Tuesday, March 18, 2008 | Reason : In the News | print version

Religious groups want Russian cartoon channel shut down

by CBC News

Thanks to Michael Morgan for the link.

http://www.cbc.ca/arts/tv/story/2008/03/16/russian-cartoons.html?ref=rss

Religious groups want Russian cartoon channel shut down

For a second time in two weeks, religious groups have called for the closure of Russia's cartoon channel 2X2.

Christian and Muslim groups are demanding that 2X2 be shut down because it airs cartoons, such as South Park, which they deem to be anti-religious, violent as well as promoting homosexuality.

The Consultative Council of the Heads of the Protestant Churches in Russia is urging the country's top prosecutor Yury Chaika to intervene.

"Through the use of cartoons this channel is pumping, day and night, an ideology into the consciousness of minors of perversion and other vices," said the council in a statement released this week.

Umar-Khazrat Idrisov, the head of a regional Muslim association, has called on the country's Federal Culture and Cinematography Agency to strip 2X2 of its licence. "Destructive energy" should not be aired on TV said Idrisov.

"The Federal Culture and Cinematography Agency may be able to control the activities of our channel, but the Protestants cannot," said Yekaterina Doglosheveva, head of corporate affairs for Prof-Media — the company that owns 2X2.

The channel, which has about a 2 per cent audience share, has said its target audience is men aged 16 to 30, not children.

"We live in a fully secular, not puritan state," Doglosheveva told the Russian news agency Interfax.

"The atheists could have just as well written a letter to demand that all religious channels and programs be closed. We work respecting the constitution, we do not violate the law."

Earlier this month, 2X2 pulled American cartoons Happy Tree Friends and The Adventures of Big Jeff from its schedules after an official complaint from government watchdog, Rossvyazokhrankulutra, that the cartoons were too cruel and violent.

The MTV channel in Russia also shows South Park, but has not been targeted by the Protestant group.

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1. Comment #145960 by Gymnopedie on March 18, 2008 at 12:09 pm

Oh, those silly New Atheists and their damned cartoons. Let's riot. Who's with me?

Other Comments by Gymnopedie

2. Comment #145964 by Geoff on March 18, 2008 at 12:11 pm

Christian and Muslim groups are demanding that 2X2 be shut down because it airs cartoons, such as South Park, which they deem to be anti-religious, violent as well as promoting homosexuality.

I hope everyone else is demanding that Christian and Muslim groups are shut down because they promote homophobia.

Other Comments by Geoff

3. Comment #145973 by JamesDB on March 18, 2008 at 12:25 pm

Damn straight they should show south park. I don't think there is a funnier show out there making fun of religious people on a regular basis.

If they cancel this channel they need to cancel the religious ones too just like doglosheveva said. Religious people seem to forget the road goes both ways.

Other Comments by JamesDB

4. Comment #145984 by Dax on March 18, 2008 at 12:53 pm

Wait, you don't hear people complain when South Park makes fun of non-religious people, do you? I mean, Dawkins response to his cartoon version on TV was simple that they got the accent wrong. I didn't see him and other atheists burning US embassies and such.

That's why South Park is awesome: they say what they want to say, whether you agree with the makers or not.

Ah, religion, the get-out-of-ridicule-and-criticism-free card.

Other Comments by Dax

5. Comment #145989 by MrPickwick on March 18, 2008 at 12:59 pm

Who can still doubt that religion turn people into morons?

Other Comments by MrPickwick

6. Comment #145995 by JemyM on March 18, 2008 at 1:09 pm

How do you "promote homosexuality"? Do you promote genes or do you promote the freedom to live as you were born?

Other Comments by JemyM

7. Comment #146005 by Inferno on March 18, 2008 at 1:17 pm

All I have to say about this is that "Rossvyazokhrankulutra" is a damn cool name for a screen name.

Other Comments by Inferno

8. Comment #146012 by Heretic on March 18, 2008 at 1:28 pm

Wait, you don't hear people complain when South Park makes fun of non-religious people, do you? I mean, Dawkins response to his cartoon version on TV was simple that they got the accent wrong. I didn't see him and other atheists burning US embassies and such.

It was a terrible attempt at a 'British' accent. I do love South Park though.

Other Comments by Heretic

9. Comment #146019 by movingshadow on March 18, 2008 at 1:42 pm

they still make south park? christ

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10. Comment #146024 by Bobington on March 18, 2008 at 1:44 pm

Actually we were going to burn some US embassies but decided to go watch a movie instead.

Other Comments by Bobington

11. Comment #146028 by troodon on March 18, 2008 at 1:48 pm

Someone should make up some information flyers, with lots of simple diagrams and pictures, to show those Christians and Muslims how to push the TV "off" switch, or change the channel using all those fancy high-tech buttons on their remotes. I know that's pretty complicated stuff to grasp, but with the right training they may get it.

