AS IT APPEARS SCIENTOLOGY DID NOT PUT UP THIS POSTER — BUT IT IS BEING TROLLED BY IT (AS WAS I) I AM REPLACING THIS POST.
BUT IT WAS FUN WHILE IT LASTED….
This has to be one of the more remarkable things in the history of scientology “dissemination” efforts. And there have been plenty of really bizarre episodes.
New York “ideal” org is trying to attract people to “The COS” (they do NOT use the word scientology) with Hamilton tickets for $20. Like anyone who is not on staff in scientology would ever know what “The COS” is…
Scientology claims to have the answers to all of life, the solutions to the problems of mankind and can hand you the keys to eternity — but they cannot get anyone interested, so they pretend they are offering theater tickets on the cheap to get anyone to talk to them.
I know Tony Ortega put a shot of one of these posters at the end of his blog post yesterday (obviously someone else was just as fascinated by this new “tech” and also took a photo) but I felt this worthy of further commentary because this tells a LOT about the lies of scientology.
This is the organization that proclaims they are in the midst of an “era of unprecedented expansion”. They claim there is “unparalleled” interested in scientology on the internet and stemming from the ads they put on the Super Bowl and Grammy Awards. If that was true the most important thing to note on this poster would be the word SCIENTOLOGY.
This poster proves otherwise.
New York is one of the oldest orgs in the US. One of the oldest “ideal” orgs – 5th or 6th on the planet. One of the few orgs that has NOT been moved into the backwaters of industrial parks or low rent suburbia. It sits within half a block of the most heavily trafficked intersection in the United States – Times Square. Hundreds of thousands of people pass through there every DAY.
And the masters of communication are clearly unable to convince people they should find out about themselves and their mind and their eternity and all the answers to life in the “coolest” and “fastest growing” religion on earth. No, instead they stick a black and white sign on a light pole, trying to bait and switch ANYONE to pass through their doors. Because they believe theater tickets are more likely to get someone to talk to them than scientology…
As Donald Trump would say: Their ratings are terrible. Awful. Sad!
PS: I hope they sold every one of their $20 tickets to scalpers who took them back to Times Square and resold them at market price…
We were in NYC to see Hamilton and cos is across the street from the theater. Watching the building and people actually go out of there way to avoid it. The Hamilton swag shop is right next to the church, and still people would cross the street and cross back just to go to the store. I watched this for a while because we were taking pictures for Hamilton in front of the theatre. I was very strange you could see people peaking out window and I aimed my camera up at them and they would disappear. I did not take there picture, just pointed my camera at them. And then this guy came out and stood on the side walk and crossed the street to the theater. He started looking and getting closer tomy daughters in a very disturbing way, they are kids and adult men should not look or approach under age children in that way. So beware if your going to see Hamilton watch your children carefully
Donna b
Ah, well , I saw “COS” on the poster and decided to get out of Dodge. I am so simple-minded, I thought it was “COS” short for Bill Cosby.
For a second I thought if I contacted the number I might be deluded and mind-controlled into some sick invasion of my personal life by a ruthless predator. Then I realized, it’s even worse… it is not COSby, it is the Church of Scientology! … I would gamble my life with Bill Cosby long before I would ever trust one second with LRH’s diseased religion.
AS IT APPEARS SCIENTOLOGY DID NOT PUT UP THIS POSTER — BUT IT IS BEING TROLLED BY IT (AS WAS I) I AM REPLACING THIS POST.
BUT IT WAS FUN WHILE IT LASTED….
It’s a win Mike. It just means Scientology has more enemies than they realize. Nothing like a bit of “Fair Gaming” reversed, splurge on it whoever you are.
The church still has some friends in their neighborhood Mike. No doubt from this poster. Thank you for the update. This will be condemned by all Scientologists everywhere as religious discrimination, hate, bigotry, harassment and prejudice before STAND takes civil action. Probably only homeless people would go in the church for theater tickets. Anyone else would know better. 🙂
It’s a real toxic brand
‘Total freedom’ total sham
Making all their ideal orgs for nobody
Ashamed to put their name on view
Beats to death the same old tune
No one’s buying Scientology
It’s not the actual Hamilton. This is some knock off called Hamilton Smeck about a guy prom Peoria who opens a hardware store on ancient Native America burial grounds and the tools rise up and chase patrons out of the store. It is however a musical.
great!
