Trey and Matt make fun of celebs and other taboos, and say they will probably get in real trouble some day (for their calamities). |
"What we want on the air, we send on the air. We won't give up until we're killed." says Matt and Trey, brains behind the series South Park.
The sharp duo met the press in Bergen wednesday afternoon. They are in town to discuss their hit series "South Park", the animated series that is not afraid of making fun of everything between heaven and earth.
DISPLAYED PICTURES OF MUHAMMED
"The last major controversy was the pictures of Muhammed. But we never thought about leaving them out. This is the way it has to be, because its what South Park is based on. Why shouldnt we make fun of 'these' when we make fun of everybody else?" says Trey Parker.
In a "South Park" episode they showed a picture of the prophet muhammed, in the middle of the ruckus of the aftermath of the norwegian and danish media's display (of same person). Although the picture was actually replaced by a message from the network telling they did not want to broadcast pictures of the prophet.
For Parker and Stone there is nothing that should not be made fun of, and they are not afraid of mocking the muslims.
"No- we've pissed off the scientologist, and they are much worse than the muslims" grins Trey Parker.
'how would you comment on Norway and norwegians in South Park?'
we havent been here long enough, but by 12.00 friday we should know, says Trey Parker.
TOM CRUISE IN THE CLOSET
Even though he's being diplomatic and bragging about norwegians, Parker and workmate Matt Stone have had their battles with alot of people over their satiric series. Tom Cruise rattled his sabres when he unwillingly got a lead role in an episode, and Isaac Hayes withdrew from the series after they lampooned the scientologists.
"On all tv-stations, there are people we can call standards people. We argue with these people every week, and it usually improved the show.
"Our first ideas are usually too straightforward," says Trey parker, and continues :
"- If we say Tom Cruise is gonna be on, and he's gonna be real gay, then "they" say we cant do that because hes not out of the closet. Then we say 'what if we make it so hes not out of the closet'. Then they say "you cant do that either, because hes not in the closet". Then we say "what if hes litterally IN a closet, but wont come out ?" Then they say "that you can do". This way the ideas improve by someone holding us within some borders (he says).
DISAGGREEMENTS WITH CHEF
When it comes to hollywood we have more freedom than anyone else in that city. We practically own Comedy Central, and have been there long enough to see people come and go. We do what we want. Our scripts are always checked - for legal reasons, but what we want on the air, goes on air. We have the final call. Its a luxury even the A-list celebrities of hollywood have to do without, says Stone and Parker.
A couple of months ago thing went sour between them and Isaac Hayes, voice of Chef. -the scientologists are someone we wanted to make fun of for years, but we liked Isaac and didnt want to offend him. But we got this really good idea, and just had to go with it. If we hadnt, we would have been hipocrites. We didnt tell Isaac, but made the episode in secrecy , and then suddenly it was on the air. Well, its been an interesting tour/ride since, giggles Parker.
We havent seen Isaac since. The only thing we heard from him was the press statement.
The only taboo they havent stepped all over - that they can think of - is the muslim organisation nation of Islam.
SADDAM HAS A GOOD SENSE OF HUMOUR
-We never set out against them (NoI). In america they are like a holy cow. We might get killed if we mess with the Nation of Islam. We go on until we get killed. Well get ourselves murdered in some way or another, chuckles Matt Stone.
-For eight years people have said that were gonna get ourselves killed, when we messed with Saddam and the scientologists. But we are still here. - Shows us that saddam has a sense of humour.
The duo never goes to celebrity parties, with the exception of the Oscars last year, when they arrived in dresses. Maybe because they spend so much of their time making fun of celebrities.
-We always make fun of the phenomena of celebrity. They go to the oscars and behave like they are gods. But in the end they are the dumbest people on earth, says Trey Parker.
"South Park"-creators Stone (right) and Parker gave a lecture in Bergen today. There they saud that they drew mohammed 4 years ago, but were sensored. |
The Soutpark-creators dont regret drawing charicatures of Mohammed or making fun of Tom Cruise.
BERGEN (Dagbladet.no): South Park is one of the world's most popular animated series. Today Parker and Stone, creators of the series, talked about how they have worked on the series. They told us anything can be made fun of, and that they dont regret anything over the series 10 year run.
