The Passion of the Jew
Encyclopedia
"The Passion of the Jew" is episode 114 of the Comedy Central
series South Park
and was originally broadcast on March 31, 2004. The episode (and its title) is a satire
of the movie The Passion of the Christ
, which was released in 2004
.
in Cartman's mother's new minivan. They go on an away mission, with Cartman, as usual, giving Kyle
a hard time about being a Jew, in this case a "Vulcan
Jew". Cartman informs him that in Mel Gibson's
The Passion
, Jews are stated to be evil, and dares Kyle to see it. Kyle goes to the film and is horrified by how Jesus is tortured. He admits that Cartman was right, and an overjoyed Cartman prays to a poster of Gibson, vowing he will dedicate his life to following Gibson's "teachings" and spreading his word. Kyle is paranoid after a terrifying dream of killing Jesus.
Stan and Kenny decide that they too must see the film, but they hate it and declare it a "snuff film
". They demand their money back from the theater, but the theater refuses and the two decide to contact Gibson and get their money from him. They contact the president of the Mel Gibson fanclub, revealed to be Cartman, who yells at them for hating the film. Cartman slips and tells them that Gibson lives in Malibu, and Stan and Kenny decide to go find Gibson's home. Meanwhile, Cartman dresses in a brown Hitler
-esque uniform and prepares himself for the fan-club meeting being held in his backyard, where the fan-club members have gathered to celebrate their rediscovery of Christianity
. Cartman suggests that those in attendance each take one more person to see The Passion before they begin "the cleansing
", and the fan-club members, naive to what Cartman is truly suggesting, agree with him.
Stan and Kenny hitchhike to Gibson's Malibu mansion, where Gibson refuses to refund their money. When they press him to pay them, Gibson prompts them to torture him, stripping to his underwear and chasing them around the mansion shooting at them with a pistol. The two take their money and eventually board a bus back to South Park, but Gibson chases after them in the tanker truck from Mad Max 2 while screaming "Qapla'!
" and wearing face paint from Braveheart
. Back in South Park, Kyle talks to Father Maxi about Jesus and how he can deal with his guilt about the crucifixion. Father Maxi points out that the Passion
was originally a play used to stir up antisemitism, but suggests that its subject matter can help viewers feel the force of the "atonement" of Jesus. In a rally outside the South Park theater at which The Passion is being shown, Cartman yells antisemitic German
at his followers, who mistake it for Aramaic
. The members agree to take to the streets, and begin marching after Cartman, who is goose-stepping and chanting in German "Wir müssen die Juden ausrotten", which means "We must exterminate the jews".
Kyle goes to his synagogue
and suggests that the Jewish community apologize for the Crucifixion. The other Jews are outraged, expressing their concern that the film is provoking antisemitism. The rabbi tries to calm them, telling them that "we live in a rational community, and everyone knows this is just a movie". No sooner has he said this, however, than Cartman and his followers pass the building, chanting again in German.
That night the Jewish congregation goes to the theater and demands they stop showing the movie, when Cartman and his followers arrive. Their argument about the film is interrupted by the arrival of the truck chase. Gibson's truck crashes and explodes in front of the theater, but Gibson emerges unscathed. Cartman rushes over to kneel before him, and Kyle and the fan-club members are shocked at Gibson's behavior, as he again prompts them to torture him. Stan makes a speech that Christians should follow the teachings of Jesus and not focus on the way he died, and the fan-club members agree and disperse, much to Cartman's dismay. Kyle feels better about being a Jew after seeing what Gibson is really like, and Gibson himself defecates
on Cartman's face and runs off whooping.
and the Jewish newspaper The Forward
, which called it "perhaps the most biting critique of 'The Passion' to date."
The episode was not aired by MTV Russia
, a TV channel that aired South Park in Russia at that time, presumably because of its controversial content.
complete eighth season DVD set, "Passion of the Jew" is also available as a standalone DVD release (which was released on DVD the same day that Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ was released) with two bonus episodes: season six's "Red Hot Catholic Love
" and season seven's "Christian Rock Hard
".
