BS: The Parody of Tom Cruise video

Subject: BS: The Parody of Tom Cruise video
From: Alice
Date: 24 Jan 08 - 11:34 PM

You've probably seen the recent leaked Cruise video talking about being a Scientologist.
Here's the parody, Jerry O'Connell, talking about being an actor.

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/3f716ffebe

Subject: RE: BS: The Parody of Tom Cruise video
From: katlaughing
Date: 24 Jan 08 - 11:44 PM

I love Jerry O'Connell, he is so great! Thanks for the link.

Craig Ferguson did his own crazy version, too: Click.

Subject: RE: BS: The Parody of Tom Cruise video
From: Alice
Date: 24 Jan 08 - 11:48 PM

gawd, Kat, that had me laughing out loud - Craig Ferguson finishes my day with late night belly laughs. Thanks for the link.

Subject: RE: BS: The Parody of Tom Cruise video
From: Alice
Date: 25 Jan 08 - 05:33 PM

Just got the biography of Cruise today. I want to support the publisher's right to publish it! Amazon sent me a message at first saying there may be a delay in shipping. That was when Scientology was making threats to keep the books from being sold.

Subject: RE: BS: The Parody of Tom Cruise video
From: Little Hawk
Date: 25 Jan 08 - 05:41 PM

Ummmm...huh?

Is that what Tom Cruise is supposed to be like?

I've obviously been missing out on it, because I simply don't have a clue what Tom Cruise is like. Perhaps because I don't watch TV? That could be it.

Anyway, I hope they don't make one like this about Winona Ryder, that's all I can say... ;-)

Subject: RE: BS: The Parody of Tom Cruise video
From: PoppaGator
Date: 25 Jan 08 - 05:42 PM

Bullshit, LH, you'd watch anything about Winona.

Subject: RE: BS: The Parody of Tom Cruise video
From: Little Hawk
Date: 25 Jan 08 - 06:06 PM

Perhaps...but I don't think I want to see someone else parody her.

Subject: RE: BS: The Parody of Tom Cruise video
From: Alice
Date: 25 Jan 08 - 06:09 PM

LH, watch the Tom Cruise video at that link, too, and you will see the whooshing sounds, etc, and maniacal laughing.

Subject: RE: BS: The Parody of Tom Cruise video
From: katlaughing
Date: 25 Jan 08 - 06:15 PM

For those who haven't seen it, the original Cruise video is HERE at least until they are made to remove it, IF ever.

Alice, glad you enjoyed that. We love Ferguson's humour/talent!

Subject: RE: BS: The Parody of Tom Cruise video
From: Little Hawk
Date: 25 Jan 08 - 06:41 PM

Interesting video.

It's very manipulative. When I say that, I mean that the people who put the video together, who edited it the way they did, and who put the spooky repetitive music behind it are making a deliberate effort to immediately prejudice the viewer strongly against Tom Cruise and to say "this guy is a nutbar".

Yet Cruise is not actually saying anything but that he is extremely enthusiastic about something he's into (what it is is never really clear) and that he's tremendously motivated to help other people and help society and help the world through whatever it is that he's into.

So? What is wrong with that? How does that argue against what he's into? How does it argue against him?

Would we not applaud a defender of the Alamo for that sort of enthusiasm in the face of Santa Ana's army? Would we not applaud Patrick Henry or Thomas Jefferson for that sort of single-minded dedication to face the might of imperial England? Would we not applaud Mother Teresa for showing such complete lack of doubt and determination to help others in the way she chose to?

What has the video shown us about scientology itself? Nothing. The video is itself a deliberate effort at mind control in that it is calculated to turn the viewers against both Tom Cruise and scientology...but it never gives any specific reasons why.

It's propaganda.

It works on people's fears of the unfamiliar without offering any actual information.

It is what it seems to be saying the scientologists are...

I'm not saying this because I have any need to defend scientology. I don't. I have no connection with scientology. But what I would like to see is some real information about it, not a character assassination of a public figure by spooky music, clever editing, and innuendo.

We would applaud anyone showing Tom Cruise's excitement, determination, and dedication....IF we happened to agree with their agenda. Since the video gives NO real information about scientology's agenda or Tom Cruise's agenda, it is no useful comment on scientology or Tom Cruise, one way or another. It's just an attack video. Period.

