It is curious that his religion would come up. If an individual is Catholic or Protestant, no one brings it up. If you're Mormon it suddenly becomes a topic of conversation.
I take that to mean that most people have heard of us (Mormons) but don't really know much about our belief system, other than we send out young guys in white shirts to knock on your door.
One of my best friends was born and raised Mormon, and if you heard all the stories she has to say about her experience growing up, you'd consider it a topic of conversation if there is the chance that they grew up fundamentalist Mormon in Utah. On the other hand when I lived in North Carolina, I don't recall the few Mormon's I knew there to be any nuttier than Catholics or Protestants. With Mormons (and Baptists too while we're on the topic) at least, it seems that most of the crazy is kept to those who are most fundamentalist (which is generally true of fundamentalism in all its forms).
Her stories about growing up Mormon are only second to another friend of mine whose parents are at the very very top of the Church of Scientology, and has lived in the People's Republic of China for years because she can rely on the Chinese government's persecution of certain religions to get people kicked out of the country if they try to go there and do anything to her. IIRC she's already had to do that once.
Californians in particular have good reason to consider it a topic of conversation because the Church of Latter Day Saints actively meddles in California politics. Prop 8 spending is the most notorious example.[0] They weren't the only religion opposing it, but they certainly spent a boatload of dollars to defeat it.
EDIT: Like I said, all religion is pretty whacky to me. Mormons have the heavy burden of both whacky + young faith. That said, I love and appreciate that Mormons don't murder over cartoons, so way to go! If I had a book, you'd be OK in it! Of course, those FLDS are terrifying... I did read Under the Banner of Heaven a while back, so I'm getting more than just South Park.
I take that to mean that most people have heard of us (Mormons) but don't really know much about our belief system, other than we send out young guys in white shirts to knock on your door.