AUCKLAND – While facets of the Muslim world have been inflamed for weeks over a handful of Danish newspaper cartoons, CanWest Global is facing its own tiny tempest over the next episode of South Park, titled "Bloody Mary" airing on one of its TV stations there, C4.
According to numerous reports, debate is raging among Christians in New Zealand – Catholic bishops are calling for a boycott – over the episode where a bleeding statue of the Virgin Mary is the main subject (Mary is actually menstruating in the episode in question).
South Park is known for taking shots (often vulgar) at virtually everything. Every bit of conventional wisdom has been stood on its head and about every religion, ethnic group and so on have faced the often stinging, and funny, wrath of the show’s writers. This time the kids of South Park Colorado are taking aim at the Catholic faith.
However, even Helen Clark, the Prime Minister of the country – a stated agnostic – said she found the cartoon offensive.
The episode will air in May, a CanWest New Zealand executive told newspapers there.
