If you think the musical skewers Mormons, though, think again. Parker and Stone do challenge the literal credibility of the story of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But the Mormons they write about come across as lovable and optimistic.
“I don’t think anybody would want to see a two-hour-long Mormon-bashing, and we wouldn’t want to see that either,” Parker tells Fresh Air’s Terry Gross. “We love the goofiness of Mormon stories. Some of them are incredulous, and we loved almost all the Mormons that we had ever met. So this was sort of this conundrum that we like to talk about — we think what they believe is really, really ridiculous, and yet they seem like pretty happy people.”
…
Along with critical acclaim, the musical has received largely positive feedback from Mormons who have seen the show, Parker says.
"The official church response was something along the lines of ‘The Book of Mormon the musical might entertain you for a night, but the Book of Mormon,’ — the book as scripture — ‘will change your life through Jesus,’ " Stone says. “Which we actually completely agree with. The Mormon church’s response to this musical is almost like our Q.E.D. at the end of it. That’s a cool, American response to a ribbing — a big musical that’s done in their name.”
“Before the church responded, a lot of people would ask us, ‘Are you afraid of what the church would say?’ And Trey and I were like, ‘They’re going to be cool.’ And they were like, ‘No, they’re not. There are going to be protests.’ And we were like, ‘Nope, they’re going to be cool.’ We weren’t that surprised by the church’s response. We had faith in them.”
This amounts to the way that I look at my dog. It’s loveable and outwardly friendly, but also stupid and destructive and terrible at driving. This isn’t an indictment, it’s a sincere and level-headed critique from an agnostic perspective on religion from a time before people needed to SLAM others for attention.
Sure. But then you still love your dog. And if you’re writing love letters to your dog in your televised comedy, that sticks out. Especially when the other half of your episodes involve cartoonishly shoving firecrackers up your neighbor’s cat’s asshole.
I don’t know that I can describe what 2000s and 2010s satire was like in a way that folks not around for it could understand. Following the episode where you point out how stupid a religion’s premise is with “only Mormons get into heaven” is meant to be taken as a joke.
Following the episode where you point out how stupid a religion’s premise is
While shamelessly glazing its members. Gary, the Mormon counterpart to the South Park gang is Twilight Vampire levels of perfect at everything. The punchline of the whole episode is that the dogma of the religion doesn’t matter, because the practitioners are these perfect, charming, innocent people. And you’re all kinda assholes for bringing up their religion to begin with.
Like, that’s the joke. The final beat of the episode is laughing at you, the audience, for thinking Mormons aren’t cool.
If you think South Park or the creators have ever praised Mormonism, you have completely missed the satire and point of every Mormon related episode of the show, every movie they have made, and especially their Broadway musical, The Book of Mormon.
If you think South Park or the creators have ever praised Mormonism
They straight up literally have. Repeatedly and frequently. Matt and Trey having Cartoon God explicitly state that he’s only letting Mormons into Heaven is about as much glowing praise as a cartoon about Satan having anal sex with Saddam Hussein and Donald Trump can churn out.
Put up against Britney Spears blowing her own head of with a shotgun and George Clooney asphyxiating on the smug farts of his electric car, and it really stands out.
The Book of Mormon
A stage play that collaborated with the Mormon Church to prostelatyze.
Throw a few dick jokes into Shen Yun and its still propaganda. This is a story of Mormon Missionaries going abroad and helping a bunch of backwards primitive Africans find entitlement through (a comic reinterpretation of) the Mormon faith.
What really fucking sucks is realizing South Park’s creators seem to believe this unironically.
I’m always pulled back to their endless transphobia and gay baiting when compared to their love-in with Mormons.
Wait, are you trying to say that the creators of South Park like Mormonism?
If you think the musical skewers Mormons, though, think again. Parker and Stone do challenge the literal credibility of the story of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But the Mormons they write about come across as lovable and optimistic.
“I don’t think anybody would want to see a two-hour-long Mormon-bashing, and we wouldn’t want to see that either,” Parker tells Fresh Air’s Terry Gross. “We love the goofiness of Mormon stories. Some of them are incredulous, and we loved almost all the Mormons that we had ever met. So this was sort of this conundrum that we like to talk about — we think what they believe is really, really ridiculous, and yet they seem like pretty happy people.”
…
Along with critical acclaim, the musical has received largely positive feedback from Mormons who have seen the show, Parker says.
"The official church response was something along the lines of ‘The Book of Mormon the musical might entertain you for a night, but the Book of Mormon,’ — the book as scripture — ‘will change your life through Jesus,’ " Stone says. “Which we actually completely agree with. The Mormon church’s response to this musical is almost like our Q.E.D. at the end of it. That’s a cool, American response to a ribbing — a big musical that’s done in their name.”
“Before the church responded, a lot of people would ask us, ‘Are you afraid of what the church would say?’ And Trey and I were like, ‘They’re going to be cool.’ And they were like, ‘No, they’re not. There are going to be protests.’ And we were like, ‘Nope, they’re going to be cool.’ We weren’t that surprised by the church’s response. We had faith in them.”
This amounts to the way that I look at my dog. It’s loveable and outwardly friendly, but also stupid and destructive and terrible at driving. This isn’t an indictment, it’s a sincere and level-headed critique from an agnostic perspective on religion from a time before people needed to SLAM others for attention.
Sure. But then you still love your dog. And if you’re writing love letters to your dog in your televised comedy, that sticks out. Especially when the other half of your episodes involve cartoonishly shoving firecrackers up your neighbor’s cat’s asshole.
I don’t know that I can describe what 2000s and 2010s satire was like in a way that folks not around for it could understand. Following the episode where you point out how stupid a religion’s premise is with “only Mormons get into heaven” is meant to be taken as a joke.
While shamelessly glazing its members. Gary, the Mormon counterpart to the South Park gang is Twilight Vampire levels of perfect at everything. The punchline of the whole episode is that the dogma of the religion doesn’t matter, because the practitioners are these perfect, charming, innocent people. And you’re all kinda assholes for bringing up their religion to begin with.
Like, that’s the joke. The final beat of the episode is laughing at you, the audience, for thinking Mormons aren’t cool.
“Dumb religion, decent people” pretty succinctly describes my impression of Mormons. I really take no issue.
It’s the second part you’ll struggle with. Any ex-Mormon can tell you the details.
If you think South Park or the creators have ever praised Mormonism, you have completely missed the satire and point of every Mormon related episode of the show, every movie they have made, and especially their Broadway musical, The Book of Mormon.
They straight up literally have. Repeatedly and frequently. Matt and Trey having Cartoon God explicitly state that he’s only letting Mormons into Heaven is about as much glowing praise as a cartoon about Satan having anal sex with Saddam Hussein and Donald Trump can churn out.
Put up against Britney Spears blowing her own head of with a shotgun and George Clooney asphyxiating on the smug farts of his electric car, and it really stands out.
A stage play that collaborated with the Mormon Church to prostelatyze.
Throw a few dick jokes into Shen Yun and its still propaganda. This is a story of Mormon Missionaries going abroad and helping a bunch of backwards primitive Africans find entitlement through (a comic reinterpretation of) the Mormon faith.
Rudyard Kipling could hardly have done worse.
Remember how South Park Kanye reacted to the gay fish joke? This guy right here ☝🏻
Making jokes about trans people is not transphobia.
The Steven Crowder Defense is a classic
Really comedy gold
“Just because you’d offended doesn’t mean you’re right.”