclusions made by experts from the court investigations committee, a claim has been filed against 2x2 for its broadcast of an episode of South Park," Titova said.

South Park has won two Emmy Awards and was first shown on the U.S. Comedy Central network. It is dubbed into Russian and rebroadcast on local networks, including 2x2, a channel which broadcasts animated series in Moscow and St Petersburg.

A representative for 2x2 was not immediately available for comment.

The Russian Union of Christians of Evangelical Faith had asked prosecutors to ban South Park after it said 20 experts had studied the show for its effect on young viewers.

The group's leader, Konstantin Bendas, said "South Park is just one of many cartoons that need to be banned from open broadcast...as it insults the feelings of religious believers and incites religious and national hatred."

"Our complaint is against a lot of cartoons, but this one was from South Park season three, episode 15," he said.

The episode, called "Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics" on the cartoon's website http://www.southparkstudios.com, first aired in December, 1999, and features the cast singing Christmas carols.

"It's one thing if they are on cable TV and viewers pay money and make a conscious choice. But young children should not be able to turn on the TV after school and watch this. They need to be defended," Bendas said.

Russia passed a 2006 law widening the definition of extremism to include "the abasement of national dignity" and "inciting religious and national hatred," which backers say was needed to stem a wave of violence aimed at ethnic minorities.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080908/en_nm/russia_southpark_dc

[dalebert]

Russia passed a 2006 law widening the definition of extremism to include "the abasement of national dignity" and "inciting religious and national hatred," ...

If the U.S. were to pass such a law (arguably, they already have with some of the Patriot Act stuph), then the AIYH comic where the boogeyman rolls a joint with the Constitution is going to make trouble!

[Giggan]

Studying its affect on young viewers? They should see the movie.

[Puke]

The effect on young viewers is probably too much free thought and questioning of authority.
Can't have any of that!

[John Edward Mercier]

Russia passed a 2006 law widening the definition of extremism to include "the abasement of national dignity" and "inciting religious and national hatred," ...

If the U.S. were to pass such a law (arguably, they already have with some of the Patriot Act stuph), then the AIYH comic where the boogeyman rolls a joint with the Constitution is going to make trouble!

But don't the US have something like this?
I seem to remember the hype over Janet Jackson's breast...

[Porcupine_in_MA]

But don't the US have something like this?
I seem to remember the hype over Janet Jackson's breast...

Yep. The US does too.

[John Edward Mercier]

Sorry about the grammar.
I nearly wrote 'But don't we...'

[J’raxis 270145]

Russia passed a 2006 law widening the definition of extremism to include "the abasement of national dignity" and "inciting religious and national hatred," ...

If the U.S. were to pass such a law (arguably, they already have with some of the Patriot Act stuph), then the AIYH comic where the boogeyman rolls a joint with the Constitution is going to make trouble!

But don't the US have something like this?
I seem to remember the hype over Janet Jackson's breast...

99.8% of complaints come from one specific group of malcontents.

[John Edward Mercier]

Maybe someone should teach them how to use a remote. 

[Porcupine_in_MA]

Yeah, there is the up and down arrows or the "Off" button. Problem is (as this article shows) there is an attitude among statists that they have a right to not be offended.

[Pat McCotter]

They also don't need to watch it to be offended either.

[ByronB]

Yeah, there is the up and down arrows or the "Off" button. Problem is (as this article shows) there is an attitude among statists that they have a right to not be offended.

You said that wrong, they DO have a right to not be offended... obviously they don't exercise it and choose to be offended over stupid little stuff...

I going to watch that episode right now to try to what is so special about it... and I will exercise my right to not get offended while I am watching it to.

[dalebert]

This is another example of the importance of free speech. The only speech that really needs to be protected is offensive speech. If it doesn't offend someone, then it's probably not that important because it wouldn't have changed anyone's mind about anything anyway.

[peacenic]

These idiots are just giving the show free publicity.  Anyone can watch SP online for free.  And it wouldn't be hard to dub into another language.

BTW, I'm voting for Giant Douche this year.

[Giggan]

Should be the anti-theme song fo this forum.