Cowardly Central chickens out again on South Park episode

Cowardly Central has gone flaccid again, this time banning an image of Muhammad from an episode of "South Park." The reason? "Recent world events."

Just last month, Cowardly Central yanked an episode that satirized Scientology, due to "Events of earlier this week."

The Muhammad episode wasn't yanked; it was just modified to avoid offending Muslims. At the point at which viewers should have seen Muhammad handing a football helmet to a "Family Guy" character, the screen went black and this message appeared: "Comedy Central has refused to broadcast an image of Muhammad on their network."

Ironically, the episode includes a South Park character defending free speech:

"Freedom of speech is at stake here, don't you all see? If anything, we should all make cartoons of Muhammad and show the terrorists and the extremists that we are all united in the belief that every person has a right to say what they want.

"Look, people, it's been really easy for us to stand up for free speech lately. For the past few decades, we haven't had to risk anything to defend it. One of those times is right now. And if we aren't willing to risk what we have now, then we just believe in free speech, but won't defend it."

Cowardly Central, are you listening?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/13/AR2006041302212.html