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Review : The Passion of the Jew on DVD
Last week the DVD of Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ came out. I saw that they had a whole bunch of similarly packaged movies on DVD designed to ride the wave. I picked up Jesus Christ Superstar which is one of the only musicals that I like. Comedy Central packaged the South Park episode The Passion of the Jew into a DVD to get a piece of that big Passion pie.
In the episode the South Park boys go see the Passion of the Christ and they are motivated and inspired in different ways. Kyle is shocked and conflicted with his Jewish upbringing. Cartman starts a "Passion of the Christ Fan Clubs" that worships Mel Gibson and marches in the streets while chanting in German (but they mob thinks it is Aramaic). Stan and Kenny think that the movie was not entertaining and they set out to get their $18 back from Mel Gibson.
Satire is important and it can be a filter for reflection of society and the current issues. It is as old as Shakespeare and ancient Greece. I know that South Park is not as graceful and eloquent as Richard the Third and Homer but it gets the job of holding up a mirror to society done. Sure it is low-brow, rude and crude but it is damn fine satire and is successful at discussing controversial issues and viewpoints with a sense of humor, regardless about how wry it can be. Some of the issues brought up is that it is impossible to criticize The Passion of the Christ with out it being interpreted as being critical of Christianity dogma as a whole. The portrayal of negative stereotypes in the media are discussed with a very fine fourth wall between the cast and the screen.
This is a pretty bare bones DVD with the South Park episode The Passion of the Jew with Christian Hard Rock and Red Hot Catholic Love. There are no subtitles, trailers or any extras of any kind but this DVD can hold it's own. My absolutely favorite part of the show is during the nightmare sequence where Kyle is imagining himself torturing Jesus there is a photo of Alan Alda mixed in for a brief moment. It is a total no-sequator and it makes me laugh. South Park is good satire and it is getting better as it goes.
Jake at September 6, 2004 
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Comments
I'm not much of a South Park fan, but I have to admit that that episode was just hillarious.
Posted by: Jessica at September 7, 2004 6:44 AM
I'm not a south park fan at all. What i am is a Jesus Christ follower. I know that south park makes fun of everything but to drag Jesus's name thru the mud is going to far. I'm pretty sure thier intentions was to make people laugh but the purpose of the film(passion)is for all of us to see what God in flesh (Jesus) did for us on the cross. Read the book of John (3:16). Thier was no other way for us to redeem ourselves, thats why Jesus himself had to come to die in our place so we can accept him as our Lord and Savior by faith alone. Thiers nothing we can do to inherit the Kingdom of God except by accepting his only Son Jesus Christ. We all can come to him he will NOT turn anyone away. Remember God loves the sinner not the sin. Take care and may God Bless you and all your family.
Posted by: Jesus Follower at September 8, 2004 8:17 PM
You realize that God probably has a sense of humor right?
Posted by: Donald at September 8, 2004 8:55 PM
Well Jesus Follower I bet you twenty bucks that you did not see this episode and you do not get the point about religious tolerance. South Park is satire and comedy and it never killed anyone.
And God does have a sense of humor. Just look at the duck billed platypus.
Posted by: Jake of 8bitjoystick.com at September 8, 2004 9:18 PM
Yes i realize that God does have a sense of humor,but what Jesus did for us in our place is something that shouldn't be taken lightly. I understand that southpark is comedy and thier trying to make people laugh. The only problem is that the God of the universe came to earth because his wisdom supercides ours,so he had to come as 100% man while being 100% God. One person with two natures. What im trying to say in a nutshell is that God the Father dosen't take it lightly when it comes to his only Son going to the cross,dying for our sin in our place and for what? So we can have eternal life with him. Isn't God great? lol. I just look at it as someone bashing my Lord. I mean its like your mom or dad doing something very important for you like giving thier lives so you can live and someone takes what they did for you and making fun of it. You get the point right? Anyway i came across this site looking for a cool joystick and plan to get one soon. I wish all you guys the best of luck and my God Bless you all.
p.s If i offended anyone then i'm sorry ahead of time,take care guys.
Posted by: Jesus Follower at September 9, 2004 6:13 PM
I was raised as a protestant so my faith is very personal to me. But I still see the value of satire and self examination of beliefs.
Posted by: Jake of 8bitjoystick.com at September 9, 2004 8:33 PM
Oh, for... this episode has almost NOTHING to do with Jesus, and does not drag Jesus' name through the mud. (Jesus is actually a recurring character on South Park, and a very positive one at that, but that's neither here nor there.) What it DOES have to do with is The Passion's relentless depiction of torture, its portrayal of Jews and the idea that two 8-year-olds see it only as a movie instead of a bold statement, and don't find it entertaining. It also involves a Jewish boy who, when confronted with The Passion's portrayal of Jews, is wracked with guilt and nightmares over the idea that the Jews killed Jesus. Hence its title.
It also portrays Mel Gibson as a masochistic lunatic who's fixated on torture. I can understand how some might find that offensive, but at no point does the episode mock God or Jesus; its barbs are directed squarely at Gibson, his film and the controversy that sprang up around it.
So in summation, please at least read up on whatever it is you're complaining about beforehand, or you'll look like an ass on the Internet.
And, uh, good luck finding that joystick, I guess.
Posted by: Evilninja at September 10, 2004 5:16 AM
I totally agree with Evilninja. Nothing to do with Jesus. I am a Catholic and I love God. Not dragging Jesus through the mud, dragging Jews in the mud
Posted by: Mike at February 3, 2007 2:15 PM
