Paul Freedman: Tasteless, shocking, crude and puerile

Oops, here's an undoubtedly poisoned chalice.

(Tell us "Mr Catholic Journalist", what did you think of Bloody Mary on C4 last night? No constraints, 300 words max. No pressure, anytime in the next hour! Is it legitimate satire or blasphemy?)

Okay um well.

(And that bit where Mary bleeds into the Pope's face? Should Catholics burn the Canadian Embassy, or will another polite letter to the Broadcasting Standards Authority do the trick?)

Uh well, actually.

(And, by the way, we know you work for Catholic Communications, so if you hate it, well you would say that, right?)

Er.

(But on the other hand, here's this earnest social comment on alcoholism and parental example - a nice happy ending. Make sure you mention that happy ending!)

Oh dear! I may need a miracle.

Or maybe our world needs a miracle to help us regain the basic values we once took for granted. Weren't crude jokes on menstrual bleeding once taboo, never mind a simultaneous poke at God?

Haven't we all muttered jocularly, "nothing's sacred these days".

Now, perhaps, its becoming literally true.

Of course I found the tasteless and ghastly scenes of Mary spurting blood in the Pope's face shocking and crude. But the mocking of Alcoholics Anonymous, parenting, miracles, road safety, (even, God help me, karate!) was almost as unendurably puerile.

If stuff like this is defended as genuine satire, can someone please show me what the point is? Like Helen, I'm blowed if I can spot it. (And I looked hard.)

Citing such programming as necessary to uphold freedom of the press is devaluing the currency.

South Park's writers understand as much about human values, parenting and faith as they do about biology.

Offside!

And shouldn't their legs move? 

* Paul Freedman is associate editor of Grapevine Magazine