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Katie and Kruz Kall it Kwits
English: The Actress Katie Holmes at the National Memorial Day Concert in Washington, D.C., May 24, 2009. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
In the latest episode of divorce celebrity style: Katie Holmes who returned to the small screen in The Kennedys and Tom Cruise who is starring in a broadway show about metal heads are calling it quits after a lavish wedding and a daughter named Suri.
The divorce episode of these two where millions are involved is probably pretty much settled if they had a prenuptial agreement.
Heloise recently wrote a review of the book “Inside Scientology” where Tom, and by default Katie loomed large on that creepy scene. I am sure Katie won’t need to go begging with her split with Tom. Rumors of Tom gayness and cultness probably doomed this marriage before the lavish Italian nupitals. What a waste.
Related articles
- Katie Holmes Carries Suri Cruise Around the City (popsugar.com)
- Katie Switches Up Her Stripes For a City Day With Suri (popsugar.com)
- Katie Holmes and Suri Cruise Head Out For a Bright Summer Day (popsugar.com)
- Katie Holmes & Suri: Monday Afternoon Stroll (justjared.com)
Book Review: Inside Scientology: Inside America’s Most Secret Religion by Janet Reitman
first published as: Book Review: Inside Scientology: The Story of America’s Most Secretive Religion by Janet Reitman (blogcritics.org) Heloise
Inside Scientology: The Story of America's Most Secretive Religion
Inside Scientology leaves no scandal unturned in the life L. Ron Hubbard, underlings, celebrities and cult “slaves” in this story of America’s most secretive religion. Janet Reitman, the author, builds a sturdy scaffold where readers can safely stand and watch the goings-on inside this 58-year-old New Age religion. It is a riveting read not only for its thorough research, and winning style but because she has left no greed on the table in the hagiographical 396 page-turner not including notes, index and bibliography.
The TIME expose in 1991 flagging Scientology as perhaps the most money-obsessed religion ever created was the first media crack in Scientology—a “cult” that received the status of religion; therefore a tax-exempt organ raking in billions around the world, which left its observers scratching a collective head at the machinations behind this boon to L. Ron Hubbard’s Dianetics and later Church of Scientology.
The author presents a scathing and unprecedented look at founder L. Ron Hubbard who began his career as a pulp science fiction writer and a spinner of tall tales that he had been everywhere, done everything and above all knew everything about the mind. Probably the best salesman ever born conning his way to wealth and new followers. From the get go he tells them that it is all about the money, all about selling anybody, anything and, if possible everything, from a book to auditing sessions ($3,000+)—icing on the cult—a billion-year contract of allegiance and worldly wealth to the church! This was the genius of a man whose greed knew no bounds. Hubbard’s over-the-top inculcation became legacy which was passed along with his best-selling book on the mind: Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health. The world was not enough for L. Ron Hubbard. And if history is any guide to dictators, despots and cults—self-destruction waited.
Who was L. Ron Hubbard? His humble beginnings moving from one small town to another, described as tall, thin and physically unattractive yet “magnetic” invents the “E-meter” a simple galvanic response or lie-detecting machine, shrouds his teachings in the cloth of a “church” and coins the term Scientology “the study of knowledge.” He went to great lengths to embellish his resume with research he never did on the records of former prisoners of war at Oak Knoll Hospital. He claimed to treat their psychological wounds, convincing lies on a revised resume. It stands to reason that his first career, writing pulp fiction science, was the element of weirdness that made its way into the teachings and KSW (keep scientology working) was so other-worldly that when Cruise was finally initiated into the idea of extra-terrestrials embedded into the body of mortals he jumped and ran from the cult for years and had to be wooed back into the fold. He was not alone in revulsion; thetans and theta beings were the weirdness pushing away potential members, but that doctrine remains.