Subject: RE: BS: The Parody of Tom Cruise video
From: Alice
Date: 25 Jan 08 - 06:44 PM

Interesting point of view, LH, but I don't agree. I guess you have to know more about Scientology's agenda to really understand what that video exposes.

Subject: RE: BS: The Parody of Tom Cruise video
From: Alice
Date: 25 Jan 08 - 06:52 PM

That was a secret video meant only for Scientologists to see, and they are sueing people right and left because it was made public.
Here is a guide to understand what he was talking about in Scientology jaron:

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1579963/20080118/index.jhtml

Subject: RE: BS: The Parody of Tom Cruise video
From: Little Hawk
Date: 25 Jan 08 - 06:56 PM

I'm simply assessing the video itself on its own merits, I'm not assessing scientology.

The video is deliberately set up to prejudice the viewer against Tom Cruise and scientology.

I have considerable suspicions myself about scientology...but they're based mostly just on very fragmentary bits of info and rumors I've come across here and there, so I don't actually have much to go on. And neither do most other people. Yet the vast majority of people, like the vast majority of Salem's inhabitants during the witch trials, are only too willing at any time to assume the worst about anything that strikes them as unusual...aren't they?

That's the standard herd mentality, and it can be a very ugly thing. It can also be an ugly thing within an organization such as Scientology...then directed toward outsiders, of course.

So it cuts both ways.

Subject: RE: BS: The Parody of Tom Cruise video
From: Little Hawk
Date: 25 Jan 08 - 07:09 PM

The Guide is interesting, Alice. There's almost nothing that appeals much to me about scientology as it seems to be explained there...because I'm not a "joiner", I'm an individualist. I don't like belonging to any group that has a whole bunch of strict rules and regulations and a rigid hierarchy, I like to be a totally free agent. I like to be completely free of hierarchies.

It sounds to me like scientology might suit certain individuals to a "T", because it would provide a very definite structure that they feel they need, and with that structure they would acquire much more confidence and motivation.

I would feel oppressed and trapped by such a structure, but some people would feel fulfilled by it.

So the same thing is not good for everyone, correct? And there isn't any one group or way that is ever going to suit anyone.

As for their 21 commandments, what I hear of them so far sounds reasonable...but I don't need anyone else to explain to me what commandments to follow in life. I have a brain of my own, a moral sense of my own, and that's what I use to decide. I don't require commandments from anyone nor do I desire them.

Here's something I would advise anyone, if I was asked for my opinion:

"Do not judge others in haste."

The philosophy I like best is Taoism. It is gentle. It has humor. It does not attack. It allows.

Subject: RE: BS: The Parody of Tom Cruise video
From: Little Hawk
Date: 25 Jan 08 - 07:12 PM

Sorry, I meant to say "there isn't any one group or way that is ever going to suit everyone."

Most people's problem, as far as I can see, is that they think everybody else's way and everybody else's choices should be the same as their own!

That would make for a very limited world.

Subject: RE: BS: The Parody of Tom Cruise video
From: katlaughing
Date: 25 Jan 08 - 07:25 PM

LH, I understand your POV, but the original was made with Cruise's cooperation and is his attempt to promote scientology, from what I've read. The link for it is in my previous post. IF he did it with coercion, I don't think you could say The video is deliberately set up to prejudice the viewer against Tom Cruise and scientology. Of course, I realise you may not have been referring to that one.

Subject: RE: BS: The Parody of Tom Cruise video
From: Little Hawk
Date: 26 Jan 08 - 12:49 AM

I realize that, Kat, but I don't think the original one was intended by Tom Cruise to be overlayed with "Twilight Zone" music... ;-) The music is the key. That and the editing, but primarily the music. If Tom Cruise wanted that music on the video, and those editing cuts to be made...then I'm mistaken. If not...well...

It says instantly to the viewer..."You are listening to a complete loony tune here, a really dangerous person from a really dangerous cult, a famous jerk who is nuts, and we can all agree on that, so let's watch this famous jerk together now, laugh at him up our sleeves, and then we can all go out to Starbucks and talk about what a screwball he is and have a great old time enjoying our own tremendous moral superiority to Tom Cruise, who doesn't really deserve to be more successful than we are anyway, because he belongs to an insane cult. Hmmmm. This is gonna be fun."

It's a bit like getting together to laugh at Brittney Spears, but not on quite so grundgy a level....

Subject: RE: BS: The Parody of Tom Cruise video
From: Emma B
Date: 26 Jan 08 - 06:44 AM

I confess I knew little about this cult (which the Charity Commission in Britain does not class as a 'religion') until the organization was criticised and some of its sinister features exposed by a TV investigative journalist.