Reading the responses to this thread has been interesting. It’s very much an obvious truth the Cof$ is composed of a bunch of lying, thieving scoundrels which will go to any lengths to acquire wealth. It also struck me the organisation itself is very top heavy by the whales who support it. When I was at Flag in the 90s being “processed,” I couldn’t help but notice the elitism and for the want of a better word the plain snobbery of some of the more wealthy public. I’m very use to observing and living under a command structure in my life and it became obvious to me the public and especially the celebrities were developing a fluctuating pecking order, and yes, I’ve even been in the Sandcastle dining room having breakfast and Travolta was a few tables over munching away on his – gee whiz, ain’t I lucky! The actual aspects of Scientology became secondary to a new set of mores developing under the heavy but increasingly demanding regging regime. Money became the only objective. Training and auditing others were for the lower classes to engage in but that soon disappeared from the organisation anyway. The system cut off its nose to despite its face.
That elitism morphed into the status level system which apparently is very profitable, criminal yes, profitable, absolutely. Those at the upper end of this bullshit are intentionally blind and simply don’t want to know what the lower classes of Scientologists do or think, they are the common folk and should be seen and not heard. Someone has to take out the garbage.
I’ve always been a rank and file man myself but imo the Cof$ has only one way it can go – to hell. Just like the British system of elitism they employed/developed in their colonies as their empire sailed around the globe, in which they stole ever penny they could. The Americans taught them a thing or two about independence, thank goodness. The Cof$ will last as long those elite assholes have their little universe to play around in. Disrupt that universe sufficiently enough and the Cof$ will collapse in a heap. A nice juicy, but provably despicable scandal involving TC, JT or DM would be nice.
Somebody from the Bunker called the number yesterday to ask about this. The person on the phone had no clue what he was talking about.
It was decided that somebody decided to troll the Co$.
I think they did an excellent job at it too!
Well, in some ways, that’s a good thing. Because that 20 bucks folks would pay for those tickets would turn in to quite a bit more if they get sucked in.
Agreed, that’s pretty darn funny. Imagine the clams trying to placate people who wanted their $20 “Hamilton” tickets!
If you’ve seen the show, you’ll get this reference:
“I don’t know how to say “NO” to this.
No! No!
Say no to this!
No! No!
Say no to this!
No! No!
Say no to this!
Ok, I’ll make a guess too… Maybe, one of the C of S members had a pair of tickets they couldn’t use for some reason, perhaps due to being away on the date of the show, and donated them. Or Maybe, the C of S was given a couple of promo tickets by the show management for some reason or other, or maybe even a half-dozen, I know that shows will give out a certain number of free tickets usually later in their run to schools, community service groups, etc., or Maybe, someone else associated with the show (family member of actor, crew member, etc.) got “comp” tickets for free (I’ve had these before also) but didn’t want to see the show or re-sell them so they donated them to the C of S. I’ve given away top of the line show tickets that were comped to me when the timing didn’t work out or I had already seen the show or didn’t have interest in seeing it.
So they could have obtained the tickets free of charge in several ways. Now, how to get the tickets? My guess is that an interested person would at the minimum have to sit through a lengthy presentation about Scn, before being allowed to purchase them, kind of like the Vegas time-share presentations, they put you through a hard-sell “information” session along with others for a couple of hours while they try to sell it to you before you can get your free gift certificate or whatever. Of course, like the time-share people do, you probably have to ‘pre-qualify’ by showing financial information like salary verification… Or, maybe, the tickets can be purchased by anyone, but the catch is that you have to sign up for a C of S course, they are your bonus, and whatever they sign you up for is going to be expensive enough that they won’t mind letting you buy the tickets for $20. Or maybe they are just hoping anyone interested in the tickets can be counted as bodies in the shop or whatever, or that at least they can make their pitch to whoever walks in the door. It would be interesting if someone in the area would actually go there are let us know what happens.