Behind the façade of the “fastest-growing church of the twenty-first century” these days is an image of members fleeing in droves, in the wake of voluminous online information calling out Scientology as a dangerous, greedy cult. Former members have written books, constructed countless blogs debunking the wonders of drug-free “clear” auditing sessions that are supposed to lead to happy and psychologically healthy individuals. It is unclear the original purpose of auditing sessions. One of the early ones led to a member reverting to the womb and suddenly a former life. The auditors never quite knew what to expect from these sessions, which takes the science out of Scientology, you might say. But one outcome was predictable: audited individuals often suffered serious “breakdowns” and breaks with reality that were swept under expensive rugs.
Sell, sell, and sell the packages and the lingo of Dianetics: “SP, KSW, Sea Org, Int, wog, clear, Clears, pre-clear, auditing,” were the most oft-used terms. Signs of a cult include uniformity, special language, and “specialness” of the followers; telling seekers they have an undeveloped soul or are in spiritual kindergarten. Remarkably, keeping followers in this “kindergarten” limbo is part of cult tactics. The uninitiated cannot find their way out of the dark cave alone. If you watch Cruise’s Scientology talks you will hear him use this lingo. But using the language of Scientology is not all; he was accused of accepting a pimped-out RV bus built by “slave” labor.
Los Angeles is the fertile ground where the first and the most recent church opened on April 24, 2010 amid the touting of David Miscavige (who took control of Scientology) that the best was yet to come for the church and its ever-expanding membership which in the last decade finally turned its eye to an untapped group: the African-American community. Finding new converts and ruining the competition were never-ending tasks. And if you don’t understand anything else about Dianetics and Scientology you must get this: their ritual, scientific and all-out attack on the discipline of psychiatry and the drugs created for the psychotic and the bipolar was uppermost in the takeover strategies begun by Hubbard. He planned to replace the entire psychiatric world with Scientology and the clear mind created by “auditing.” Hubbard had help.
Auditors (trained members) lacked the credentials and licenses to practice healing in “mental science.” Hubbard fixed this with the protection church status could confer since “they could claim tax-exempt status, which Hubbard would later explain to his flock was a fundamental reason for taking the religious route (pg 44).” It was not popular until explained that it was needed for the legal and ethical loopholes provided. He sold it and the evolution of Scientology began. An eight-point cross was designed (two linking pyramids with what looks like an anchor), wedding and funeral rites and ordained ministers completed the look and feel of religion.
Despite the founder’s reclusive later years and death in 1986 his creation went on to become global including docked ships AKA the Sea Organization to ensure absolute control over the “org” and its membership. The true story of Scientology reads like a startling, bell curve of highs, lows and in-betweens of flagging memberships in what can only be described as a pay-as-you-pay-through-the-nose scheme of packages, perks that cost some members anywhere from low six figures upwards to multimillions, especially in the cases of the very wealthy like Tom Cruise and John Travolta. While those two celebrities have not turned up dead, suicidal or broke many middle class, professional, working class men and women have met that end well-documented by this book and two media-sensation deaths: Lisa McPherson and Greg Bashaw. For them death became the final exit from the grips of Dave Miscavige.
Hubbard predicted the need to recruit from the celebrity class. A deliberate targeting to gain a foothold in the Hollywood homes of up-and-coming actors who could multiply influence by bringing in the real bounty: Hollywood’s A-list directors, actors and their spouses. If you wondered, as I did, what came over Tom Cruise when he jumped Oprah’s couch or tangled with “Today” host Matt Lauer over Brooke Shields and her “irresponsible” reliance on drugs and at the same time gushing about his new love Katie Holmes—Inside Scientology offers a chapter “The Seduction of Tom Cruise.” And it’s a chilling reminder how easily we can find what we’re not looking for!