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12. Comment #146035 by Colwyn Abernathy on March 18, 2008 at 1:55 pm

Boo fucking hoo. I can't stand 700 Club, yet Robertson's perfectly free to produce and air it, despite how vile it is.

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13. Comment #146037 by Colwyn Abernathy on March 18, 2008 at 1:57 pm

Actually we were going to burn some US embassies but decided to go watch a movie instead.

Who's up for some 300?

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14. Comment #146053 by AtheistAspy on March 18, 2008 at 2:31 pm

"Through the use of cartoons this channel is pumping, day and night, an ideology into the consciousness of minors of perversion and other vices," said the council in a statement released this week.

The channel, which has about a 2 per cent audience share, has said its target audience is men aged 16 to 30, not children.

But, what about the children!?

Only the faithful would nanny adults.

Other Comments by AtheistAspy

15. Comment #146059 by FightingFalcon on March 18, 2008 at 2:42 pm

Never thought I'd be on the same side of an issue as the Russian gov't but there's a first time for everything...

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16. Comment #146060 by alexlg on March 18, 2008 at 2:49 pm

As always with Russians it's the politics and power that are the underlying things to look for.

This channel is one of the very few home-grown independant media outfits. The government doesn't like these sort of things much.

Non-government organizations are also being squeezed by the Kremlin. But, they can get in Putin's/Medvedev's good books by putting the boot in.

It's significant that they have not complained about any channels that are state owned.

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17. Comment #146073 by Slyer on March 18, 2008 at 3:16 pm

Yeah the two South Park episode that makes fun of Atheism are quite odd, they portray Richard having gay sex with Mr Garrison as he was under the impression that he was a woman. Half of the episodes is based in the future where everyone are Atheists and they argue over what to call themselves, each claim they have the most superior science and end up killing each other over it. Just a taaaaad wrong, but still funny.
Where did Richard respond to it?

"The atheists could have just as well written a letter to demand that all religious channels and programs be closed. We work respecting the constitution, we do not violate the law."
Amen to that, those bastards and their double standards.

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18. Comment #146129 by FightingFalcon on March 18, 2008 at 4:35 pm

Slyer - the episodes of South Park that you refer to (the Atheist wars) I think has a deeper point than that. I think their ultimate point is that wars will continue regardless of religion, given the nature of mankind.

In this aspect, I'm inclined to agree with the Trey Parker and Matt Stone (the writers/creators of South Park). My only stipulation would be that religion adds an amplification of warfare - thanks to beliefs in eternal salvation and overbearing propaganda purposes - that wouldn't be there without it. Sure, wars would still continue, but on a smaller scale and with less frequency. IMHO.

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19. Comment #146166 by paulcaira on March 18, 2008 at 5:44 pm

Isn't promoting homosexuality like promoting size 11 feet?

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20. Comment #146180 by GordonYKWong on March 18, 2008 at 5:58 pm

They canned "Happy Tree Friends"? Are they insane???

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21. Comment #146181 by yyuryyub on March 18, 2008 at 5:58 pm

I hope they also show: Family Guy, Drawn Together, Harvey Birdman, Bromwell High that should get the censors nice and pink.

Happy Tree Friends and Friends banned? I thought innocuous and innocent on the outside/violent and repressive on the inside would be right up both Russia's and the religious' alley.

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22. Comment #146183 by Goldy on March 18, 2008 at 6:02 pm

I never realised Russia allowed protestant churches. I thought the Orthodox Church saw them as a dangerous western import and sought to ban them. Imagine, the banned trying to ban things...

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23. Comment #146205 by Ian Bamlett on March 18, 2008 at 6:51 pm

Where's Stalin when you need him?

Off to Siberia with them!

:-)

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24. Comment #146206 by Wosret on March 18, 2008 at 6:53 pm

This is rather strange, I either thought that the Muslims didn't care about cartoons (that don't depict their holy figures) or took a long time to take action.

"Onii-sama" (big brother "onii", with formal or most polite version of "san," "sama") aired on Arabic networks, and ran through the length of the episodes. While being pulled from the air in france only after 26 episodes, for it's extreme adult content, spaning accross just about any adult theme you can think of.

It must be them working with the christians, who are notorious for trying to get stuff pulled off of the air.

I would think south part is tame in comparison. Not to mention it's comedy, and it by no means promotes homosexuality. The gay character is about the most fuck up human being on earth.

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25. Comment #146211 by Wosret on March 18, 2008 at 7:05 pm

Since south park is brought up. I used to like the show when I was younger, and it was funny. Now they just do what they did with the "Atheist Wars" in almost every episode, either they simply slander someone they don't like for a half hour, or they caricature and straw-man a position. Argue a point no one opposed, and then act like they have figured something out.

Yes, wars would continue without religion, who exactly said that they wouldn't? It was about Dawkins, so presumably he did, only he didn't.

This is what I have come to expect from south park. I prefer their slander episodes, to their trying for make a point episodes.

