Bloody Mary (South Park)
"Bloody Mary" | |
---|---|
South Park episode | |
Episode no. | Season 9 Episode 14 |
Directed by | Trey Parker |
Written by | Trey Parker |
Production code | 914 |
Original air date | December 7, 2005 |
"Bloody Mary" is the fourteenth episode in the
Plot
After class, an inebriated Randy drives the boys home, but he is pulled over and arrested for
Meanwhile, outside a church in
However, Pope Benedict XVI, who just obtained the position of the Catholic Church and is of even higher authority than cardinals, comes to investigate, and discovers that the blood is not actually coming from the statue's anus, but from its vagina. Since "chicks bleed out their vaginas all the time", he concludes that this is no miracle. Randy, disappointed, realizes that God did not "heal" him. At first, he again declares himself powerless, and most of the other recovering alcoholics agree and rush to the bar. But Stan follows Randy and convinces him that if God did not help him, then he must have managed to stop by himself.
Randy declares that he will never drink again. Stan objects, however, claiming that because Randy likes to drink, if he completely avoids drinking, then drinking is still controlling his life; he must therefore figure out how to live in moderation. Randy puts Stan on his shoulders and walks off into the sunset while the two discuss how much drinking would be proper.
Production
Trey Parker and Matt Stone reveal on the DVD commentary for this episode that they had wanted to do an episode involving Alcoholics Anonymous meetings for "a long time", but could never get it right.[1]
Parker and Stone joked that the bleeding statue idea came from Anne Garefino, a producer on the show who is Catholic, and was inspired by the real life phenomenon of "weeping statues", unusual occurrences where statues would unexplainably "bleed" some sort of liquid via supernatural means, usually from the eyes.[citation needed] The crew were discussing the idea of having this happen in an episode but felt it needed to be something more outlandish than the eyes. Parker and Stone also joked that Garefino then came up with the idea of having the statue "shit blood all over the pope's face".[1]
The scene in which Randy gets arrested for drunk driving is based on a near identical experience that Parker had with his father when he was nine years-old.[1]
Controversy
The episode was aired on December 7, 2005, which is the eve of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, a Catholic observance related specifically to the Virgin Mary. "Bloody Mary" was considered a very controversial episode, even by South Park standards.
In the United States
On March 14, 2006,
- Christianity has evolved and matured. No longer do they stone people to death for blasphemy. Now they write a lot of letters to advertisers. Even a secular, atheistic, morally bankruptentity like Comedy Central can be affected. Just ask Matt Stone and Trey Parker, creators of South Park, whose recent episode entitled "Bloody Mary" was pulled after a single airing. Now obviously [we at] Comedy Central can't show you that offensive material.
The South Park clips shown while Corddry spoke included several scenes of seemingly offensive material (fornicating cats, a man vomiting and then falling in his own vomit, Butters viewing a man being sodomized, etc.) but there was nothing from the "Bloody Mary" episode.[6]
Like the "Trapped in the Closet" episode, "Bloody Mary" did return to the air, appearing on August 2, 2006.
In New Zealand
In February 2006, leaders from the New Zealand Catholic Bishops' Conference, the Council of Christians and Muslims, and other religious groups together lobbied media conglomerate
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/24/Wikinews-logo.svg/40px-Wikinews-logo.svg.png)
In June 2006, complaints received by New Zealand's Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) were rejected: The airing of the show was found to not be in breach of broadcasting standards. According to the BSA, "[b]ut showing disrespect does not amount to the sort of vicious or vitriolic attack normally associated with the denigration standard". They also said the episode was "of such a farcical, absurd and unrealistic nature that it did not breach standards of good taste and decency in the context in which it was offered".[14] New Zealand Catholic bishops have decided to appeal the decision.[15]
In Australia
In February 2006,
References
- ^ a b c South Park The Complete Ninth Season DVD commentary for "Bloody Mary". Trey Parker and Matt Stone.
- ^ "Virgin Mary defiled on "South Park"" (Press release). Catholic League (U.S.). 2005-12-08. Archived from the original on 2007-07-18. Retrieved 2006-07-06.
- ^ "Bishops' president blasts South Park episode". Church Resources. 2005-12-21. Retrieved 2006-07-06.
- ^ "South Park "Bloody Mary" an immaculate deletion, says Comedy Central". BoingBoing. 2006-01-09. Archived from the original on 2006-04-26. Retrieved 2006-07-06.
- ^ Sarah Hall (2005-12-29). ""South Park" Parked by Complaints?". E!. Archived from the original on 2006-04-27. Retrieved 2006-07-06.
- ^ "This Week In God - Blasphemy Edition". Comedy Central. 2006-03-14. Retrieved 2017-12-03.
- ^ Kristian South (2006-02-13). "South Park controversy continues". Sunday News. Archived from the original on 2007-01-03. Retrieved 2006-07-06.
- ^ Martin Johnston; Errol Kiong (2006-02-20). "TV chief rejects bishops' boycott call over 'tasteless' cartoon". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 2006-07-06.
- ^ "Catholics urge South Park boycott". BBC News. 2006-02-21. Retrieved 2006-07-06.
- ^ Errol Kiong; Martin Johnston (2006-02-22). "Church outrage as cartoon to air tonight". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 2006-07-06.
- The Dominion Post. Archived from the originalon 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2006-07-06.
- NZPA. 2006-02-23. Archived from the originalon 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2006-07-06.
- The Dominion Post. Archived from the originalon 2007-05-01. Retrieved 2006-07-06.
- ^ "BSA Releases South Park Decision" (Press release). Broadcast Standards Authority. 2006-06-30. Archived from the original on 2006-08-13. Retrieved 2006-07-06.
- ^ "Catholic bishops to appeal South Park decision". The New Zealand Herald. 2006-07-12. Retrieved 2006-07-12.
- ^ "Muslim cartoon controversy prompts SBS reversal on South Park". Church Resources. 2006-02-16. Archived from the original on August 25, 2006. Retrieved 2006-07-06.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Wikiquote-logo.svg/34px-Wikiquote-logo.svg.png)
- "Bloody Mary" Full episode at South Park Studios
- "Bloody Mary" at IMDb
- First discovery of episode being pulled