Germans are renown for having their humour surgically removed at birth and they have found nothing funny at all about the famous barnpot Tom Cruise.
They have chosen to ban his latest movie from being filmed in Deutschland because Cruise is a Scientologist (Operating Thetan VII no less) and the movement is adjudged to be a cult there so is therefore banned.
As usually happens, when you dig a little deeper, other stories show their face and i found out something deeply unnerving about one of my favourite comedy shows.
My Name is Earl is slowly gaining popularity here and i have been singing the praises of the show to anyone silly enough to listen to me. Then came the bombshell that it could have a darker ulterior motive.
The show is about Earl Hickey and it follows his trials and tribulations as he attempts to reverse his bad karma and sets about righting his former wrongs. An excellent ideal even if it is the same concept behind the 'overt-motivator sequence' that Scientology advocates which means that when a person does something good or bad, something good or bad happens to them, the underlying theme of the shows karmic mantra.
The connection continues with Earl himself - actor Jason Lee is a Scientologist, as is show creator Greg Garcia and Ethan Suplee who plays Earl's dim witted brother Randy. Juliette Lewis who plays the sister-in-law is a practising Scientologist. Also down with the Church is Giovanni Ribisi, who plays Ralph Mariano.
Maybe I shouldn't be concerned about the links and just enjoy it as an excellent programme but i can't help feeling I've been promoting what could be perceived as a Scientology vehicle disguised as comedy.
Fishsticks as Spongebob would say.
6 comments:
WOW, I love that show! And that IS disconcerting.
So do i, Randy is a great character but this does take the shine off it slightly for me.
One of Jeff's mentors, a fabulous, massively talented writer from Chicago, was a Scientologist who was apparently quite high up in the "church's" hierarchy. He was deeply, severely depressed and would not seek psychological counseling because Scientologists don't believe in that ... and he ended up taking his life. His dearest friend, who was also a friend of Jeff's and mine, tried his best to help the guy but as it turns out, he was beyond help.
That, my friends, is Scientology at its finest.
PJ - It is held up as a bit of a jokey religion but it does have a very serious side to it, as this proves.
Juliette Lewis doesn't play the sister in law Jamie Pressly does.
Also, the creator of the show Greg Garcia is not a Scientologist. Nothing about the show has anything to do with Scientology except for two of the five leads practice that religion.
It's a ridiculous theory.
Juliette Lewis was Earls partner before Joy in the first series.
Jamie Pressley is his ex-wife.
Greg Garcia being a scientologist was from a newspaper article and
was mentioned by somone on Channel 4 discussing MNiE.
No idea if the cameramen are scientologists but the theory is back on.
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