Yes a Staffer had extra tickets to Hamilton, the most expensive ticket on Broadway (LMAO)
Poor Staffer they lost out on a great show and then dinner at Chez Rice and Beans after
(ROTFL)
“Chez Rice and Beans”…OMG, I’m dying 🙂
Ok, ok, ok. Here it is. New Yorker’s are very canny people. Did anyone notice none of the tear-offs are gone? Hmm? Most probably feel it’s a scam of some sort and a few might realize what cos stands for. Either way it’s a lose/lose for our dear demented leader. And before you correct me, yes, it’s a scam, period.
I know it is a bit off topic, but Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath will get its first airing at 10 tonight on the Crime and Investigation channel (we don’t get A & E) in the U.K. I will be watching and recording it as well.
It’s a truly great show! I’m an outsider, but never understood how smart people got stuck in that. Leah explains it so well–I understand now that Scientologists truly believe (and are shown a truckload of faked evidence) they are saving the world! I would give all my time and money too, if I believed I could help clear the planet one person at a time, and especially because, as the shows emphasize, the first years are full of legitimate personal benefits. It’s a pretty clever system, and a shame it’s been so bastardized and abused.
Pretty much the same way anyone gets suckered into any religion.
Sorry: This cult of scientooology is not a religion. Please do not equate that idea
petlover1948. A religion is: the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power.
So, scientology is definitely a religion. A religion that promotes the belief in Hubbard as an all knowing, all powerful, controlling power.
no that is not what all Scientologists believe….It is too different to say that “all” of anything is equal to anything. Too general and not nuanced
This is good. Urge everyone to watch the Leah show. Also, when is Louis Theroux’ documentary about Scn going to air in the United States? Any word on when?
Oops, I had it wrong Mike. I thought COS stands for CULT OF SUPPRESSION.
Now I get it.
How is this not copyright 8nfringement? I want to know what the Hamilton people think of this scam?
Can you imagine the hoops those walk-ins had to jump thru to get their $20 back of the rafters seats? I bet it was at least a 3 hour or more investment of their time and the majority of their demographic information. Plus, I bet only one ticket per person is allowed. So they had to drag in their spouse or significant other so they could get their shitty ticket. Im sure they had to watch at least one video and take the stupid personality test. Then endure all the stupid questions about all that is supposedly “wrong” in their lives. Ugh, nothing is worth that!!!!
I can’t help but think the poor saps beat a retreat when they look up from their map and see the Scientology sign. Buying from scalpers would be much easier than getting discount tickets from Scientology.
Maybe one do their local scions is in the chorus and gets free tickets?
Back of the raters? Not a chance. $20 won’t even get your exteriorized thetan inside that theater. I don’t know what the bait-and-switch is, but it sure doesn’t end in a Hamilton ticket. I can promise you that.
Try googling something like “$20 Hamilton tickets,” as is typical these days there are actually a small number of cheap tickets available through some mechanisms intended to provide token access for those without financial means (for a show that’s not wildly popular you actually have a pretty good chance of getting in cheap if you’re willing to stand in line or enter a lottery a couple of times). If the org has a bunch of people try to get tickets through one of those means, they might have actually come up with some.
Plus who knows, maybe somebody in the org with connections in the theater even found a way to claim cheap tickets for impoverished religious workers or something.
My guess is that they only have a small number of tickets, and will only give them to people who they think they have sucked in. Or come to think of it, maybe they are sucking people in for an orientation, and then just showing them how to apply for the cheap ticket lottery themselves, that would be more in line with the “help wanted” scam that they used to run.
Yes, I’m sure they had no tickets at all. Everyone who responded was probably told they “just ran out.” Those tickets don’t come easily. Just another lie the cult thinks people are dumb enough to believe.
Actually if you read the small print $20 will allow two of your body thetans into the theatre
Mike, I almost have to believe that the little poster is not really from the NY org. It’s so ludicrous it seems implausible. That being said, my observation of the members I am around seems to verify that the only people left in the cult are a few old diehards and second generation adults who are not nearly as dedicated.
