It’s Saturday morning and that usually signals another of Terra Cognita’s thought-provoking essays. But I am changing things up and have a special surprise for all you Terra fans coming tomorrow and each Sunday for the foreseeable future.Tune in tomorrow to find out…
So, for something of the moment, we turn to Cult Shopping Network news.
Though I am blocked from experiencing the social media amazingness of scientology’s online domination, some of our readers are not.
Thanks to Valerie for forwarding some recent tweets that highlight the excellent reception CSN TV has received. And this is just a few she grabbed before they were deleted:
And here is how scientology is selling their accomplishment to those in the bubble:
Out of “hundreds” of people, this is the BEST story they could tell. A woman has a disease and now thinks scientology will cure her so she started an extension course. Wowza! That is really amazing.
And with this, planetary clearing has been made a reality. Yessirreee.
And that 90% “positive” media no doubt includes every tongue in cheek wisecrack about XenuTV and happy smiling people that look like they came right out of the Stepford Wives (see, the sentence was 90% positive, mostly it’s happy, smiling people only 2 words “Stepford Wives” were “entheta.”
And finally, there is this, from Vice:
The reporter, Jamie Lee Curtis Taete actually made the effort to watch 24 hours of programming on the CSN. He gives a pretty comprehensive rundown of what he saw and includes a lot of interesting links in his article.
He has a couple of wonderful observations that I thought worth highlighting to give a general sense of his view:
They seemed to be saying that the people of Colombia were unable to figure out that murdering or beating or robbing someone was bad until Scientologists gave them a pamphlet telling them that human rights are actually good. Which… is probably a bit offensive.
And this after the “I am a Scientologist” show:
Each clip was almost identical, with a Scientologist introducing themselves, saying something to the effect of “Scientology helped me in my career because it made me a better communicator,” then introducing themselves again. Each one lasted about a minute. Each one was agonizingly boring.
I noticed in one of the shots that there was a theater marquee advertising The Other Boleyn Girl, which came out in 2008. Which suggests this footage was shot for something else and re-edited into this nonsense.
And his conclusion:
When I got into bed at the end of my 24 hours, I had my first nightmare in a long time. An apocalyptic black cloud had enveloped my neighborhood, trapping me inside my house. Then I discovered a man had broken in and started putting up advertising posters in my living room. I noticed a cop outside, and called for help. But when he came inside my house, he started sticking up posters too.
I’m not sure if Scientology inspired it, but it felt poignant.
Jeez, just had a look at the $camology twitter site and it’s just the same half dozen or so programs over and over and over, ad nauseam, on their Incredible!, Massive!!, Wonderful!!!, Sure-To-Get-Millions-Of-People-Flooding-In!!!! crap of a channel. Never mind the 47X increase, it’s sure to be 4,700X increase!!!!! in people turning off this garbage that is.
It’s certain that the only Scientologists appearing on their channel will be David Miscavige (debatably a Scn) and those in the “I am a Scientologist” segments, each of which can be easily removed as a person becomes disaffected or “in bad standing”.
Most, if not all, of the content will use professional actors who would incur huge penalties if they say anything negative about Scientology. The professional contracts they signed are actually enforceable, unlike the nondisclosure agreements signed by staff members and Sea Org members.
Perhaps a celebrity or two will make an appearance but I doubt that Miscavige trusts them much.
The structure of CSN TV content, as mandated by Miscavige, must accommodate the fact that any Scientologist is disposable on a moment’s notice.
That hilarious letter that went out to the dopey whales who enabled that Gong Show scientology TV is, I truly believe, an obvious example of the infiltration from within.
I hope nobody gets bitch slapped by Miscavige for this, but the person who wrote “A lady from a well known family…” is either mentally deficient or an effective saboteur doing their best to make Bridge Publications look like it is managed by a special needs high school yearbook committee.
Keep up the good work saboteur, or dumb fuck, or whichever you are.
Jesus H. Hubbard, maybe the sociopath Miscavige wrote it himself. Oh scientology is so doomed.
I bet Mike is glad he blew 11 years ago rather than having to defend this BS.
