MRC pulls Kanye West doc: ‘We cannot support any content that amplifies his platform’
MRC has ordered a 15-minute stop-motion documentary about South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone as well as the show’s creator Trey Parker, due to the latter’s strong objection to it.
Parker and Stone are both featured in the documentary, titled The South Park Study of Hate: The Influence of a Television Comedy Series on Its Hosts: Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Parker and Stone have objected to the film on free speech grounds, claiming it will serve as “a platform for the amplification of his content.” The filmmakers also object to the film’s use of graphic violence.
“We believe that Mr. Parker, Mr. Stone and co. have a fundamental right to free speech,” a representative for MRC wrote in a letter to the filmmakers. “As the custodian of this film, we are prohibited from using any content which might serve as a platform for Mr. Parker’s views or Mr. Stone’s views.”
The filmmakers are hoping to raise money on Indiegogo in order to release the documentary.
Parker and Stone aren’t the first to complain about the documentary. In 2017, the filmmakers were forced to remove a scene in which one of them had been arrested.
In 2014, the two artists were sued by a man who alleged that the South Park creators had stolen two posters he had designed of him. The posters were subsequently used in other art projects.
The filmmakers aren’t the only musicians to have faced threats; in 2009, the Beastie Boys canceled a concert at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in response to threats from a “white supremacist” group.
In 1991, Jay Dee filed a lawsuit against Dethklok, accusing them of creating a false image of him, claiming the group portrayed him as gay. The band eventually issued a countersuit.
Parker and Stone made The Simpsons a household name in the 1990s — “The Simpsons” was the first cable television series to have its own YouTube channel, and the episode “Bart Versus the Band” was the second most watched episode ever on Fox. More recently, though, the duo has been more active