Viacrap

Comedy Central didn't do Muslims, "moderates" or otherwise, any favor when it blocked "South Park" from including a depiction of the Propher Muhammed in its satirical look at the recent Muhammed cartoon controversy, the two-part "Cartoon Wars" episode.

Comedy Central didn't get all sensitive on us by claiming it censored the offending scene in the name of religious "tolerance." Coming from Comedy Central, which does allow "South Park," as well as other shows like "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and "The Colbert Report," to spoof Catholics, Jews, Scientologists — except for when they produce movies that Comedy Central wants them to buy ads for — and other acceptable targets, that would have been laughable.

Rather, Comedy Central was just scared to death that "South Park" might send Muslims on a new jihad.

"This decision was based solely on concern for public safety in light of recent world events," the company wrote in a letter to viewers, as posted by Michelle Malkin.

So that's Comedy Central new broadcast standard:

Anything — say, a cartoon Jesus defecating on George W. Bush and the American flag, as was depicted at the end of Part 2 of "Cartoon Wars" — is acceptable, as long as there is no chance that those who might be offended will start a riot.

Muslims, though, are a protected class because, as Comedy Central sees it, when they get offended, someone is likely to get killed.

I already suspected that was the rule throughout the MSM. The row over "South Park" only reassured that I am right.

If I were a Muslim, well, that might be enough for me to start a riot.

That's apparently a corporate-wide double standard at Viacom, which owns Comedy Central, as well as CBS, MTV and other networks.

Simultaneous to the "South Park" controversy — and just in time for Easter — MTV bought a full page ad in a German magazine hyping "Popetown," a new series that depcits "the pope as an uncontrollable, infantile character who pogo-sticks around a Vatican populated by corrupt, money-grabbing cardinals," according to a Catholic News Service story.

The story starts like this:

As Christians around the world prepare for Easter, magazine readers in Germany were confronted this week by full-page advertisements depicting Jesus, wearing a crown of thorns but descended from the cross, enjoying a television program.

"Laughing rather than hanging around," (Lachen statt rumhaengen) reads the tagline of the ad, which has drawn strong protests in Germany, where two-thirds of the population identifies as Christian.

As a Catholic, I don't like that. If the show ever airs in the United States, I'm likely not to watch, even though I do believe that organized religion — Catholics, Jews, Baptists, Mormons, etc — and even people's faith, are fair game for satire.

The more secure you are in your faith, the funnier religious satire should be. (However, Jesus crapping on the American flag was not funny, no matter your faith.)

But what is really abhorant is Viacom's double standard — which it shares with many in the media — as revealed by its selective censorship this week.

Christians and Jews are a fair target, because all they will do is complain or maybe start a boycott.

Muslims are not, because all they will do is kill.

That is truly offensive.

South Park, Muhammed cartoons