Yes, can you imagine? Actually, I believe that Miscavige eliminated the post. Its still there in name but its what’s called in Scientology a “camouflaged hole” because its a job title and post in name only. Miscavige long ago had to have realized that no one can any longer do this job! Certainly HE couldn’t, even if the job were not so very “beneath Him” – LOL!
“Scientology’s L. Ron Hubbard considered James Bond’s nemesis SMERSH his biggest enemy” – from TO’s site.
What a foolish dweller in a ridiculous fantasyland. Read that line in quotations a few times, and I dare you not to start laughing.
When I started out in the criticising-the-Co$ effort, all the mainstream criticism was Lol-Xenu!! (to which I resorted myself, on many a happy occasion).
It took the efforts of ex-victims who stood up and told their stories to move the criticism on to where it should be: criticism of the rampant human-rights abuses and the criminality.
So, to all the ex-victims who told their story, often at risk to their own comfort and peace of mind (or at greater risk), and to those who gave them a platform, take a bow!
Despite the seriousness of the crimes of Miscavige’s scientology, please never give up the ridicule. This shitty organization deserves nothing but scorn and condemnation, and ridiculing their abhorrent “religion” helps people in many ways. It is cathartic to those recovering from the crimes of scientology, and it irks the criminals still in.
Exactly, wayc! Like Mel Brooks (one of my heroes) says: “The way to fight evil is to laugh at it”. And he’s right, and a genius in his way. After all, he made us laugh at Adolph Hitler! Anyone who could make the Holocaust funny is onto something as regards fighting evil. Don’t let the bastards get you down! Laugh at them! Laugh right in their ugly faces, and carry on being decent and being happy. Mike Rinder is also onto this, big time, working his dry humor satire into facts which of themselves are anything but funny. This is a gift!
Unfortunately, the FCC has lost their power over the last two decades. They have little authority over content on cable TV — esp. Paid programming..
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2004/02/can_the_fcc_regulate_hbo.html
The FCC didn’t lose that power Title. They never had power over non-broadcast & telephone mediums. That would be like saying they lost power of regulating book and magazine content. LOL
To Newcomer: I’m so very sorry about your daughter in CoS. It breaks my heart for all of you that lost children in that cult. Time is on your side. She will need you then. Prayers for peace for you until that happens.
Remember: any OUTflow = INCOME in Tubby’s scripture, even when that OUTflow is seen/read/heard by NO one because it’s verbal diarrhea combined with mental constipation (which is a good description of all of his output over the years.)He gives new mass to “talking out his **s” – – A great, big, steaming mass.
Sadly, this channel will beheld up to the still-in as a shining example of Dwarfenführer’s brilliance and infallibly. CSN will be *given* stats in the hundreds of millions of viewers, easily 47X the puny stats of the “bitter, defrocked apostate ess peas.”; any tweet or post about its ineptitude will be counted as POSITIVE PROOF that they’re making a difference
I tweeted this to @DirectTV the night Scientology TV debuted: “Hey @DirectTV, how much is the cult of Scientology paying you to have a channel there? My family will NEVER use your service again unless you kick them off. Unlike you, we don’t promote slavery and ruining people’s lives. Shame on you! #scientologytv #scientologytheaftermath”
What I find most interesting is that in Scientology’s internal PR piece, after all this they still can’t claim that they’re actually getting people coming into orgs and signing up for courses, just as with the piece following the Super Bowl ad (where they cited a single signup, for an introductory course that costs $50). And the one lady they refer to as having contacted the Celebrity Center, sounds to me like one of the cases that often turn out to be unstable types who get rejected as an “illegal PC,” anyway. Come to think if it, it would be especially ironic if any few people they did attract, turned out to mostly be people Scientology didn’t want to deal with.
