Religious humor
South Park often satirizes and insults organized religion, such as in "Super Best Friends". Throughout the years, critics complained on the heavy use of references on Jews and Jewish stereotypes (the Broflovskis). Kyle's father is dressed in hasidic garb and the town's only lawyer, and Kyle's mother is a strict mother, a liberal activist and resembles Barbra Streisand. Kyle's adopted baby brother Ike sounds like an ethnic slur held offensive to Jews, however it indicates Jews are more a religious group as Ike is a convert. According to the episode "Red Hot Catholic Love", South Park is a predominantly Catholic town and all the major and recurring characters in South Park are Roman Catholic, except for:
The Broflovskis (Kyle's family) are Jewish, and apparently "are the entire Jewish community" of South Park.
The Harrisons are Mormon (they only appear in one episode).
Chef, who converts to Islam in "Chef Goes Nanners" and denounces his "slave name" requesting that everyone address him as Abdul Mohammed Jabbar-Rauf Kareem Ali (a combination of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Muhammad Ali, El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, all the names of prominent African-American Muslim converts). He eventually renounced his newfound religion, only to become a member of the Super Adventure Club (a parody of the Church of Scientology), which brainwashed him into becoming a child molester.
Chef's parents (who are from Scotland) practice Voodoo and Occult rituals (though their precise faith is unknown). Chef, however, states in the episode Damien that his mother would be upset if he beat Jesus, his sparring partner, so his mother must at least have respect for Jesus.
The Super Best Friends - a satire of the Superfriends cartoons. The founders of all the world's major religions are super best friends with each other and use their special powers to fight evil (except Buddha, who doesn't believe in evil).
God, who claims to be a Buddhist.
David Blaine - before South Park "exposed" the Church of Scientology, there was David Blaine's cult/religion Blaintology, an episode with commentary suggesting there is no difference between magic and miracles (i.e. the tricks performed by David Blaine are as real as the miracles performed by Jesus Christ).
Stan, who in "Trapped in the Closet" was claimed to be a reincarnation of L. Ron Hubbard from The Church of Scientology, but denounced it at the end of that episode.
In the episode "Probably", it is claimed that the only people who get into heaven are the Mormons, though this changes in "Best Friends Forever" when God decides that the Mormons aren't tough enough to go against Satan's forces. Hell doesn't really seem so bad either, having orientation and luaus. The episode "Best Friends Forever" also asserts that Japanese people don't have souls, nor do "Gingers" (red heads with freckles and pale skin) according to Cartman in "Ginger Kids".
In 2006, Comedy Central would not allow South Park to show an image of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, likely due to the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy, and fear of similar repercussions. In response, South Park aired a 2-part episode culminating in President Bush, Jesus Christ, and various Americans defecating on each other and the American flag to point out the hypocrisy of not allowing the Muslim prophet to be shown at all but allowing the Christian Savior to be shown in an insulting manner (this episode originally aired on the Wednesday before Easter Weekend). Interestingly, however, Muhammad is shown as one of the super best friends in the episode of the same name
The Broflovskis (Kyle's family) are Jewish, and apparently "are the entire Jewish community" of South Park.
The Harrisons are Mormon (they only appear in one episode).
Chef, who converts to Islam in "Chef Goes Nanners" and denounces his "slave name" requesting that everyone address him as Abdul Mohammed Jabbar-Rauf Kareem Ali (a combination of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Muhammad Ali, El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, all the names of prominent African-American Muslim converts). He eventually renounced his newfound religion, only to become a member of the Super Adventure Club (a parody of the Church of Scientology), which brainwashed him into becoming a child molester.
Chef's parents (who are from Scotland) practice Voodoo and Occult rituals (though their precise faith is unknown). Chef, however, states in the episode Damien that his mother would be upset if he beat Jesus, his sparring partner, so his mother must at least have respect for Jesus.
The Super Best Friends - a satire of the Superfriends cartoons. The founders of all the world's major religions are super best friends with each other and use their special powers to fight evil (except Buddha, who doesn't believe in evil).
God, who claims to be a Buddhist.
David Blaine - before South Park "exposed" the Church of Scientology, there was David Blaine's cult/religion Blaintology, an episode with commentary suggesting there is no difference between magic and miracles (i.e. the tricks performed by David Blaine are as real as the miracles performed by Jesus Christ).
Stan, who in "Trapped in the Closet" was claimed to be a reincarnation of L. Ron Hubbard from The Church of Scientology, but denounced it at the end of that episode.
In the episode "Probably", it is claimed that the only people who get into heaven are the Mormons, though this changes in "Best Friends Forever" when God decides that the Mormons aren't tough enough to go against Satan's forces. Hell doesn't really seem so bad either, having orientation and luaus. The episode "Best Friends Forever" also asserts that Japanese people don't have souls, nor do "Gingers" (red heads with freckles and pale skin) according to Cartman in "Ginger Kids".
In 2006, Comedy Central would not allow South Park to show an image of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, likely due to the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy, and fear of similar repercussions. In response, South Park aired a 2-part episode culminating in President Bush, Jesus Christ, and various Americans defecating on each other and the American flag to point out the hypocrisy of not allowing the Muslim prophet to be shown at all but allowing the Christian Savior to be shown in an insulting manner (this episode originally aired on the Wednesday before Easter Weekend). Interestingly, however, Muhammad is shown as one of the super best friends in the episode of the same name