18 Reader Responses

1. Drew Says:
   June 13th, 2005 at 11:55 pm

   i like this quote from rollingstone:

   Tom talks frankly for the first time about why Scientology is “the shit, man”

   aparently his new publicist is his sister, also an alien from outer space, i mean, scientologist.

2. crasspastor Says:
   June 14th, 2005 at 12:09 am

   I’m sorry man, but this part is just as psycho as anything else about this story:

   The former star of television’s “Dawson’s Creek” grew up with a poster of Cruise on her bedroom wall and has said she grew up wanting to marry him.

   There’s just something so sordid about this setup that I don’t know where to begin. It embodies all of the disturbing delusional celebrity worship aspects of this culture, admixes it with the fraudulence of a pyramid cult and then spews it out into a super froth of idiocy. Oh yeah, celebrity worship it appears is at an all time high.

3. crasspastor Says:
   June 14th, 2005 at 12:15 am

   For the record, the only Hollywood celebrity I’m down with and his cause is Sean Penn. Period.

   He’s in Iran now reporting for the SF Chronicle.

4. Occult Investigator Says:
   June 14th, 2005 at 12:27 am

   oh yeah i agree, that part about the poster on the wall, and wanting all her life to marry him… i mean, its so freakin set-up, its amazing. like this story is so posed and easy to read.

   first off, holmes has the “girl next door” image, which has been her trademark. she’s like “normal” and “wholesome” and “cute” which means that shes essentially a featureless bland stand-in. as a woman, you’re supposed to project yourself onto her vicariously. they further that notion by identifying something common to many girls growing up - having a photo of a celebrity idol that they wish to “marry”. identification is driven deeper because it’s such a “normal” and “realistic” fantasy to have.

   then we see cruise running around on oprah and elsewhere acting like hes having some kind of fairytale romance. the average woman gets hooked in farther by this. and then we have the kicker: that in order to be with cruise, and live out every girls celebrity fantasy, she has to take his weird religion.

   its really a brilliant set up, i think. the best part of the whole thing is that it doesnt matter if people think scientology is a “cult”. the trick for them is merely to get people intrigued, and then to take a “personality test.” most people once theyve gone that far of a step are already in their power. and its probably like shooting fish in a barrel for them once they’ve got somebody to take their test or sign up for a course. thats where the hard sell comes in, thats where their real expertise lies

5. Carnacki Says:
   June 14th, 2005 at 12:52 am

   crasspastor has a great point about Sean Penn. He did excellent reporting from Iraq on a visit there. It’s funny how it takes an actor to do some real journalism because the real journalists are muzzled by their corporate bosses.

6. crasspastor Says:
   June 14th, 2005 at 2:44 am

   Fuck you guys are brilliant!

7. alistair Says:
   June 14th, 2005 at 9:02 am

   it also sells tons of trees……..i mean people magazines.

8. Bret Says:
   June 14th, 2005 at 10:14 am

   And to think I thought I was getting my own article - my cousin Katie sure is slipping - Besides that I was watching the Cruise clips about scientology and they freaked me the fuck out. I mean who looks at an audience and honestly says “I’m trying to save you!” Save me from what? Your shit fucking movies - the fact that I saw your penis in All the Right Moves and it was rather dwarfish? I mean - personally - I don’t know who is worse the Lawyers, Agents, or the Actors - I’d like to hang out with Sean Penn though - lol -

9. alistair Says:
   June 14th, 2005 at 1:36 pm

   the messiah complex.ends in crucifixion i believe.

10. N.M Says:
    June 14th, 2005 at 4:27 pm

    “the messiah complex.ends in crucifixion i believe.”

    So are we to see a Tom Cruise trial in the future? lol

11. alistair Says:
    June 14th, 2005 at 5:51 pm

    well,i do see a pattern.wasn`t jacko part of some nutcase religion also?

12. Occult Investigator Says:
    June 14th, 2005 at 6:01 pm

    he was or is a jehovah’s witness. i dont know if that qualifies as nutcase though. id be interested if he was part of anything else… it seems like a good possibility

13. N.M Says:
    June 14th, 2005 at 6:39 pm

    Nation of Islam?

14. Occult Investigator Says:
    June 14th, 2005 at 6:57 pm

    well i know his brother or his magician or somebody hired the nation of islam to protect him and his finances. i dont think he was a part of them religiously, and i know he discontinued his work with them

15. alistair Says:
    June 14th, 2005 at 10:46 pm

    we get jehovah`s witnesses at the door here.i`d say it`s a bit nutty walking around in the noonday sun in your only suit irritating housewives.they hand out those dodgy comic book thingies that are designed to drop us back into sunday school mode,which is at the grade 4 level,well below any adult critical thinking.
    i have one here actually.the front cover shows a woman in her middle class home sitting in a chair,reading a religious text.it can be assumed it`s the bible.the banner under her image says,”god cares,how you can be sure.”it`s written by the same types who say “lose twenty pounds in twenty minutes”on the front of supermarket magazines.oh really,fuck,i`d better buy the magazine…..again.
    nutty.
    jacko nutty and now tom cruise nutty too.two flavours to choose from.and introducing the fresh,clean katie holmes style for braincell reduced diets.may contain peanuts.professional drivers on closed course.

16. Haeresis Says:
    June 15th, 2005 at 1:51 am

    I wonder if we’re about to see a sudden rash of celebrities joining weird religions and cults for publicity?

17. Haeresis Says:
    June 15th, 2005 at 2:55 am

    Dammit, keep fprgetting not to use those to close a quote.

    (Kabbalah water, anyone)

18. alistair Says:
    June 15th, 2005 at 8:13 am

    it would be instructive to see which celebrities are “in” scientology,etc.