The people I know who are older are all falling apart physically. Scientology causes 24/7 stress. Not good for ones body.
How did they get their hands on cheap tickets or are they taking a huge loss just to get someone into the shop? Either way, they are afraid to use their own name. Imagine Apple being afraid to use their name because their product was so poor and their name was so toxic. Apple wouldn’t exist if that was the case.
I guess they are using similar tactics that time share companies use. Come get a free toaster, you only have to listen to some hard-sell a-hole for 2 hours lie to you. Oh, and bring your checkbook.
A new bottom of the barrel tactic from the cult. Maybe next they will offer a free meet & greet with Masterson sponsored by COS.
The NYC org is right across the street from the Hamilton venue. Also Hamilton debuted two plus years ago in Jan 2015, so the show may not be selling out like before. They probably have some connection for getting last minute open seats tickets.
It would be great if some UTR or person who reads this blog and is not yet declared could go get the ticket and see what they had to do to get it and then report back to us. Any takers?
I just had my friend in Oregon call NY Org. She was told that it was a mistake. Reception first told her it was a mistake, there were no $20 tickets to Hamilton, then, when she played dumb and repeated the request, he said “the number on the sign is wrong” , and that “Its all a mistake”. So then she asked, incredulously, “What is this place I’m reaching?” And he replied, “This is the Church of Scientology”, to which she replied, “DEFINITELY a mistake!” and hung up the phone 🙂
Good one Aqua. Glad she said the parting shot to the receptionist as she hung up.
Still selling out; the Show Hamilton; and of course the posers in the cult
Limited supply could mean just 1 ticket is all they have.
Hi Mike, the way I read those ” ” phrases is “unprecedented expansion” There has been a covert sneaky land grab lately.
“Unparalleled interest”. Hm. Has there ever been less interest in scientology as a religion? Heretofore unimagined disinterest!
Mcsavage needs to stop cowering from the public. He needs to man up, show his face, and not with some celebrity or spokesperson. It comes across (to me) as ashamed.
Gravity …
Certainly you jest ………….
“Mcsavage needs to stop cowering from the public. He needs to man up, show his face, and not with some celebrity or spokesperson.”
…………….because THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN!
Yo Dave,
I think you mentioned something about power belonging to those who people listen to when they speak or some such tripe. Anyway good buddy ………….. we, the occupiers of all things related to the fringes of the internet………..all of us out here are waiting for You to SAY SOMETHING , DAVE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, You have your SuMP and you ought to get in it. At least say hi, smile and wave …..DAVE!
Isn’t the town of Clearwater waiting, too?
Can he not man up? I bet the fear is that he will lose his temper. No difference of opinion so heavily indoctrinated
Uh…..Dave’s not here, man.
(apologize for obligatory Cheech and Chong quote from the 70’s…….when the weed was fresh and the jokes were actually funny…)
And these days it would be …..Dave Who? Only the kool aide crazed sheeple have ‘herd’ of Him.
He will never speak in public.
The Interview with Ted Koppel made him look like a creepy little man, barely able to control his temper. He has undoubtedly reviewed this interview repeatedly over the years. He knows what he looks like on camera.
In other words, the interview made him look like himself. Well, done, Ted Koppel, wherever you are!
I supect that with the Masterson episode, their efforts in entertainment industry will dwindle even faster! Please, God, make it so! I believe the CULT is not so much crazy as devious! But the negative lights are shining ever brighter on their ugly efforts.
“They claim there is unparalleled interest in Scientology on the internet…..”
Well, I have to hand it to them on this claim and concede that this is probably a very accurate statement. Good to hear them make a claim that I consider to technically be true.
The problem is that it’s misleading. Yes, there does appear to be “unparalleled interest” in Scientology on the internet, but not in the way their more devoted members probably think. The interest is of a very skeptical and even negative nature about Scientology. And that negativity isn’t just “a few bitter apostates with an axe to grind who are seeking fame and/or fortune” either.
