Reason in Amsterdam featuring Trey Parker & Matt Stone, Aug. 23-26
While Reason played a key role in the demolition of Rob Reiner's universal preschool initiative in California, Reiner's credibility and image have been taking hits for years. One of the most effective slams on Reiner came from the South Park episode "Butt Out!" (Season 7).
In the episode, the rotund safety advocate arrived in town after Kyle, Stan and the other boys get caught smoking and blame it on the influence of the tobacco companies. Reiner wants to use the boys to ban all smoking in Colorado, and he's willing to lie, cheat and murder to make it happen. After Reiner leads a mob of villagers to storm the cigarette factory, Kyle and Stan finally confront him.
Rob Reiner: Oh, Goddammit, do I have to explain this again?! Smoking is bad, people! So if we have to be a little extreme to stop it, it's okay!
Kyle: No it isn't, you fat turd! Because, I've learned something today… You just hate smoking, so you use all your money and power to force others to think like you. And that's called fascism, you tubby asshole!
Rob Reiner: GOD DAMN IT! THERE'LL BE NO MORE SMOKING!
Stan: It wasn't the tobacco companies' fault that we smoked. It was our fault, us! We should all take personal responsibility instead of letting fat fascists like him tell us what to do!
If you join Reason in Amsterdam at the end of August, you can meet Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the creator of this and the rest of South Park's 100+ episodes. Also in attendence: Andrew Sullivan, Reason Senior Editor and Saying Yes: In Defense of Drug Use author Jacob Sullum, Andrei Illarionov (former economic advisor to Vladimir Putin), Mart Laar (former prime minister of Estonia), and Reason Editor-in-Chief Nick Gillespie.
More details are right here.