'South Park' Mexico Spoof Episode CANCELED In Mexico

MEXICO CITY — President Felipe Calderon's "South Park" cameo will have to wait.

MTV says it canceled the airing in Mexico of an episode in which a caricature of Calderon appears in front of a Mexican flag.

The network says it needs permission from the government to show the episode inside Mexico because of a law stating the flag and other national symbols must be handled with respect. There is a 52,590 peso ($4,900) fine for violating the law.

The episode, titled "Pinewood Derby," had been scheduled to run Monday.

MTV explained its decision in a statement Tuesday, apologizing to Mexican fans of the irreverent cartoon show.

Interior Ministry spokesman Luis Estrada said the government hasn't received a request from MTV for permission to air the episode.

Comments

[marcoargueta]

07:17 PM on 02/26/2010

It's not fair that because the episode wasn't aired in Mexico, all of us Latin-Americans (who watch the show in MTV, theres not a Comedy Central Channel in Latin America) weren't able to watch the episode.

[Cooletta]

10:21 AM on 02/14/2010

Great show, topical humor. I thought it was on Comedy Central though...

[BVictor1]

12:29 PM on 02/13/2010

I want there to be an episode on the teabaggers, if there hasn't been one already.

[supergenius02]

08:47 PM on 02/11/2010

Cancelling the airing of an episode over a $4,900 fine? That makes no sense especially given all the money it takes to actually produce 1 single animated show. That's equivalent to a half-day's voice over services for one actor.

[Johnny2Bad]

07:05 PM on 02/11/2010

You mean this "South Park" segment is more demeaning than Cheeh's Pedro character in "Up in Smoke" eating a bean burrito while in TJ and instantly getting the runs? I gotta see this. Run for the border!

[Lefty83]

05:09 PM on 02/11/2010

South Park is still around? Thought it was canceled. It should be.

[quorthon]

05:53 PM on 02/11/2010

Matt & Trey shoulda' quit while they were ahead--back in '99.

[Peter-and-the-Wolf]

01:31 AM on 02/26/2010

Surprise surprise - another free speech hating liberal.

[freaktown]

03:49 PM on 02/11/2010

really? MTV is afraid of a $5000 dollar fine?they spent more than that bailing the cast of "jersey shore" out of jail...

[Elbrando]

12:49 PM on 02/11/2010

Mexico should be proud to be satirized by South Park. Shlubs are ignored only the worthy would recieve this compliment.

[Mekrabb]

12:45 PM on 02/11/2010

I cannot believe they have T.V. in Mexico.

[Edgar Ferrer]

02:23 PM on 02/11/2010

I think you are stupid

[BillyUnstuckInTime]

03:00 PM on 02/11/2010

Total Violence is all they have.

[yankees]

10:22 AM on 02/11/2010

I can't believe the day would come when of all things, South Park has no balls!!!!

[Vetinari]

11:23 AM on 02/11/2010

not south park, MTV

[kev1000]

12:18 PM on 02/11/2010

MTV having no spine? Now that I could buy.

[BigFootJesus]

10:13 AM on 02/11/2010

South Park has satirized just about everything that is supposedly taboo to talk about, Scientology,Catholicism, religion in general, Muslims and Jews,the mormon church, homosexuality etc. etc. I love that show even when I don't agree with the topic. It is the perfect metaphor of the times. It is also (as far as I know) the only animated series to have a continuing character who is a person with developmental disabilities and is treated exactly the same as the other characters, no cloying sympathy for the "poor crippled kid". The show is rude and offensive and down right funny at times.
It is also a sign of the times that two of the best scripted shows in the last decade or so are cartoons.

[ibivi]

03:11 PM on 02/11/2010

South Park is an equal opportunity offender. No sacred cows there. If they aren't regularly shown in Mexico it will come across as offensive and as an insult. We need to mend fences not build more.

[quorthon]

12:11 PM on 02/12/2010

Oddly enough, they satirize everything except libertarianism, and if anything needs to be called out for its speciousness, it is that.

[Peter-and-the-Wolf]

01:34 AM on 02/26/2010

If you think libertarianism needs a mocking you should make such a cartoon show.

But no, your political philosophy is that other people should do exactly as YOU want, that the world revolves around YOU. You think the government is a tool to make other people conform to your beliefs, and that is why libertarians offend you so deeply.

[NightEditor]

07:29 AM on 02/11/2010

Oxymoron of the day:
MEXICAN LAW.
giggle

[K J Illy]

08:07 AM on 02/11/2010

hahaha thats a good one like that dirt bag country don't have bigger issues than some cartoon show making fun of them .. how bout the 15 that were killed in less than 8 hrs in one town across the border. 4 were missing their heads! But oh Mexico has to look after their image HA!

[Mekrabb]

12:51 PM on 02/11/2010

lawl

fanned

[Cloud7Raymaker]

12:34 AM on 02/11/2010

omg this show has gotten so bizzare and preachy that for the most part it's unwatchable anyhow. I've happened upon it a couple times on Mtv recently and after my amazement at how bad it's become I flipped on to the next channel.

As for the whole censorship thing, meh. It's South Park, either you run the show and accept the flack you're gonna get or you don't run the show. Did the execs at Mtv even watch South Park before they added it to their programming?

[Mekrabb]

12:50 PM on 02/11/2010

you are lying because this show does not air on MTV in this country,

[rzzza]

07:00 PM on 02/25/2010

it does

[Peter-and-the-Wolf]

01:35 AM on 02/26/2010

They've been preachy since the beginning. Find something else to whine about.

[mikesw]

12:01 AM on 02/11/2010

This flag sacrality law has to be one of the dumbest laws of Mexico...and yet it is the one that cons here in the states want to copy.

[zombywulf]

10:34 PM on 02/10/2010

Heaven forbid we should OFFEND the MexiCons, it's not like their 8 million citizens who squat in this country DON"T OFFEND US.

[derekc06]

11:06 PM on 02/10/2010

Rac ist

[ibwilliamsi]

12:19 AM on 02/11/2010

Ditto.

[freethinking moderate]

07:41 AM on 02/11/2010

How is a statement of fact racist? Oh, you simply want any criticism of the Mexican invasion of this country to be racist as though there is no history of invasion and theft of property on this continent.

[argyle]

01:47 AM on 02/11/2010

What country is a MexiCon from?
Eighteen fans and doesn't know where the period goes.

[Mekrabb]

12:50 PM on 02/11/2010

jealous much?

I cnduo't bvleiee taht I culod aulaclty uesdtannrd waht I was rdnaieg. Unisg the icndeblire pweor of the hmuan mnid, aocdcrnig to rseecrah at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mttaer in waht oderr the lterets in a wrod are, the olny irpoamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rhgit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whoutit a pboerlm. Tihs is bucseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey ltteer by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Aaznmig, huh? Yaeh and I awlyas tghhuot slelinpg was ipmorantt.