However I have now read the 'Enquiry into the Practice and Effects of Scientology', written by Sir John Foster, for the government of the United Kingdom, regarding the Church of Scientology and was particulary horrified by Chapter 7 which describes the treatment of the critics (sorry that should be 'enemies') of Scientology, especially those who have decided to leave the organization.

Maybe satire IS the best way to deal with such a financially powerful, agressively harrassing and litigious cult.

Subject: RE: BS: The Parody of Tom Cruise video
From: katlaughing
Date: 26 Jan 08 - 11:27 AM

Oops, I *think* I meant to say IF he did NOT do it through coercion, I don't think you could say "The video is deliberately set up to prejudice the viewer against Tom Cruise and scientology."

Subject: RE: BS: The Parody of Tom Cruise video
From: Alice
Date: 26 Jan 08 - 12:36 PM

Here is another informative article.

http://factnet.org/?p=233

'...The church scripture also dictates that those who refuse to submit to Scientology, about 2.5% of the world's population, are to be disposed of "quietly and without sorrow."'

Subject: RE: BS: The Parody of Tom Cruise video
From: katlaughing
Date: 26 Jan 08 - 12:41 PM

That doesn't make sense, though, Alice. How could it be ONLY 2.5 % when the majority of Earthlings do not submit?

Subject: RE: BS: The Parody of Tom Cruise video
From: Alice
Date: 26 Jan 08 - 01:10 PM

Their plan is to convert the world to Scientology and that the 2.5% that do not convert....

Making sense is not what you can expect from their scriptures, Kat!

Subject: RE: BS: The Parody of Tom Cruise video
From: Alice
Date: 26 Jan 08 - 01:22 PM

The video of Cruise was to be kept secret for Scientologists only to see. He has finally exposed some of what the dark side of the group is, if you can understand the jargon. He is talking about how he smashes suppressive persons. He donates large amounts of money to the group, which uses private investigators and others to harass "suppressive persons". SP's are former members or anyone who criticizes Scientology. He is talking about this to encourage members to meet their donation obligations to carry out their "fair game" doctrine. They have jargon like "noisy investigations", "dead agenting", and "third partying". Cruise exposed something but the jargon is so obscure, most people won't understand how insidious it is.

Subject: RE: BS: The Parody of Tom Cruise video
From: Alice
Date: 26 Jan 08 - 01:42 PM

from http://factnet.org/?p=233

Scientology mini-dictionary for the Cruise tapes:
* Criminon: Scientology front group that tries to recruit through the prisons.
*David Miscavige: He is the current leader of Scientology. He's the equivalent of the Pope to the Catholics.
*KSW (short for Keeping Scientology Working): A policy written by Hubbard in the 1960s that requires all Scientologists to follow his words and his rules exactly.
*LRH technology or tech쳌: all the Scientology policies, rules, mandates, and procedures.
*Orgs: Orgs is an abbreviation for "organizations"쳌 and describes all churches of Scientology throughout the world.
*Out-ethics: any behavior that violates any of Hubbard's rules of conduct.
*PTS/SP: another Hubbard term to define behavior that goes against Scientology rules.
*Put ethics in on someone else: make others conform to Hubbard's rules of behavior.
*SP: Suppressive Person. Anyone that doesn't like Scientology and/or criticizes Scientology.

Subject: RE: BS: The Parody of Tom Cruise video
From: Little Hawk
Date: 26 Jan 08 - 01:42 PM

Well, if they believe such things they are living in a very rich fantasy world, aren't they? ;-) What would their worldwide membership total at this time? Less than one thousandth of 1 percent of the world's population? And they are going to "quietly dispose of" the rest of us?

LOL! I don't think so.

I've never had any good impression of scientology, though my knowledge of it is necessarily quite limited. Most people have no good impression of it. I can't see any great risk that it's going to take over the planet.

Yes, I can understand why someone would attack the scientologists for their elitist plans and behaviour...and their attacks on critics and ex-members. I guess I have a natural reaction against people doing the kind of hatchet job on another individual that the comedian in the first video is doing on Tom Cruise. It seems mean-minded and exploitative to me when people do that to someone else. But I didn't mind when Rich Little did it to Richard Nixon! ;-) So I guess I'm not totally innocent of vicariously enjoying that sort of thing...depending...