Ep 3. The Passion of the Jew

In the eighth season of South Park, the third episode titled "The Passion of the Jew" is a satirical commentary on the movie ‘The Passion of the Christ’ and the controversy surrounding it. The episode begins with Kyle watching the movie ‘The Passion of the Christ’ with his family and feeling profoundly moved by it. However, Cartman makes fun of him for crying during the movie and goes on to declare that the Jews were responsible for the death of Jesus Christ.

Kyle, a devout Jew, is highly offended by Cartman's comments and decides to make him understand the gravity of his statements. But after his attempts at reasoning fail, he realizes that he needs to take a more drastic action to help Cartman understand the magnitude of his hatred. Kyle decides to take Cartman on a trip to New York to visit the Jewish Museum of Tolerance.

On the way, the boys and their teacher, Ms. Streisand, encounter Mel Gibson, who is trying to promote his movie ‘The Passion of the Christ.’ Gibson is depicted as an anti-Semitic conspiracy theorist who believes that Jews run the world and are trying to destroy Christianity. The boys are disgusted by his views, but Cartman finds himself sympathizing with Gibson's ideology.

The boys finally reach the museum, where they learn about the history of the Jews and their persecution throughout the centuries. However, Cartman's ignorance and prejudice prevent him from understanding the lessons taught in the museum. He believes that the museum's attempts to depict Jews as victims are manipulative and that history has been twisted to support their agenda.

At this point, the two stories in the episode converge as Mel Gibson arrives outside the museum to protest the museum and declare himself as a Holocaust denier. Meanwhile, Kyle and Cartman are still inside the museum, where they get into an argument about Jewish people and their role in the world.

The episode tackles a range of sensitive topics such as anti-Semitism, religious persecution, racism, and historical revisionism in a way that is typical of the show's irreverent but insightful humor. The episode also takes a jab at the controversy surrounding ‘The Passion of the Christ’ movie that led to protests and accusations of anti-Semitism against Mel Gibson.

Overall, ‘The Passion of the Jew’ is a hilarious and thought-provoking episode of South Park that manages to tackle complex issues while still retaining the show's comedic brilliance. The episode is a testament to the show's ability to tackle sensitive issues head-on and make us laugh while doing so. It is a must-watch for anyone looking for a sharp satire on religious prejudice and historical revisionism.