Lampoon of Scientology
South Park parodied Scientology in a short that aired as part of the 2000 MTV Movie Awards. The short was entitled "The Gauntlet" and also poked fun at John Travolta, a Scientologist. The season five (2001) episode "Super Best Friends" features illusionist David Blaine forming his own cult, called "Blaintology". Parker and Stone have acknowledged that this is meant to be a reference to Scientology.
In the season nine (2005) episode "Trapped in the Closet", Stan Marsh is recognized as the reincarnation of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard before denouncing the church as nothing more than "a big fat global scam". Tom Cruise, a Scientologist as well, is seen in the episode locking himself in Stan's closet and refusing to come out, as other characters plead for him to ambiguously "come out of the closet" in a parody of rumors involving Cruise's sexuality. One scene retold the story of Xenu, a story Scientology normally attempts to keep confidential and only reveals to members once they make significant monetary contributions to the church. The show's closing credits billed every member of the episode's cast and crew as "John Smith" and "Jane Smith" in a parody of both Cruise and the church's reputations for litigiousness.
Read more about this topic: South Park Controversies