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
series South Park
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
and was originally broadcast on March 31, 2004. The episode (and its title) is a satire
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
of the movie The Passion of the Christ
The Passion of the Christ
The Passion of the Christ is a 2004 American drama film directed by Mel Gibson and starring Jim Caviezel as Jesus. It depicts the Passion of Jesus largely according to the New Testament Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John...
, which was released in 2004
2004 in film
The year 2004 in film involved some significant events. Major releases of sequels took place. It included blockbuster films like Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Passion of the Christ, Meet the Fockers, Blade: Trinity, Spider-Man 2, Alien vs. Predator, Kill Bill Vol...
.
Plot
The episode begins with the boys playing Star TrekStar Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
in Cartman's mother's new minivan. They go on an away mission, with Cartman, as usual, giving Kyle
Kyle Broflovski
Kyle Broflovski is a fictional character in the animated television series South Park. He is voiced by co-creator Matt Stone. Kyle is one of the show's four central characters, along with his friends Stan Marsh, Kenny McCormick, and Eric Cartman...
a hard time about being a Jew, in this case a "Vulcan
Vulcan (Star Trek)
Vulcans, or sometimes Vulcanians, are an extraterrestrial humanoid species in the Star Trek universe who evolved on the planet Vulcan, and are noted for their attempt to live by reason and logic with no interference from emotion. They were the first extraterrestrial species in the Star Trek...
Jew". Cartman informs him that in Mel Gibson's
Mel Gibson
Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson, AO is an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Born in Peekskill, New York, Gibson moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia when he was 12 years old and later studied acting at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art.After appearing in...
The Passion
The Passion of the Christ
The Passion of the Christ is a 2004 American drama film directed by Mel Gibson and starring Jim Caviezel as Jesus. It depicts the Passion of Jesus largely according to the New Testament Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John...
, Jews are stated to be evil, and dares Kyle to see it. Kyle goes to the film and is horrified by how Jesus is tortured. He admits that Cartman was right, and an overjoyed Cartman prays to a poster of Gibson, vowing he will dedicate his life to following Gibson's "teachings" and spreading his word. Kyle is paranoid after a terrifying dream of killing Jesus.
Stan and Kenny decide that they too must see the film, but they hate it and declare it a "snuff film
Snuff film
A snuff film is a motion picture genre that depicts the actual death or murder of a person or people, without the aid of special effects, for the express purpose of distribution and entertainment or financial exploitation. For-profit snuff films are generally regarded as an urban legend, whose...
". They demand their money back from the theater, but the theater refuses and the two decide to contact Gibson and get their money from him. They contact the president of the Mel Gibson fanclub, revealed to be Cartman, who yells at them for hating the film. Cartman slips and tells them that Gibson lives in Malibu, and Stan and Kenny decide to go find Gibson's home. Meanwhile, Cartman dresses in a brown Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
-esque uniform and prepares himself for the fan-club meeting being held in his backyard, where the fan-club members have gathered to celebrate their rediscovery of Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. Cartman suggests that those in attendance each take one more person to see The Passion before they begin "the cleansing
The Holocaust
The Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
", and the fan-club members, naive to what Cartman is truly suggesting, agree with him.
Stan and Kenny hitchhike to Gibson's Malibu mansion, where Gibson refuses to refund their money. When they press him to pay them, Gibson prompts them to torture him, stripping to his underwear and chasing them around the mansion shooting at them with a pistol. The two take their money and eventually board a bus back to South Park, but Gibson chases after them in the tanker truck from Mad Max 2 while screaming "Qapla'!
Klingon language
The Klingon language is the constructed language spoken by the fictional Klingons in the Star Trek universe....
" and wearing face paint from Braveheart
Braveheart
Braveheart is a 1995 epic historical drama war film directed by and starring Mel Gibson. The film was written for the screen and then novelized by Randall Wallace...