As I mentioned in a comment the other day, I did a bit of analysis using the example of the Seattle org, which I think is pretty typical, and showed that they were only within the 15-20 minute driving range that business analysts consider to be the maximum customers are likely to travel, of 7% of the metro area population, and even tinier portions of the state and of the larger geographical area they might draw from (including a rural state where there is no Scientology presence, Idaho). Scientology’s limited locations are likely to put a major damper on getting people to come in who are just “curious” after some exposure like ScnTV, even though the orgs may be able to motivate or coerce people to be “unreasonable” about things like driving distances once they’ve got their hooks into them and have established a relationship – or maybe not, in the long run. I think I figured out that this also explains why orgs tend to be a typical, and maximum, size of a total “field” of around 100 to 150, which I believe to be the case in both Seattle and Denver (both with metro populations around 3 million) and yet we also see in Chicago (133 on the flyer posted the other day, but with metro population of 9.5 million); in the long run even Scientology’s belief in the their power over “MEST” and “unreasonableness” run into the reality that their orgs are largely inaccessible to the population. Some of the orgs in California such Valley might seem like exceptions, but I checked and that is probably because California populations are so much more dense that twice as many people live within a 5 mile radius of that org, than do in Seattle or Denver. Chicago is also densely populated, but when I checked into the details of that, it turns out that it is so hard to get around the city, that that the area (and population) within convenient driving distance is severely limited.
This was refreshing Mike, Thank You. Huge Congratulations to you & Leah Aftermath #3! Let it roll On! ????
My my… sure does look like vampires have worked out how to skulk around hunting for victims 24/7, oh… I mean on the TV screen of curse (opps, should read ‘of course’).
No matter how you dress it up, Scientology still spells, abusive, lying cult.
“Then I discovered a man had broken in and started putting up advertising posters in my living room. I noticed a cop outside, and called for help. But when he came inside my house, he started sticking up posters too.”
This reporter must be living in LA where it indeed appears that the cops are deeply committed to assisting the cult in any way they can. Her dream was more spot on than she apparently realized herself!
The subconscious mind has a way of cutting to the chase sometimes.
I love the inconsistency in their lies. On the first night of broadcast operations, they were claiming that a couple orgs were so full of people who went racing in to their local Ideal Org after watching only a minute or two of Scn.TV that the fire marshal had to start turning people away. And after a whole week of crush regging those tens of thousands of people jamming the orgs, they were only able to report a single conversion story? Sounds legit.
the org is calling every single night trying to get us in for group viewings and stuff. … ..Who ya foolin, Lucy?
It was EPIC!!!!!!!!!! Extra police needed to be called in to direct traffic. But WE DID IT!!!!!! All in line were served!!!!! At last count 124,214,245 new Scientology members ready to go UP THE BRIDGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The current estimate looks like 980,000 OTVIII by next Tuesday. THE PLANET IS SAVED! THIS IS EPIC!!!! REALLY REALLY EPIC!!!!! SUPER DUPER EPIC!!!!! As a result of all the new members, we need STAFF to help us file. One or two people are needed this Thursday from 6:00 PM until 6:03 PM.
Yeah, but, John P, you gotta pose the question ” which couple of orgs in particular were they?”. Then you can verify the data either for accuracy or the lack thereof.
I know, I know. Not gonna happen.
I am overjoyed to see the general public getting involved in these tweets. The Scientology-crimes exposure movement is gaining huge popularity. There are people who were never in Scn who are lending their shoulders to the wheel. Man IS basically good! Eventually Aftermath 3 will be behind us and more Scientologists will have slunk away after availing themselves of the truth online. More and more people are taking their lives back, freeing up their thinking and “false-data stripping” the subject as well as Hubbard tall tales and Miscavige’s sociopathic behavior. A bright chapter as this story continues to unfold. Heartfelt appreciation to everyone who is helping to get the word out there. Brave decent and courageous people all around.
“There are people who were never in Scn who are lending their shoulders to the wheel.”
And they for a large part aren’t using Guy Fawkes masks… 🙂
I’m wondering about whether the claims Scientology makes would be held to a different legal standard on their network than they have been before. I have a vague memory of there being different federal laws regulating information. Could be wrong. One one hand there’s a ton of infomercials with sketchy claims. On the other, isn’t that where sometimes those shady businesses run into legal trouble?
Hi Liz,
I doubt there will be any repercussions from the FCC or other regulating agency over any untruthful things aired on the Scientology Network.
We live in a world where FOX News is believed to be news.
Nope Liz. There is no regulation of religious claims. See 1st Amendment for more info.
Now that Scientology TV is up and running, quality content will be in high demand. Maybe Scientology Media Productions can put this video into their rotation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNnYjHQaJHA
Whoa! That was awesome! Click on!