Even if they have truly convinced themselves that these few “STAAD” individuals have ulterior motives for their criticism, there are many, MANY more individuals who have left the church that do NOT receive any form of money or acquire any level of fame, yet are still speaking out and corroborating these shocking allegations of abusive policies for this so-called “church” (just look at the number of former Scientologists on this one blog alone who speak out without getting a single dime, including those using pseudonyms who obviously aren’t getting “famous”, yet spend a lot of their time and effort speaking out and warning others about the abuses they’ve witnessed just from their own individual perspectives). All of these many individuals obviously aren’t trying to “stir the pot” just for the hell of it without any hope of receiving anything in return. I mean……there just can’t be THAT many “shit-starters” on this planet.
Hopefully some current members will seek out this “unparalleled interest on the internet” in the hopes that they might be able to read all of the accolades that the citizens of planet Earth are bestowing upon them (much like David Miscavige’s own father thought he would find, much to his chagrin). Maybe that’s just hope beyond hope for the vast majority of current members, but even if it only gets just a few of these victims of thought control to “wake up”, reconnect with their loved ones, and begin to take control of their own lives, at least it’s a start.
MIck, I think that quote partly relates to an old Hubbard dictum to the effect that any publicity is good for Scientology. That probably was once the case to some extent, when any controversy would bring a few people in to the orgs to check it our for themselves, some of whom would then get sucked in. This might even still work to some extent in countries where there is less access to internet information in the native language. But nowadays almost anyone who is curious, is going to get on the internet first and find out the side of Scientology that they don’t want checked out.
Ron Miscavige says that when he had an unexpected chance to get on the internet, he did so looking to see what the world was saying about all the good things that Scientology was doing – and that was of course the beginning of the end for his involvement. He’s certainly not the only one, and there will be more, especially if people like Mike keep up the good fight to make effective critical information readily available.
They really are ashamed of their name aren’t they? Scientology truly is the ‘agent orange’ of religions, it defoliates everything it touches. What makes it truly disheartening is at the grass roots level of the organisation they now have to treat their name as if it is toxic. We know the management are lying criminals but these childlike feeble attempts of getting attention are really sad – it looks like a homemade A3 computer printout of someone trying to sell a used and worn out RV with the little tear off ph numbers just in case someone doesn’t have a pen and paper.
What’s next for Scientology staff – begging on the street?
“The ‘agent orange’ of religions”…everyone is really witty lately!
Indeed it’s an embarrassment but it’s infinitely more humane than the cruelty of having David Pomeranz strum his geetar outside the org while a Sea Org White Shirt tries to pass out scientology literature to disinterested passersby. Who can forget that YouTube video of him singing ‘yeah yeah yeah’ while defiantly ignoring his humiliation with heart-wrenching feignings of enthusiasm? A former talent reduced to panhandling for the CoS makes you want to reach for a tissue (if not stifle a guffaw). No, offering discount tickets for a Broadway show bait and switch is a kinder, gentler act of desperation.
There must be a bait-and-switch going on. I would love to know how long people have to endure a session inside the “COS” before they finally are allowed the tickets, if they are even allowed to buy them at all.
There is nothing about the cherch that is not a bait and switch. It is the specific DNA of the Cult that creates this in everything that is said and done.
We are a church ….. false. IRS has given you a label.
We are the most ethical group on the planet …………false; what you say and what you do are different. Outside your cult it is known as fraud.
We in Global Capitalism HQ know the odd thing or two about Broadway ticket prices, given that it’s an important avenue for entertaining our clients. While I haven’t checked in a couple months, scalper ticket prices for “Hamilton” are still quite high, though not as high as the $2,000+ they were getting for a $200 ticket at the peak of the craze last year.
Everyone in New York knows just how insanely hard it has been to get tickets to “Hamilton.” Nobody is going to believe for a second that anyone would be giving them away for $20, so they don’t have to know what “COS” is to know that this is a scam.
And even if people weren’t gullible enough to know it was a scam, people are going to ask Siri what’s at 221 W. 46th St. before heading over there, and the answer comes up instantly. As soon as they hear the word Scientology, they’re gone.
The problem is that we can’t use episodes of comically inept behavior like this to forget the evil this organization is still capable of doing.
