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South Park’s Matt Stone On MPAA’s Power Abuse and Censorship

Aside from their anti-piracy efforts, the MPAA is famous for their film ratings system in the United States. Through their ratings the MPAA can hurt the potential profitability of a film, and the ratings process itself is often a frustrating endeavor for filmmakers.

In the video below, South Park’s Matt Stone shares his thoughts on MPAA’s unfairness towards independent filmmakers, who are treated different than the major movie studios who pay their bills. A related and recommended film on the flawed and biased MPAA ratings board is “This Film Is Not Yet Rated.”

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  • Anon

    I got threatening letter forwarded to me by my ISP last time a downloaded SouthPark, how fair is that, Matt ?

    • Ninja

      Actually it seems the abuse he mentions is towards the independent filmmakers. Would be interesting to listen to his thoughts on the sharing matter though.

      • Anon

        from the official FAQ at southparkstudio: “Matt and Trey do not mind when fans download their episodes off the Internet; they feel that its good when people watch the show no matter how they do it. …” that’s why the email I received pissed me off

        • Anonymous

          Yeah they are not the studio are they. Get a better ISP because obviously they suck the MPAA’s balls. And if you know your ISP has an STD use some protection. Anyway, good job at making this about something else all together.

          I really did not know the MPAA movie rating system was such a hoax. I mean if i hear this it is just a new way to keep people down.

        • Anon

          wat? im glad that my ISP is forwarding threat it receive from the studios, they state that they wont give my name without a proper court order anyway.. this way I can tell which tracker is monitored

    • Ninja

      Actually it seems the abuse he mentions is towards the independent filmmakers. Would be interesting to listen to his thoughts on the sharing matter though.

    • Cholinms

      Viacom is the copyright holder for South Park. They would be the ones sending out the notices. Coincidentally they are also the reason we can’t see an edited or unedited version of episode 201. Even the southparkstudios.com, the official online source for South Park can’t show that episode because Viacom is afraid it might offend some Muslim group or another. I say let them be offended, no one ever guaranteed that a person couldn’t be offended.

      • Chiekku

        The only way to see episode 201 is to torrent it; it has bleeps over the name Muhammad, and they blocked him out. southparkstudios also removed the one Super Best Friends episode (season 5?) that showed Muhammad unedited back when it wasn’t a problem.

        i wish for once people could take a joke and go “okay, i don;t find that funny, but i’m not going to be Sgt. Buzzkill and ruin it for everyone else.”

        • Ecc5091

          Really, it’s not like they care about not offending Jews, gingers, gays, crab people…why care about Muslims?

        • Anonymous

          because of the “terrywrists”, of course!

        • Ecc5091

          Really, it’s not like they care about not offending Jews, gingers, gays, crab people…why care about Muslims?

        • Ecc5091

          Really, it’s not like they care about not offending Jews, gingers, gays, crab people…why care about Muslims?

      • http://disqus.com/ Rob8urcakes
        • Anonymous

          201 was unwatchable. Way too many bleeps.
          It truly was censored to death.

      • http://disqus.com/ Rob8urcakes
    • Momo

      The filmmakers themselves understand piracy. Watch s07e09, available here if you’re lucky: http://www.southparkstudios.com/full-episodes/s07e09-christian-rock-hard

  • http://twitter.com/ezee ezee

    Hmmm, as Matt pointed out… I wonder how much of that is illegal and how those slimeballs can be held accountable…

  • ProfChaos

    The film not yet rated docu is a good one tho, but a little old now, but still worth a watch. And I second the poster above, would be interesting to hear SP’s creators views on torrents etc.

    Get an interview with them TF!

    • Chiekku

      A whole episode of South Park (“Christian Rock Hard”) talked about the idea of piracy; the ending message was how “someone will always find a way to get our music for free, but they’ll still buy tickets to see our concerts”, so I think they’re pretty okay with it. I also think a TF interview would be great.

    • Anonymous

      Let’s see what we can do :)

      • http://disqus.com/ Rob8urcakes

        If their studio lets you anywhere near them, let alone get an interview, I hereby pledge to eat YOUR shorts lol
        Yeah, best of luck with that one guys ;)

        • Anonymous

          I don’t think the “”studio”" are the one’s in controll of southpark.
          201 would never have seen the light of day at all , If it where a business decision.

          Ernesto…. If you can swing it , and get an interview… Which would be really cool….
          Don’t change your Y-Front’s for a week…. Before Rob8urcakes eat’s them. :)

          & …. I wanna see it on TFTV !

          or.. you could sell them Here .. http://www.wow-mt.com/dirty.htm …
          omg .what a disguisting site

        • http://disqus.com/ Rob8urcakes

          Teehee – I’ll appear live and eat said shorts if Ernesto promises to take them off and show it live too :o

          (Note to beackroom staff at TFtv – no need to bring a spew bucket, I eat other peoples shorts all the time and take anti-reflux meds anyway.)

        • Momo

          Lucky for you, TF TV is back! I look forward to your episode :D

        • Ninja

          I’m seriously hoping they can get an interview now. How do you like your shorts? ;)

        • http://disqus.com/ Rob8urcakes

          Flash-fried, with no blood please :)

        • Ninja

          Unless Ernesto is a she the chances of having any blood on the shorts are nill ;))

          And personally blood would be the smallest of my worries if I had to eat some1′s short lmao

          And thus an article about power abuse and censorship becomes a discussion on fried shorts and blood. Awesome!

        • http://disqus.com/ Rob8urcakes

          Teehee – I’ll appear live and eat said shorts if Ernesto promises to take them off and show it live too :o

          (Note to beackroom staff at TFtv – no need to bring a spew bucket, I eat other peoples shorts all the time and take anti-reflux meds anyway.)

        • Me

          What you don’t like gay rodeos? Read about the guy behind that site here:
          http://www.wow-mt.com/mugshot.htm

          Not to change the subject but this bothered me – Do people really buy used stained underwear? WTF?

  • http://disqus.com/ Rob8urcakes

    That was awfully revealing about just how nasty, corrupt and anti-competitive the MAFIAA actually is in treating their own people in the USA – and I agree 100% with the end comment that it is indeed “really scary”.

    They’re all just a bunch of schoolyard bullies picking on the young and weak, and it’s gotta stop guys.

    But what’s really worrying, is these are the exact same guys who have managed to convince buy their USA politicians to export this horrendous situation worldwide via the Office of the United States Trade Representative and even US diplomatic ambassadors stationed in countries throughout the World.

    MAFIAA fuck off out of our lives and stop your bully-boy tactics NOW. You’ve become too powerful and politically influential – and the paying public are now baying for your blood.

    Enough is ENOUGH!!!

  • Tim Kuiks Rotting Corpse

    *This comment was removed by the Censorship Bureau*
    You are free, to do as we tell you……

  • Tim Kuiks Rotting Corpse

    *This comment was removed by the Censorship Bureau*
    You are free, to do as we tell you……

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