Why did Isaac Hayes leave South Park?
For over a quarter of a century, nothing has been off-limits for South Park, with the animated classic skewering anyone and anything it deems worthy of being taken down a peg or two. However, one episode was deemed a step too far for Isaac Hayes.
For the first nine seasons of the series, Hayes had been content to lend his voice to the character of Chef, the wizened old sage of the cafeteria with a penchant for bursting into song at a moment’s notice. He laid out his love for the ladies in no uncertain fashion and regularly got caught up in whatever antics Stan, Kyle, Kenny, and Cartman found themselves drawn into.
The infamous ‘Trapped in the Closet’ episode proved a step too far, though, with high-profile Scientologist Hayes drawing the line at his religion being so mercilessly mocked. The 12th episode of season nine won a Primetime Emmy for ‘Outstanding Animated Program’, but the backlash and controversy comfortably overshadowed its artistic merits.
The plot sees Stan join Scientology, where he’s swiftly recognised as the reincarnation of L. Ron Hubbard due to his ‘high thetan levels’. An extended interlude features the backstory and beliefs of the organisation being relayed while a caption reading ‘This is what Scientologists actually believe’ takes pride of place at the bottom of the screen, all while regaling viewers with the story of Xenu.
Four months after ‘Trapped in the Closet’ aired, Hayes shared a statement announcing his departure from South Park. “There is a place in this world for satire, but there is a time when satire ends, and intolerance and bigotry towards religious beliefs of others begins,” it read. “Religious beliefs are sacred to people, and at all times should be respected and honoured. As a civil rights activist of the past 40 years, I cannot support a show that disrespects those beliefs and practices.”
There were inevitably cries of hypocrisy given South Park‘s fondness for ribbing various other religious groups, something that wasn’t lost on either network Comedy Central or co-creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. “Isaac never had a problem with the show making fun of Christians, Muslims, Mormons, or Jews,” was the TV station’s official response from the creative team. “He got a sudden case of religious sensitivity when it was his religion featured on the show.”
Stone shared his own statement with the Associated Press, where he doubled down on that position. “This is 100% having to do with his faith of Scientology. He has no problem – and he’s cashed plenty of checks – with our show making fun of Christians.”
That being said, Hayes would later intimate that unfair monetary compensation and a difficult working relationship with Parker and Stone were additional catalysts for his departure. His son Isac Hayes III suggested that his representatives – all of whom were Scientologists – quit on his behalf after catching wind of the episode.
There was no love lost between the two parties either way, considering Chef returned without Hayes in the season ten opener ‘The Return of Chef’, where he’s promptly struck by lightning, plummets from a rope bridge, catches fire, falls down a cliff, gets impaled on a branch, and is then mauled by a lion and a mountain bear.
