American sitcom South Park first aired in 1997 on August 13. The show ended its 25th season in 2022 on March 16. With the release of its new season that started airing in 2023 on February 8 on Comedy Central, the show’s fans started wondering why Issac Hayes left the show. After mid of 2006, Issac left the show, making fans miss his presence.
So what’s the real reason why American singer Issac Hayes leave the show? After gaining a lot of popularity through the show, what compelled him to leave the show? Before directly jumping into the reason, let’s first know a little about the show and Issac Hayes’ role in the show.
As said earlier, the show started airing in the late 90s. It is an animated sitcom revolving around the lives of Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and also Kenny McCormick. The show is famous for its dark and surreal humor. South Park’s first episode, the Pilot, was produced by using cutout animation, and the episodes after were produced using computer animation.
With its first episode being aired on August 13, 1997, the show has broadcasted a total of 321 episodes to date. The show is highly appreciated and critically acclaimed. Till now, South Park has received numerous awards, which include 5 Primetime Emmy Awards and 1 Peabody Awards. The show is set in the small town of South Park.
Being one of the smartest and most loved shows, fans can’t forget about chef Jerome McElroy. The chef’s voice is given by none other than Issac Hayes.
Who is The Chef in South Park?
Chef, or known as The Chef, is a character in the series South Park. He is the most intelligent resident of the town and the only person who is trusted by the show’s four main characters. Chef also used to give honest pieces of advice without considering the fact that they are children.
The chef character was inspired by Hayes only. Even though he became a less prominent character in the later seasons of the show but is still loved equally throughout the show; he last appeared on the show in the “Return of Chef” episode in 2006. After Issac abruptly leaving from the show, fans started wondering why did he leave the show? Let’s see what’s the reason which made him say goodbye to the show.
Also Read: What Happened with the Good Doctor’s Maddie?
Why did Issac Hayes leave South Park?
Issac Hayes was seen giving voice to a fictional character, Jerome McElroy, who’s a chef in an American sitcom, South Park. After Issac left the show, people started wondering the reason. Some believed that it was due to the show’s attitude toward religions. They further claimed that they crossed the boundaries.
Isaac also said that there is a place in this world for satire, but there is a time when satire ends, and intolerance and bigotry towards the religious beliefs of others begin. In response to this, Matt Stone said that they never heard a peep out of Isaac in any way until they did Scientology.
Matt also said that Issac wants a different standard for religions other than his own, and to him, that is where intolerance and bigotry begin. He also went on further to say that this is 100 percent having to do with his (Issac) faith in Scientology, he has no problem, and he’s cashed plenty of checks with the show making fun of Christians.
Issac Hayes’s last appearance on the show was in 2005 in “Trapped in the Closet,” and the episode’s main focus was on Scientology. Hayes said that he could not support the show while being a civil rights activist.
Issac Hayes’ Death
In early 2006, Issac had a stroke, and soon after that, a statement was released that he was leaving the show. Some believe that it’s because of his belief and the difference between shows and his attitudes toward religions, while some believe that it is because of his health.
But, in 2016, Issac Hayes III revealed that his father, Issac Hayes, at the time when the statement was released, was incapacitated, and he didn’t release the statement.
Issac Hayes was born in Covington, Tennessee, United States, on 20 August 1942 and died on 10 August 2008 in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. He died due to a stroke, no autopsy was done in his case, and the cause of his death was given by Dr. David Kraus. He was found lying next to a running treadmill by paramedics.
Also Read: Why Martin Riggs of Lethal Weapon Was Killed?