Brilliant!!!
They can, but I highly doubt if they will.
Paraphrasing Jack Nicholson, they can’t handle the truth.
The Aftermath Foundation is going to need a lot more donations after CSN TV backfires. Not even more Marty Rathbun videos can save them now.
Feels like we are approaching the last act.
The Cult is not just dying anymore.Looks more like the seizure experienced experienced before death.
Yes, convulsive movements, then a death rattle.
Mike, it would certainly be fun to see the ratings for ScilonTV, maybe as part of the Thursday Funnies? We are all QUITE SURE that the millions of followers watch daily, but for some reason they never make the top 25 cable shows, not even Premiere night. http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/daily-ratings/monday-cable-ratings-march-12-2018/
Well they do say that the pen is mightier than the sword. LRH lived by the pen and now the whole church will die by the pen, including especially tweets and social media and public opinion.
And now that He has started it, what will He tell His flock when He has had enough torture and wants to quit.
Somthing like “The Ess Pees have overtaken TV!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We must terminate all TV NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! REMAIN FUCKING CALM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GET YOUR TEE R’S IN AND REMAIN FUCKING CALM I SAID! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My Tee Rs are solidly in now! I can confront anything now!
My “Tee Hees” are totally cosmic right now! Everything $cientology does now though is a comedy.
To: Old Surfer Dude
From: David Miscavige COB RTC
Re: confronting anything.
Yes, and you will be able to confront even more when you apply my new Super Duper Awesome Stupendous TRs which are only available in my Super Duper Awesome Stupendous TRs course soon to be released at an org near you! I recommend that……
Oh, wait. SPs like you aren’t allowed.
Fuck off, you rotten SP!
ML
Dave
I’m a proud, rotten SP!
You forgot to add the phrase “you fucking little dwarf!”
You know, you guys…of course you’re being cute but you really could be hitting on something. What if – what if, this TV SuMP thing has all been PLANNED OUT by Miscavige as being THE thing that he can use an excuse to Himself BOW OUTof the cult? STEP DOWN as leader?
Of course, he won’t use that these terms! No no!
More like, (at a special event for this announcement only )
“Well, listen, the SPs are out in full force now. SuMP was reaching too many damned people. SPs are going wild! Too much for us to handle now even with the amazing tech at our disposal, so I’m off to research what LRH left us above OT 12, and never fear, a plan is in place to ensure that we continue to expand as we’ve been doing, its just that I’ll be off the main grid of planet earth doing this, you know, research, so that ultimately when we reach Target Two…”…
Some kind of shit like this, some kind of plausible spiel palmed off to the sheeple to get Him out of Dodge with his lawyers and all the money!
Ok, so much for conspiracy theories in the early AM. Big imagination, what can I tell’ya?
To: Aquamarine
From: David Miscavige COB RTC
Re: keeping confidential information confidential.
Don’t let that get around! I want it to be a surprise!
And I am still waiting on delivery of those condoms and toilet paper from a while back as well as those statues of me minus the apple crate for all my ideal orgs.
ML
Dave
For anyone “interested”, in need of a good laugh or in need of sleep the CSN is also available at youtube or simple at scientology dot tv ( or http://www.scientology.tv/ if Mike allows).
I saw more black people in the first five minutes of watching this channel than I did in 35 active years in Scientology.
🙂
That’s the NOI for ya!
Hey! How about a petition to Direct TV to ‘Dump Cult Programming’. It worked on Netflix with dropping Masterson – No one knows better than the Cult, ‘MONEY TALKS’.
I’m taking bets that it won’t be long before SNL takes another good whack at this piñata.
Will the piñata be the shape of the dwarf’s head? Or his whole tiny body? Either way it sounds like fun, Len!
“I’m taking bets that it won’t be long before SNL takes another good whack at this piñata.”
I hope so! Neurotology is one of my favorite SNL skits ever.
“Reach out your hand and follow me!
I hold the code, the code to the key……..”
The key to the bathroom…
Gratitude! Big gratitude to everyone who got us to this point.
That news sources are not afraid to look past the lipstick and report on the pig these days is such a relief to me.
