Chef’s back! But only as an image in tonight’s episode. And there’s something very strange about the slowly unfolding saga of Isaac Hayes and South Park. It’s worth recounting the chronology again, just from the public record. The Scientology episode, "Trapped in the Closet" ran November 16, last year. On December 7, the "Bloody Mary" episode aired. On January 4, Hayes gave the following interview to the Onion:
"AVC: There’s some pretty harsh satire on South Park. They don’t really care who they offend.
IH: But that’s their thing! Their success was built on that cutting-edge stuff. I’ve had to defend them a lot of times. One time on BET Tonight I defended them because Tavis Smiley, the host on that show, was coming at me. It was a call-in show, too, so people were calling in. I told them not to take this stuff seriously. If you do, you’ll get in trouble. Just enjoy it. Remember your high-school yearbook? You look at those pictures now, you laugh, right? That’s what South Park is. You got to laugh at it. Because we cursed, but we just didn’t dare let the principals, the teachers, or the preachers hear it. And we didn’t turn out bad, okay? Just look at it that way. Also, usually there’s some kind of moral message at the end for the kids, by the Chef.
AVC: They did just do an episode that made fun of your religion, Scientology. Did that bother you?
IH: Well, I talked to Matt and Trey about that. They didn’t let me know until it was done. I said, "Guys, you have it all wrong. We’re not like that. I know that’s your thing, but get your information correct, because somebody might believe that shit, you know?" But I understand what they’re doing. I told them to take a couple of Scientology courses, and understand what we do. [Laughs.]"
That sounds pretty grown-up and easy-going, and like the normal Isaac Hayes, no? But on January 18, Hayes is admitted to "an undisclosed Memphis hospital" for "exhaustion." On March 18, he resigns from the show, citing its "bigotry." That’s a major change of tune from his Onion interview, which was conducted after the "Bloody Mary" episode as well. What happened to change his mind so drastically? Then we have this Fox News story by Roger Friedman:
"I can tell you that Hayes is in no position to have quit anything. Contrary to news reports, the great writer, singer and musician suffered a stroke on Jan. 17. At the time it was said that he was hospitalized and suffering from exhaustion.
It’s also absolutely ridiculous to think that Hayes, who loved playing Chef on "South Park," would suddenly turn against the show because they were poking fun at Scientology. Last November, when the "Trapped in a Closet" episode of the comedy aired, I saw Hayes and spent time with him in Memphis for the annual Blues Ball.
If he hated the show so much, I doubt he would have performed his trademark hit song from the show, “Chocolate Salty Balls.” He tossed the song into the middle of one of his less salacious hits and got the whole audience in the Memphis Pyramid to sing along."
Something doesn’t add up here.
The Dish 