A Jesus Christ Cartoon, and 5 Other Tasteless Comedy Central Projects in the Works
Imagine you are a cable network. You received a death threat in response to an unflattering depiction of the Muslim prophet Muhammad made on one of your network's programs. Two weeks later, a car bomb was planted in front of your parent company's headquarters. What do you do next? If you are Comedy Central, you develop a cartoon lampooning Jesus Christ.
That's right, the network who (kind of) brought you Muhammad in a bear suit is developing an animated series starring Jesus Christ. The half-hour comedy JC would center on the Messiah wanting to gain independence from his "powerful but apathetic father" and acclimate to a normal life in the Big Apple. For the show's official description, let's refer to Comedy Central's press release distributed this morning:
"A lot has changed in 2000 years and [Jesus] is the ultimate fish out of water. Meanwhile his all-powerful yet apathetic father would rather be playing video games than listening to JC recount his life in the city. JC is a playful take on religion and society with a sprinkle of dumb."
If that does not have your blood boiling, maybe these five other projects announced today will:
· A**Holes: A scripted comedy about the world's two biggest a**holes, Jeff and Geoff, who fill their days by shamelessly hitting on women, talking on their cell phones in movie theaters and not holding doors open for old ladies. Brought to you by Steve Koren (Saturday Night Live) and Nick Malis (Tosh.0).
· Patrice Oneal's Guide to White People: An educational comedy starring stand-up comic Oneal as he teaches viewers about various details of white culture in the classroom and through on-the-street instructionals. Produced by Michael Hirschorn (Celebrity Rehab) and Gideon Evans (The Daily Show).
· Live Sex Show: The show does not feature live sex but live sex talk. Bert Kreischer and Maxim model Layla Kayleigh will host this interactive, no-holds-barred program which includes frank intercourse discussion, celebrity guests, sketches and audience interaction via Skype and Twitter. Blame this on executive producer Jesse Ignatovic (The T.O. Show) and writer Mat Harawitz (The Soup).
· Intercourse with Whitney Cummings: A half-hour scripted narrative comedy that will feature the comedienne as she dates and sleeps around. She will get help from a guy friend Neal, a porn star neighbor Starla and her stand-up material for this "twisted Sex and the City."
· Waiting...: Before tuning into this potential series, you may want to rent the Ryan Reynolds film it is based on first, which featured gratuitous genitalia humor... in a restaurant setting. Like the movie, this project will center on a group of young employees at a chain restaurant who find inventive ways to avert boredom. Brought to you by Rob McKittrick, who wrote and directed the film.
Would anyone like to lodge a complaint yet?
· Comedy Central's slate: 22 projects in the pipe [THR]
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Comments
You know, South Park became a hit because it was a very smart and funny show that just happened to be offensive to everyone on some level. These shows sound like they're going for offensive first, funny later.
Also they seem to be really aiming for the Hypocrite of the Year Award for preaching "sensitivity" to those who threaten them with death, and total insensitivity to those who aren't likely to plant a car bomb in their parking lot.
We can at least take comfort in the fact that they'll probably all stink up the ratings while South Park chugs along.
Dittos to Furious D's comments
To the production staff and crew of Comedy Central:
We Christians are not into making threats. Gone are the days when Christians waged war against others to convert them into Christianity.
A good understanding of God's Word is enough to win people to God. However, I as a Christian, do not appreciate you making fun of our God, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. It is an abomination to God, and at the same time a direct onslaught to Christ's followers!
Huge profits and lots of recognitions have been accorded to past and present producers, writers, directors, without their taking this route that you are taking. Please do not be a victim of your bankruptcy of ideas. Do not insult our God and the believers, for it could be the very demise of your show.
Do not fall prey to the dictates of the devil, for whether you believe in God or not, is not going to change Who God is!
On the other hand, there is a saying that goes: "the gods make fools those whom they wish to destroy." Your show will die through your own ill-conceived devises. While the tactics of Christians do not involve violence, but a call to action could hurt your pocketbooks. As a matter of fact, Christians can unite and call for a boycott, (not your show because I doubt if you have true Christian followers), but call to boycott all of your show's sponsors. Have you thought of that? Others will join for spiritual reasons, others for political reasons, and others...well, just to see your show canceled so there's an open slot fot them. All it takes is for one to spearhead the call for boycott, and should that happen, no one in showbiz will hire you ever again! No one will sponsor you ever again. If you think christians will stand by and watch you bastardize our God and what God is to the world, you are wrong.
This idea about God was foreign to me as it may be to most of you for the most part of my life. But seek and you shall find. Knock and you shall be answered. I am glad I did. The joy and love one can have from God is beyond any of the peals of laughter you generate from your sic show.
You are better off staying off the air if you will be offending the one and only true mighty and just God. Forget what Christians and believers all over the world can do to hurt your pocketbooks, but your spirit is eternal, whether you believe it or not, and you will live with the consequencies of your ill-conceived jests.
May God bless each of you with the knowledge of Jesus Christ! AMEN!
Comedy Central is part of Time Warner, a $ 27 billion entertainment conglomerate--it is all about business. When are those of you on the right going to recognize that it is not the eastern, media elite that push this crap--it is big business. And what party do you think they support? And what party do you think supports them? These people are making billions betting on the moral decline of the United States of America. They are already making billions on the economic decline...
To Aspasia and her army of lunatics:
fuck off.
Actually, it's Viacom that owns Comedy Central. As well as Paramount, CBS, MTV, and a dozen other companies through their convoluted corporate structure.
And I think I know the answer to your question about what party these big businesses support.
Surveys of political donations and voting patterns by senior big business corporate executives and Wall St. mucky-mucks show that they overwhelmingly support the Democratic Party.
Yep, it's true.
Thanks for that Furious, because I always laugh when I hear the canard that big business always and only supports one party -- most corporations donate to both sides. Look at how the current administration fell mute when the Goldman-Sachs scandal broke and it was pointed out they donated heavily to Obama, (who said he was not returning a dime, btw.) Both parties are whores to Wall Street.
As for the Jesus show, this is plain cowardice. They have no problem slamming Christians, but cower when it comes to Muslims? Sounds like when the Prop-8 protesters went after the Mormon churches but did not picket one mosque, where much more anti-gay messages were being preached. Roland Emmerich also flinched when he refused to show Muslim landmarks destroyed in "2012" for fear of a fatwa. If you want to condemn religion then nut-up and be equal opportunity - otherwise you come off looking impotent.
(Son-of-a-bitch! ! ! Someone got footprints all over my soapbox!)
Who got footprints all over my soap-box!!
Geez. That's isthe most messed up thing I've read today. But somehow, I'm not certain, myself.
Ha. That's isthe most jacked up thing I've seen today. Somehow, I'm not positive, myself.
OMG. That's just about the most jacked up note I've heard today. But, I'm not positive, myself.