Other Comments by Wosret

26. Comment #146220 by the_ultimate_samurai on March 18, 2008 at 7:34 pm

its comedy, you have to expect a level of over simplification and characture...sometimes they have a nice point sometimes its just humerous nonesense that only an idiot would try to impose a point on. its part and parcel with the series.

also to the person who said without religion the wars would be less frequent i dont even think thats true, but i dont think religion will go away either, i think if you got rid of all existing religions new ones would take their place, its the human condition to want something to unconditionaly accept and believe, the human brain has a tendancy to be lazy and it likes things to be as fixed as possible, the brain always seeks the area of least resistance and does not like changing regularly, this is more true the older you get (as the brain become more rigid and specialized, one reason learning decreases with age)
some set of ideals set in stone and unchanging, some point of reference is needed for people and they want to pass that to their child.

for that and many other reasons, religion will never go away, it can only be transfered to some other superstition.

(though i may be wrong...im not sure how superstitious switzerland is, though they mark as being low in religion, most dont count other superstitions)

Other Comments by the_ultimate_samurai

27. Comment #146223 by Goldy on March 18, 2008 at 7:37 pm

.....though they mark as being low in religion, most dont count other superstitions

Ask a mainland Chinese person what they are and I guess most will say they are athiest. But by 'eck are they superstitious!

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28. Comment #146227 by dragonfirematrix on March 18, 2008 at 7:46 pm

I think this whole religion thing is a mess.

One article (presumably supported by the religious) claiming the religious are happier people than the non-religious people, and this article demonstrating how unhappy and complaining the religious are about... even CARTOONS!

If I remember correctly, the Christians in America complained up to the eyeballs about Sponge Bob. I believe there was also much fanatic discontent over "Harry Potter," "The Compass," "South Park," and I am sure more. I kinda vaguely remember some fuss over the Smurfs, whom I dearly love. OMG, I almost forgot the flap over "The Little Mermaid."

I offer the following television standard lesson plan written expressly for the religious:

LESSON ONE (3 credit hours): "The Channel Changer Made Simple"

LESSON TWO (3 credit hours): "The Power-Off Button And How It Really Works"

Remedial classes are also available. Tutoring will cost more. Evening labs are also offered.

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29. Comment #146230 by Wosret on March 18, 2008 at 7:49 pm

What? No "how to mind your own fucking business 101"?

Other Comments by Wosret

30. Comment #146323 by Bigorra on March 19, 2008 at 12:39 am

I remember the episode of South Park where Big Gay Al was kicked out of the Boy Scouts because he was gay. After a protest, and the scout group being overtaken by a militaristic pedophile, he was allowed to return. He thanked the boys for their support, but declined to return because he saw it as the right of the Boy Scouts not to accept him if they didn't want to have him, even though he loved being a scoutmaster. That's the sort of intolerance South Park displays. Perhaps by showing Big Gay Al as a reasonable, kind, intelligent, caring person they were encouraging homosexuality. In fact, they may be showing him in this positive light since everyone knows that being a homosexual is widely accepted and much easier socially than being straight, so naturally anybody seeing Big Gay Al would ask themselves, "Where do I sign up?"
South Park is an equal opportunity offender. Every religious group has been ridiculed. Every social position has been ridiculed. As George Carlin points out, anything can be funny--it depends on the context of the joke.

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31. Comment #146332 by Koreman on March 19, 2008 at 1:03 am

That's weird. I was told that Stalin was a typical fundamentalist atheist who deliberately wiped away religion completely.

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32. Comment #146341 by alfonso on March 19, 2008 at 1:20 am

I love the reply:

"The atheists could have just as well written a letter to demand that all religious channels and programs be closed. We work respecting the constitution, we do not violate the law."

it is such a simple idea, isn't it, but the religious ones consistently fail to see it!!!

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33. Comment #146428 by Gibster on March 19, 2008 at 4:38 am

The Consultative Council of the Heads of Protestant Churches in Russia sent a letter to Chaika on Wednesday, accusing 2x2 of promoting "cruelty, violence, homosexual propaganda, religious hatred and intolerance" by airing cartoons such as "South Park,"...

It might be a good idea if those bozos actually watched the show.

Cruelty ? No, it might show it, but it does not promote it.
Violence ? Same.
Homosexual propaganda ? If "propaganda" means treating people like equals, then they're guilty.
Religious hatred ? Appropriate lack of respect certainly. Hatred ? Definately not.
Intolerance ? Emphatically not. They're all for tolerance. It's the heads of the protestant churches that are against tolerance.

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34. Comment #147245 by Luis_Cayetano on March 20, 2008 at 4:28 am

"Christian and Muslim groups are demanding that 2X2 be shut down because it airs cartoons, such as South Park, which they deem to be anti-religious, violent as well as promoting homosexuality."

Then change the channel, fuck wits.

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