Tom’s many YouTube talks and the above incidents hallmark the scientologist’s persona. Anti-drugs and anti-psychiatry is an obsession with them along with the portrayal of the “happy” peppy person, an over-the-top love of life that exude like beads of gold from the pores of the “Clear,” an as-yet elusive goal. Therefore, Tom’s couch-jumping and Matt Lauer confrontation are but two sides of the same coin minted by auditing and wads of cash. Hubbard’s master plan, or cash cow, was to clear the world, mentally that is, replace psychiatry nay kill psychiatry. They inculcate auditors, pre-clears and Clears into an inflexible stance on the nullification of psychiatry and pharmaceuticals. Inside Scientology is a must-read for present and former cult members, cult observers and those who debate the price of freedom.
Related articles
- Inside Scientology: author Janet Reitman discusses the impressive Scientology schools, the church’s efforts to recruit African-Americans, and why celebrities don’t help bring new followers. (slate.com)
- Scientology Revealed (themillions.com)
- Book Review: Inside Scientology: The Story of America’s Most Secretive Religion by Janet Reitman (blogcritics.org)
Rob Lowe’s New Book “Stories I only Tell My Friends”
Image via Wikipedia
Stories I Only Tell My Friends: An Autobiography
Many of the Jewish women who asked me about the Brat Pack were hoping that Rob Lowe, now44, was Jewish. Lowe was the most physically beautiful of all the Brat Pack actors--male or female. (Demi Moore came close--but she has reportedly had cosmetic surgery.) Lowe is often a Jewish name and if he were Jewish--well, I guess he would have been the hottest male Jewish movie star since Tony Curtis.
It was my sad duty to tell my readers that Lowe isn’t Jewish. He was born and raised an Episcopalian in Ohio. However, because of the reader interest in Lowe, I always kept an eye on Lowe’s career and I’ve come to admire his ability to maintain a fairly successful acting career over two decades, in spite of a major sex scandal in 1988.
Related articles
- Rob Lowe’s got his fingers on a Butterfingers movie (popwatch.ew.com)
- Rob Lowe Talks Sobriety With Piers Morgan (shoppingblog.com)
It’s official: Tom to the rescue as “John Edwards”
Image via Wikipedia
http://www.politico.com/click/stories/1104/tom_cruise_nabs_edwardsian_role.html
Heloise reviewed “The Politician” by Andrew Young for blogcritics and it is now a movie that will star Tom Cruise as John Edwards. And in a side-by-side comparison Tom and John do have something in common they look alike. See link above. It’s official: Tom Cruise has landed the job of John Edwards! Will I go see the movie? Ca depends on whether or not it comes here and when also the advance review. But generally I go see the movies if I’ve reviewed the book.
Related Articles
- John Edwards. VAC (deehorley.wordpress.com)
- John Edwards ‘suicidal’ over facing jail, claim pals (dailymail.co.uk)
- John Edwards on facing jail: ‘I’d kill myself first’… (dailymail.co.uk)
- Film: Newswire: Tom Cruise will win back your trust as a cheating politician (avclub.com)
Related Articles
See “Valkyrie” 60-Second Movie Review
Tom Cruise is gooood in Valkryrie.. I loved this taut thriller. I did not see in a theatre because the reviews were mixed.
Cruise hits his mark in this well-researched, true enactment of the last coup d’etat that did not hit its mark. Col. Stauffenberger was nine months too early. But if it had succeeded likely millions of Jews and others would have not died in the war.
If you’ve read as many Holocaust and Hitler books as I’ve done you would know that the last year the final solution got souped up and pumped. This is why people like Anne Frank and her sister died. The Nazis were looking for everyone and tried to kill every Jew in the final months of the war because Hitler knew that his men and the world were closing in on him.
Cruise got the firing squad while others were hung. The big guns got the gun, and the minions got the rope. The buzz about this film was how much Cruise looked like the real Colonel. He did, maybe he was this guy before.
The only critique is that the film got a little confusing and it was hard to follow the storyline at times, mostly because there were so many characters involved. In some real films the parties are shown before and after so that one can easily follow it.
Good flick, see it. I give it 3 and 1/2 stars out of 5.
Heloise