Scientology is truly dead. It may own buildings and money but these possessions are more like tomb stones; a memorial to a deceptive, dangerous and insane dead subject.
The tipping point HAS BEEN REACHED:
Hubbard, DM and church officials………………
WE KNOW WHO YOU ARE AND WE KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING.
The world now knows beyond a doubt that Hubbard had psychiatric mental problems and Miscavige is a raging violent loon.
It’s only a matter of time. I hear the click clack of the dominoes falling. The fuel for Scientology popularity is run out.
Truth has been the greatest enemy of Hubbard and Scientology.
I hope and pray that Scientology collapses with the death of a thousand cuts. That is what is happening now: death by a thousand cuts.
Death by a thousand negative documentaries, books, movie reviews, newspaper articles,
TV interviews, pod casts, radio, YouTube vids, media awards.
The hero of the day……………
THE INTERNET! Long live free reporting on all information!
“Death by a thousand negative documentaries, books, movie reviews, newspaper articles,
TV interviews, pod casts, radio, YouTube vids, media awards.”
“The hero of the day……………” — each one of us who states some element of the truth to someone somewhere about the most famous and arguably most abusive CULT on the planet. Word of mouth advertising is the best!
Yo Dave,
This is the one thing You get for free each and every day. Let me give You an example good buddy. My daughter, Your CMO slave over at Eye Ex You (CMO-IXU) (5th floor of the HGB Building on Hollywood Blvd -You know the place) went all through grade school and a couple years of high school with her close friends such as Heather Foote, Jamie Clements, Nina Manke, Lizzie Schroeder, Christie Machado to name a few. Well I often see her old friends around, in fact Heather asked about Haley just last week when I saw her at work. They all know what has happened to Haley Dave; swallowed up by a destructive cult. They watch and wait hoping Haley will someday want to leave and be free. They would all love to see her again.
Meanwhile they spread the word while they watch (Your horror show) and wait. I help them keep her memories alive Dave. Each and every day ……………Dave.
Another interesting group are the various contractors and workers in this area who occasionally do work for You via Jane McNarrin over at Your CST compound in Tuolumne. They know to say that they do not know or work with me if asked. I have let them know that Your flow of money would cease if they were ‘connected’. And they also know to say that they really like the books you have suggested they read. BTW, you might want to meter check them ……. for the truth…… Dave!
BTW Dave, Are you still going to continue to let the Soulsbyville congregation visit the 50 acre Walter East property You purchased as a buffer to the South of Your Lady Washington Mine ? Yes, the hillside that has the cross on it overlooking the Tuolumne Township. Maybe I’ll tag along this year and spread some word of mouth Dave.
Remember Dave, You can hide from the public but never from Your truth. Call me when you get into town and we can chat Dave 928-4822.
Newcomer, I look forward to your letters to Dave, but for some reason I thought you were a never in who is rightfully outraged at the cult but when I read your post today I realized that was not the case. I actually had to step away because it was like a punch to the gut knowing you are a parent missing a child to CO$. I think it’s because I could visualize myself using snarky letters if I was in your position because there isn’t much else you can do. I hope and pray your daughter comes back to you SOON. The Short Man knows his time is running out and he isn’t going to be able to hide when the shit the fan!
Wow, Newcomer, that’s deep.
Hope you and Haley are back together soon.
When I read this, I realized that this was not the time for one of my infamous “memos from Dave ” that I usually taunt you with. It sounds like you’re going through a lot right now and that you must be hurting inside. I sincerely hope that Haley realizes that you are more important than that midget she works for and will just walk away from it.
Yes. Death by a thousand cuts! Then a final smash to oblivion as DM is led away in handcuffs.
Unfortunately it is not just Dave but every other member of the cult that promotes His doings.
Yo Julian,
You are on that list good buddy. You are complacent in the crimes of the Cult. You are responsible for some very unethical conduct. Do not expect any leniency when You are turned out.
DM led away in handcuffs.
Hope it makes the front page.
Is his friend, Bubba with him?
Ah yes. The smell of scamology bullshit in the morning.
When announced I said this “TV” station would be the FINAL nail in the coffin…
I feel, Wynski, that it will take several nails as there is no doubt that the cult will milk this thing for all that they can get from it.