"Well, I have regrets after every episode. We are never absolutely pleased with what we create. Thats what its like being an artist. Thats why we need deadlines. If not, wed still be working on episode 13. Apart from that, we dont have any regrets", says Stone to Dagbladet.no.
'Nothing over 10 years ?' - "nothing" says Parker.
WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO SHOW MUHAMMED
The controversional mohammed-drawings became a subject during the conversation the Artists had with the audience in Grieghallen in Bergen today. Parker and Stone told that they made and episode that pictured muhammed 4 years ago. In the episode Muhammed went to a camp for religious figures, had superpowers and could turn himself into a beaver.
They dont regret that today.
"-we had to do the muhammed-drawings, if not we would have regretted not doing it"
The South Park-creators recently made a shot at drawing Muhammed again, but this time they were stopped by Comedy Centrals lawyers, that told them it couldnt be done.
The episode had to be altered, in such a way that the screen goes dark during the few seconds Muhammed was supposed to appear, with a text explaining that the network did not want to show the drawings.
"-The lawyers at the network are the only people that get sent the manuscripts of the episodes". "They tell us if any of the things we want to do that we might get sued for". "In those cases, we alter the episode". "Some of the things that can pass and some that are stopped, suprise us at times".
Hayes' son wanted to take over
Today the creators showed 2 episodes that had been banned by the Comedy Central network. One of them being the one where Tom Cruise and the church of Scientology gets hammered. R. Kelly, Nicole Kidman and John Travolta also show up.
"It was incredible after that episode. I remember people on CNN discussing whether we would be sued or not".
"But we were safe. Everything in that episode was fine-tuned so there was no way we could be sued", says Stone.
Isaac Hayes, the voice of Chef in the series, is a Scientologist, and did not like that episode. He therefore withdrew from the series. After this Stone and Parker have made an episode where Chef dies after first being brainwashed into a pedophile.
Isaac Hayes son actually called us and said he could do the voice, Parker informed an amused crowd in Grieghallen in Bergen.
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"-Believe it or not, but there are limits to what we want to show on South Park" say Matt Stone and Trey Parker. Ten years after the creation of the successful tv-series, they still enjoy working on it.
"There are people that are employed to tell us what we cant do. Cursing and nudity is a no go. But we still have more freedom than anybody else in the business of television. If we insist that something be aired, it will be aired. That is luxury, say Parker and Stone.
The creators of South Park are in Bergen to participate in "Nordiske mediedager". (Nordic Media Days) Friday they will lecture on "how we made South Park". -The series is considered controversial in the US, but is revered and loved by millions of youth in Norway.
Tom Cruise had enough
Tom Cruise is one of the celebrities that have been given a hard time, amongst other things for his connection to the church of Scientology.
"- We had a brainstorm and wondered if we could show Tom Cruise as an ultra-fag. The reply was that we could get sued and therefore we couldnt do it. Neither could we comment on him coming out of the closet. But to show him - literally - in a closet - that we could do", say Parker and Stone laughing.
Cruise didnt like the episode, and had it taken off the air in Great Britain.
The man behind the character Chef - the beefy cook always giving sound advice to the children of South Park - found he could no longer work on the show. Isaac Hayes, being a Scientologist himself has broken all connection with his former friends because he thinks they go too far in ridiculing religion.
"We havent talked to Isaac after he left the series in March. But we just couldn't refrain from making that episode even though it could mean hurting a friend. It would have been hypocritical."
HAVENT HEARD FROM SADDAM
"Some celebs think we are out to get them, but thats not the point. Its the idea of celebrities being compared to gods we make fun of".
Saddam Hussein and Kim Jung-Il have so far not come forward with any protests on their portrayals on the show.
"We havent heard from them, but I know Kim loves movies, so maybe hes seen it. We have given thought to that".
They tell of intensive work before every episode.
"Every week we have very little time and there is always the feeling that its never gonna work. Its not gonna be funny, it'll be the worst episode ever". "Its like that every time. Thats how the show gets done".
The duo would love to make another South Park movie, but so far have not found the time between doing the show for TV.
"We feel like a musical band. Every season is like a new album"