. Back in South Park, Kyle talks to Father Maxi about Jesus and how he can deal with his guilt about the crucifixion. Father Maxi points out that the Passion
Passion play
A Passion play is a dramatic presentation depicting the Passion of Jesus Christ: his trial, suffering and death. It is a traditional part of Lent in several Christian denominations, particularly in Catholic tradition....
was originally a play used to stir up antisemitism, but suggests that its subject matter can help viewers feel the force of the "atonement" of Jesus. In a rally outside the South Park theater at which The Passion is being shown, Cartman yells antisemitic German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
at his followers, who mistake it for Aramaic
Aramaic language
Aramaic is a group of languages belonging to the Afroasiatic language phylum. The name of the language is based on the name of Aram, an ancient region in central Syria. Within this family, Aramaic belongs to the Semitic family, and more specifically, is a part of the Northwest Semitic subfamily,...
. The members agree to take to the streets, and begin marching after Cartman, who is goose-stepping and chanting in German "Wir müssen die Juden ausrotten", which means "We must exterminate the jews".
Kyle goes to his synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
and suggests that the Jewish community apologize for the Crucifixion. The other Jews are outraged, expressing their concern that the film is provoking antisemitism. The rabbi tries to calm them, telling them that "we live in a rational community, and everyone knows this is just a movie". No sooner has he said this, however, than Cartman and his followers pass the building, chanting again in German.
That night the Jewish congregation goes to the theater and demands they stop showing the movie, when Cartman and his followers arrive. Their argument about the film is interrupted by the arrival of the truck chase. Gibson's truck crashes and explodes in front of the theater, but Gibson emerges unscathed. Cartman rushes over to kneel before him, and Kyle and the fan-club members are shocked at Gibson's behavior, as he again prompts them to torture him. Stan makes a speech that Christians should follow the teachings of Jesus and not focus on the way he died, and the fan-club members agree and disperse, much to Cartman's dismay. Kyle feels better about being a Jew after seeing what Gibson is really like, and Gibson himself defecates
Defecation
Defecation is the final act of digestion by which organisms eliminate solid, semisolid or liquid waste material from the digestive tract via the anus. Waves of muscular contraction known as peristalsis in the walls of the colon move fecal matter through the digestive tract towards the rectum...
on Cartman's face and runs off whooping.
Reception
The New York Times Virginia Heffernan praised the episode, writing "Depending on whom you asked, that episode, 'The Passion of the Jew,' proved that the show's still got it or that it's made a comeback or that it's better than ever. In any case, it was good." It was also praised by the Anti-Defamation LeagueAnti-Defamation League
The Anti-Defamation League is an international non-governmental organization based in the United States. Describing itself as "the nation's premier civil rights/human relations agency", the ADL states that it "fights anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry, defends democratic ideals and protects...
and the Jewish newspaper The Forward
The Forward
The Forward , commonly known as The Jewish Daily Forward, is a Jewish-American newspaper published in New York City. The publication began in 1897 as a Yiddish-language daily issued by dissidents from the Socialist Labor Party of Daniel DeLeon...
, which called it "perhaps the most biting critique of 'The Passion' to date."
The episode was not aired by MTV Russia
MTV Russia
MTV Russia is a Russian language free-to-air 24 hour entertainment and music service seen in 22 million households in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Omsk, Voronezh, Novosibirsk, Chelyabinsk and Yekaterinburg, among other cities.-History:...
, a TV channel that aired South Park in Russia at that time, presumably because of its controversial content.
DVD releases
Besides appearing on the South ParkSouth Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
complete eighth season DVD set, "Passion of the Jew" is also available as a standalone DVD release (which was released on DVD the same day that Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ was released) with two bonus episodes: season six's "Red Hot Catholic Love
Red Hot Catholic Love
"Red Hot Catholic Love" is the 87th episode of the Comedy Central series South Park. It originally aired on July 3, 2002. It was selected #2 of the "10 South Parks that Changed the World", and was also part of "South Park's Dirty Dozen." In the DVD commentary for this episode, Stone and Parker...
" and season seven's "Christian Rock Hard
Christian Rock Hard
"Christian Rock Hard" is the ninth episode of the seventh season of the American animated series South Park. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on October 23, 2003. In the episode, the kids start a rock band, but concerned with the fact that people will potentially download...
".
External links
- The Passion of the Jew Full episode at South Park Studios
- The Passion of the Jew Episode guide at South Park Studios