South Park is considered an absolute cult and is one of the most popular satire series ever, often featuring dark humor and the claim to make fun of just about everything. In 2006, the creators allegedly went overboard and alienated one of their employees. The son says after the speaker’s death: That’s not true, his father would never have left voluntarily.
Which character is being referred to?
- Jerome “Chef” McElroy is one of the few characters in South Park who acts as a sort of anchor of reason. In a world where everyone is somehow going crazy, Chef is grounded.
- The kids, the stars of the show, often come to Chef when they need something or have questions – and the robust cook always helps. Even when he is… “busy”.
- Chef was voiced by jazz musician Isaac Hayes. In the episode “The Return of Chef” (Season 10, Episode 1), Chef dies a very brutal and exaggerated death, even for South Park standards. The character never appears again afterward.
What was going on with South Park back then? Chef’s disappearance was associated with a major controversy and followed the airing of the controversial episode “Trapped in the Closet” (Season 9, Episode 12).
In this episode, South Park extensively mocks Scientology, a church or cult that is particularly prevalent in the USA. The core of the doctrine is that the human being is supposed to be capable of much more, but was restricted a long time ago due to traumatic experiences.
Isaac Hayes was also a follower of Scientology, and at the time his statement via The Guardian stated: “There is a time when satire ends and intolerance and bigotry against the religious views of others begins.” Even skin color was often a reason for satirical hooks.
Especially regarding the brutal death of Chef, there was a controversy surrounding the whole situation. Many fans found it strange that Hayes would consider this point to be “too much” when the series had already crossed the line before. Hayes’ son, Isaac Hayes III, agrees and says: His father would have liked to stay.
“To this day he would still be on the show”
In an interview from 2016, Isaac Hayes III explained to the Hollywood Reporter that his father would never have left South Park voluntarily. He loved the show but had to stop because a stroke had taken away his ability to speak.
Chef’s voice actor was not even able to resign on his own; he had to first learn to speak, to walk, to be again. The resignation was done by some of his Scientology colleagues.
In a new interview with Cracked, Isaac Hayes III goes further into the whole matter. It states: His father loved the show, he even sang some of the raunchy songs from the show at his concerts or on the street, especially “Chocolate Salty Balls”:
My father loved Matt and Trey [the creators of the show]. He loved the character. He loved the show. He loved what it meant. He would have stayed until now. To this day he would still be on the show. That is the part that frustrates me.
I don’t think Matt and Trey knew that back then. Because even his own family, we were still allowed in that inner circle. Anyone who has a famous parent, for them, the core team – Scientology or not – can be a barrier for family and personal relationships.
To this day, his son does not know who it was that ended Chef’s career. But that led to a lot of lost income and Isaac Hayes was forced to tour again – much earlier than his health condition would have allowed. Isaac Hayes III believes that his father died in 2008, likely due to a subsequent stroke.
One of the most famous Scientologists is, by the way, Tom Cruise, the star from Mission Impossible. His religion has also been a frequent topic of controversy – and in at least one situation also the reason for trouble with another celebrity: Elvis’ daughter did not like Tom Cruise, did not want to “ever be in the same room with him again”
