So long Chef

I was really bummed to read this story about South Park.

Issac Hayes , the voice of South Park's cafeteria chef, says he will not do anymore shows for the crude cartoon after an episode which poked fun at the Scientology religion.

"Religious beliefs are sacred to people, and at all times should be respected and honored," he continued. "As a civil rights activist of the past 40 years, I cannot support a show that disrespects those beliefs and practices."

Hayes, who is a Scientologist, says he is leaving because the show is getting a out of hand, but I would imagine after the Scientology episode he got pressure to stop doing the episodes from his fellow members.

This can be the only explanation that wouldn't paint Hayes as a hyprocrite and a douchebag. He had no problem doing shows, since 1997, that made fun of Christianity, Mormonism, Catholocism, and Islam not to mention other sensitive topics the show tackles like obesity, homosexuality, promiscuousness and foul language. As a 'civil rights activist' he never gave shit back then about all the satire the show was airing.

From a July 1999 interview:

"Hey, let me tell you I worked years to achieve artistic excellence," Hayes says, "and then all of a sudden, I get involved in this stupid, crazy, insane cartoon and now I'm hotter than I've ever been. I love it. I love it."

Yeah, it took a while for Hayes to reach artistic excellence, especially with these craptacular movies in his resume: "Six Ways to Sunday" (1996), "Flipper" (1996), "Johnny Mnemonic" (1995), "Robin Hood: Men in Tights" (1993). He won an Oscar back in 1971 for "Shaft" and he finally got inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.

I would expect that unless you listen to Soul music, this will be the last we see of Isaac Hayes.

*Update
Last nights episode left little to ponder as Chef was converted to pedephilia by brainwashing safarians, brought back to normalcy by the children in a strip joint, then left for dead, impaled at the bottom of a revene as a coyote and a bear fight over his burned, broken and horribly mangled body. There were many allegorical references including a link between the brainwashing club Chef joined and the Scientology religion Hayes is a member of. I think Stan got it right when he said alhtough Chef acted very strange the last days of his life, it is his music, advice, and colorful past that should be remembered.