History YMMV / SouthParkS9E12TrappedInTheCloset

* ValuesDissonance: In an age where Scientology is near-universally viewed as a ScamReligion, and its beliefs are public knowledge to anybody interested, the cultural significance of "Trapped in the Closet" has been lost a bit. This episode was legitimately the general public's introduction to Scientology doctrine, which was a heavily guarded secret before it aired, and it played a massive role in shaping the popular view of Scientology today.

* OnceOriginalNowCommon: In an age where Scientology is near-universally viewed as a ScamReligion, and its beliefs are public knowledge to anybody interested, the cultural significance of "Trapped in the Closet" has been lost a bit. This episode was legitimately the general public's introduction to Scientology doctrine, which was a heavily guarded secret before it aired, and it played a massive role in shaping the popular view of Scientology today.

* {{Anvilicious}}: Much like their other lampooning of religions such as Mormonism in "All About Mormons", the episode is ''very'' on-the-nose about how ridiculous the creative team find the beliefs of Scientology, with the president even going into a diatribe about how obvious a scam it is and how stupid its clients would have to be. However, unlike the previous cases, where they shown mild advocation for religious groups even when lampooning them, Stone and Parker make it clear they see ''nothing'' redeeming or of value from Scientology, with the movement pulling a full on JerkWithAHeartOfJerk in the end and threatening to sue Stan, much to his exasperation.

** The scientologists gaslight Stan into joining their ScamReligion by making him think he's depressed, with Stan worrying that he'll become an alcoholic like his grandfather. 7 years later, ''You're Getting Old'' and "Ass Burgers" will feature Stan falling into a brief but brutal depression for real, and 9 years after ''that'', the movie ''Post Covid'' will prove the scientologists accidentally correct by showing Stan relapsing and becoming a cynical alcoholic asshole in the future, even if he eventually grows out of it.

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: In an age where Scientology is near-universally viewed as a ScamReligion, and its beliefs are public knowledge to anybody interested, the cultural significance of "Trapped in the Closet" has been lost a bit. This episode was legitimately the general public's introduction to Scientology doctrine, which was a heavily guarded secret before it aired, and it played a massive role in shaping the popular view of Scientology today.

** The scientologists gaslight Stan in this episode by making him think he's depressed, with Stan worrying that he'll become an alcoholic like his grandfather. 7 years later, ''You're Getting Old'' and "Ass Burgers" will feature Stan falling into a brief but brutal depression for real, and 9 years after ''that'', the movie ''Post Covid'' will prove the scientologists accidentally correct by showing Stan relapsing and becoming a cynical alcoholic asshole in the future, even if he eventually grows out of it.

* HarsherInHindsight: The depiction of Music/RKelly as a gun-toting maniac turned out to be ''mild'' compared to the sex scandals surrounding him.

* OvershadowedByControversy: While still a fan favorite, it's difficult to detach the episode's brutal satire of Scientology from how it cost the show one of its stars, as well as one of its most beloved characters, Chef, when Music/IsaacHayes, a practicing scientologist, quit in protest a couple of months after the episode aired, even though he stated he was okay with the episode earlier, burning bridges with the show's creators in the process. Then in 2016, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Hayes' son would shed light on the whole thing, saying that the Church of Scientology actually quit ''for'' him, taking advantage of Isaac's then-recent debilitating stroke by essentially whispering in his ear that he should quit in protest, which, in his poor mental state, he couldn't soundly judge for himself.

* OvershadowedByControversy: While still a fan favorite, it's difficult to detach the episode's brutal satire of Scientology from howit cost the show one of its stars, as well as one of its most beloved characters, Chef, when Music/IsaacHayes, a practicing scientologist, quit in protest a couple of months after the episode aired, even though he stated he was okay with the episode earlier, burning bridges with the show's creators in the process. Then in 2016, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Hayes' son would shed light on the whole thing, saying that the Church of Scientology actually quit ''for'' him, taking advantage of Isaac's then-recent debilitating stroke by essentially whispering in his ear that he should quit in protest, which, in his poor mental state, he couldn't soundly judge for himself.

* OvershadowedByControversy: While still a fan favorite, it's difficult to detach the episode's brutal satire of Scientology from the fact that it cost the show one of its stars when Music/IsaacHayes, a practicing scientologist, quit in protest a couple of months after the episode aired, even though he stated he was okay with the episode earlier, burning bridges with the show's creators in the process. Then in 2016, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Hayes' son would shed light on the whole thing, saying that the Church of Scientology actually quit ''for'' him, taking advantage of Isaac's then-recent debilitating stroke by essentially whispering in his ear that he should quit in protest, which, in his poor mental state, he couldn't soundly judge for himself.

* OvershadowedByControversy: While still a fan favorite, it's difficult to detach the episode's brutal satire of Scientology from the fact that it cost the show one of its stars when Music/IsaacHayes, a practicing scientologist, quit in protest a couple of months after the episode aired, burning bridges with the show's creators in the process. Then about ten years later, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Hayes' son would come forward to say that the Church of Scientology actually quit ''for'' him, taking advantage of Isaac's then-recent debilitating stroke by essentially whispering in his ear that he should quit in protest, which, in his poor mental state, he couldn't soundly judge for himself.

* OvershadowedByControversy: While still a fan favorite, it's difficult to detach the episode's brutal satire of Scientology from the fact that it cost the show one of its stars when Music/IsaacHayes, a practicing scientologist, quit in protest. And ''that'' was soon undermined by Hayes' son coming forward to say that the Church of Scientology actually quit ''for'' him, taking advantage of Isaac's then-recent debilitating stroke by essentially whispering in his ear that he should quit in protest, which, in his poor mental state, he couldn't soundly judge for himself.

* {{Anvilicious}}: Much like their other lampooning of religions such as Mormonism in "All About Mormons", the episode is ''very'' on-the-nose about how ridiculous the creative team find the beliefs of Scientology, with the president even going into a diatribe about how obvious a scam it is and how stupid its clients would have to be. However unlike the previous cases, where they shown mild avocation for religious groups even when lampooning them, Stone and Parker make it clear they see ''nothing'' redeeming or of value from Scientology, with the movement pulling a full on {{Jerk With A Heart Of Jerk}} in the end and threatening to sue Stan, much to his exasperation.

* OvershadowedByControversy: While still a fan favorite, it's difficult to detach the episode's brutal satire of Scientology from the fact that it cost the show one of its stars when Music/IsaacHayes, a practicing scientologist, quit in protest. And ''that'' was soon undermined by Hayes's son coming forward to say that the Church of Scientology actually quit ''for'' him, taking advantage of Isaac's then-recent debilitating stroke by essentially whispering in his ear that he should quit in protest, which, in his poor mental state, he couldn't soundly judge for himself.

* OvershadowedByControversy: It's nearly impossible to talk about this episode without bringing up how it caused Isaac Hayes to leave the show under controversial circumstances.

* FunnyAneurysmMoment: The depiction of Music/RKelly as a gun-toting maniac turned out to be ''mild'' compared to the sex scandals surrounding him.