Isaac Hayes: Hypocrite?

[SzczerbiakManiac]

Originally Posted by Sarah Hall of Yahoo! News
Isaac Hayes, who has voiced the highly sexed cafeteria employee on the irreverent series since 1997, issued a statement Monday indicating that he has requested to be released from his contract due to what he called the show's "inappropriate ridicule of religious communities."

"There is a place in this world for satire, but there is a time when satire ends and intolerance and bigotry towards religious beliefs of others begins," the soul legend said. "Religious beliefs are sacred to people and at all times should be respected and honored. As a civil rights activist of the past 40 years, I cannot support a show that disrespects those beliefs and practices."

Though Hayes, a devout Scientologist, made no reference to specific episodes that he felt crossed the line, series creator Matt Stone had little doubt that Hayes' decision was triggered by the November 2005 episode "Trapped in the Closet," which satirized the religion's beliefs and practices and featured "cameos" by animated versions of Tom Cruise and John Travolta.

"This is 100 percent having to do with his faith of Scientology," Stone told the Associated Press. "He has no problem—and he's cashed plenty of checks—with our show making fun of Christians."
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Past episodes of South Park have skewered Catholics, Jews and Mormons, among others. However, according to Stone, he and Parker "never heard a peep out of Isaac in any way until we did Scientology.

"He wants a different standard for religions other than his own, and to me, that is where intolerance and bigotry begin," Stone told the Associated Press.
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In January 2006, Hayes told the New York Daily News that he loved the "humor in it, the audacity of Matt and Trey."

"Nobody is exempt from their humor," he said. "They're equal-opportunity offenders. Don't be offended by it. If you take it too seriously, you have problems."

It seems the silky-voiced crooner may have neglected to take his own advice.

I really liked Chef and (assuming they don't get a replacement for him) I will miss seeing him on the show. But Hayes' departure just reeks of hypocritical bullshït—something I've grown to be accustomed to when dealing with Hollywood's Scientologists.