Well, the org is located directly across the street from the Richard Rodgers Theater where Hamilton is playing, and every week there is a live raffle outside the theater for cheap front-row seats for the Wednesday matinee performance. I’m guessing they’ve worked out a grift concerning access to those tickets, and that is how they keep from lying (gotta keep their integrity in somehow). It must just kill them to see the constant crowds of people assembling for that show and only looking over at the org to smirk.
John, you wouldn’t know this, but your interns might want to – there are actually some cheap seats available through a couple of routes like ticket lotteries, for people who have some patience and are willing to work the system. It’s harder but not impossible for a popular show, though maybe more likely if the show is not quite so hot.
I have some Scottish blood, and attribute to that my always knowing how to shave coins. We also have a long family tradition of teaching frugality even though financial prudence has left us very well off. I used make an adventure with my kids out of going to the ticket lotteries (when I could have just walked up to the box office and pulled out the AMEX card for the best seats in the house), and they remember that fondly and now make me proud showing the habits of good financial management that they learned. Nowadays when we go on a trip to the big city I will just have the concierge get us good seats to the shows that the young adults want to see, though.
Old rule. Probably almost as old as human language. Once the name of a CON has been publicized widely, you must change the name/identity of it in order to be able to continue the CON.
But what I really want to know is how they got Hamilton tickets in NYC for $20!
That’s simple. They didn’t. They paid full price for those tickets – perhaps even scalper prices – in order to be able to attract some unknowing folks into the trap. I would not doubt, either, that major whales put up the monies. The OSA surely did not!
My bet is that they actually bought ZERO tickets. They’re cheap sons of bitches, remember… The first person that walks in the door is told that they just sold out, as is everyone else who walks in there… The ultimate cheap con.
Or somebody “doing amends” had to pony up for the tickets – somebody delivering an effective blow to the enemy he has been pretending to be a part of. (Barf)
The leaflets taped to light poles are easily denied. Either you get a ‘we just passed out the last one’ or ‘we have no connection to those ads, but you need to take our personality test, you have just the right amount of gulliblemess to join our church’.
No way were any real tickets ever present in mOrg.
The “bubble” continues to sink deeper and deeper into the darkness. I don’t think Miscavige has much concern over such things. I think he is consumed with manipulating TC into living in downtown Clearwater where these two “big beings” can share their fantasy of being above it all.
…and commanding a whole city.
I should go. 🙂
I only live in New Jersey. 🙂
Lawrence, I am sitting here thinking, if I lived nearby, I’d definitely take them up on the offer. Though I’d want to SEE the tickets first. I wouldn’t put it past them to put me through the grinder then tell me there were no more left…
It’s a shame T-Marie that the Church of Scientology (any) in general feels the way that it does towards anyone. There cannot possibly be a Tony Award winning play in the Church of Scientology. Why would they offer this amenity? How can a church be kept secure with a crowd like New York droving in and out of the building? It is not a safe place. A reflection of the out of control environment in which it operates. Plus, they would recognize me, stop me and call the police. The only people in the world harboring animosity towards me is the Church of Scientology. My sad fate? Who knows. 🙂
I apologize, I meant to say why would they be offering tickets to this play instead of auditing or training services. Obviously because they are a fraud. In any event, I feel sorry for anyone that goes in there and buys one. 🙂
Hahaha. Just a ferry or car ride away.
If anyone were to get LURED into one of Scientology Scams…and get a little buzz of hope to improve some life normal issue….
One Click of the internet will KILL that buzz
Thanks to the brave and courageous SP’s out there like Mike Rinder.
Thanks for this Blog Mike.
Yes, Something Can Be Done About “It”
Scientology is DEAD,
No one will sign up for that crazy cult.
Yes, Idle Morgue, Scn is dead. They have shocked it fifty times trying to revive it and it still lays there.
It is starting to stink to high heaven. Somebody needs to dig a hole and bury it already.
And, Idle Morgue, you are clearly not idle just as I am clearly not dead. Good comment.
Maybe a few curiosity seekers would venture in. For example, they watched “Going Clear” and were intrigued with the e-meter and past lives. Crowley and occultism still commands some interest.