Scientology in popular culture

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Screenshot from The Bridge, depicting character father Richard Grey encountering film's protagonist Diane Wheat.
Screenshot from The Bridge, depicting character father Richard Grey encountering film's protagonist Diane Wheat.

Scientology has been referenced in popular culture in many different forms of media including fiction, film, music, television and theatre. In the 1960's, author William S. Burroughs wrote about Scientology in both fictional short stories and non-fictional essays. The topic was dealt with more directly in his book, Ali's Smile/Naked Scientology. Two fictional films have directly parodied Scientology: The Profit, in 2001, and The Bridge, in 2006. The Profit is blocked from distribution by a U.S. court order, and the director of The Bridge no longer supports distribution of his work. Still other films have satirized elements of Scientology, but not in as great detail - including Bowfinger and Schizopolis. The 2000 film Battlefield Earth was an adaptation of a novel by L. Ron Hubbard, and contains elements agreeable to Scientology's aversion to psychiatry.

Musicians and playwrights have made reference to Scientology on some of their work, with some pieces treating the topic in a negative light by their references, and others in a positive manner. Frank Zappa's 1979 concept album/rock opera Joe's Garage lampoons Scientology in the song "A Token of My Extreme", and Gary Numan had popular songs laced with Scientology references in the 1980s such as "Me, I Disconnect from you," and "Praying to the Aliens". Scientologist Chick Corea has made reference to Scientology in his work, and two of his albums were influenced by L. Ron Hubbard novels. Maynard James Keenan of the progressive rock band Tool, has been critical of Scientology, and the 1996 song "Ænema" contains a negative reference to L. Ron Hubbard. Both Scientology and the life of its founder L. Ron Hubbard were addressed in the 2003 Off-Broadway musical, A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant. The play took a tongue-in-cheek look at both Hubbard's life and the history of the Church, and received an Obie Award in 2004.

Scientology has been dealt with in fictional television shows, including sitcoms, cartoons, and dramas. The 2005 South Park episode "Trapped in the Closet" dealt with Scientology, and related the story of Xenu. This episode resulted in a deal of controversy, including the departure of Isaac Hayes, and questions over why the episode was not initially rebroadcast. In season four of the television program Nip/Tuck, characters Kimber and Matt join the Church of Scientology. Issues addressed within Nip/Tuck have included both the Xenu story and a look at deprogramming. In Boston Legal's third season, character Alan Shore helps defend an employer sued for discrimination after firing a Scientologist. The episode delves into some of the employee's more eccentric beliefs as well as a debate on religious bigotry, but Shore ends up winning the case for his client.

Contents

[edit] Fiction

William S. Burroughs, who briefly dabbled with Scientology, wrote extensively about it during the late 1960s, weaving some of its jargon into his fictional works, as well as authoring non-fiction essays about it. In the end, however, he abandoned Scientology and publicly eschewed it in an editorial for the Los Angeles Free Press in 1970.[1] Burroughs' work Ali's Smile/Naked Scientology contains many writings related to both Dianetics and L. Ron Hubbard.

"Operation Freakout", also known as "Operation PC Freakout", was the name given by the Church of Scientology to a covert plan intended to have the author Paulette Cooper imprisoned or committed to a mental institution. The plan, undertaken in 1976 following years of Church-initiated lawsuits and covert harassment, was meant to eliminate the perceived threat that Cooper posed to the Church and obtain revenge for her publication in 1971 of a highly critical book, The Scandal of Scientology. The events of Operation Freakout are featured, in a thinly fictionalized form, in Giuseppe Genna's 2004 novel In the Name of Ishmael. Scientology is referred to as "Science Religion", Cooper is called "Paulette Rowling" and Mary Sue Hubbard is "Johanna Lewis". The book includes an almost word-for-word transcription of the Operation Freakout planning document of April 1, 1976, with the names of the principal figures substituted as described above.[2]

[edit] Film

In reviews of the 1999 film Bowfinger, some critics compared the fictional organization "MindHead" to the Church of Scientology. In the film, producer Bobby Bowfinger, played by Steve Martin, encounters difficulties involving actor Kit Ramsey, played by Eddie Murphy. Paul Clinton writes in CNN online: "'Bowfinger' could just be viewed as an out-there, over-the-top spoof about Hollywood, films, celebrities and even the Church of Scientology. But Martin has written a sweet story about a group of outsiders with impossible dreams."[3] Andrew O'Hehir writes in Salon that "Too much of 'Bowfinger' involves the filmmakers' generically wacky pursuit of the increasingly paranoid Kit, who flees into the clutches of a pseudo-Scientology outfit called MindHead (their slogan: 'Truth Through Strength')."[4] The Denver Post describes the Kit Ramsey character as "...petulant, paranoid and pampered, like any good star, and also a devotee of a Scientology-like religion."[5] In a review in the San Francisco Chronicle, Wesley Morris describes Ramsey's organization as "a mock-Scientology cult called MindHead - a bit that sprung from Martin's own issues with MENSA."[6] The Albuquerque Journal describes the MindHead organization "a rather thinly veiled but nevertheless amusing blast at Scientology,"[7] and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram characterizes it as an "organization that comes across as a thinly veiled send-up of Scientology."[8] The Daily Record writes that Ramsey is "in the grip of a cult religion called Mind Head," which it calls "a rather close cousin of Scientology".[9] A review in The Dallas Morning News describes actor Terrence Stamp's role in the film as "a Scientology-style guru,"[10] The New York Times referred to Stamp's character as "a cult leader for a Scientology-like organization called Mind Head,"[11] and the Houston Chronicle described Stamp as "the character actor behind the semi-Scientology guru in Bowfinger."[12] Writer Steve Martin told the New York Daily News "I view it as a pastiche of things I've seen come and go through the years," and stated "Scientology gets a lot of credit or blame right now, because they're the hottest one."[13]

Some critics perceived the 2000 film Bless the Child to be mocking Scientology because the fictionalized cult "The New Dawn" in the film mimicked Scientology's symbols and rhetoric.[14]

Scientology critic Bob Minton financed a feature-length satire of Scientology called The Profit, which premiered in 2001. In the film, Scientology terms such as "Auditing" and "Scientology" itself were renamed, but the filmmakers stated that they used Scientology and its founder, L. Ron Hubbard, specifically as role models for the settings, plot, and characters in the film. The film was screened theatrically only once, in Clearwater, Florida. It has not been released on video. It is one of the few films blocked from distribution by a U.S. court order.

Eighteen-year-old filmmaker Brett Hanover directed low-budget feature-length film The Bridge in 2006, a fictionalized story of involvement and disillusionment with Scientology. Unlike The Profit, the film did not shy away from using the name "Scientology" and explicitly used Scientology terms throughout its storyline, going so far as including actual clips from official Scientology promotional and training materials. Rather than release the film theatrically, Hanover premiered The Bridge on the Internet, and made it available for free downloading and viewing at several popular Web video sites, including Google Video and the Internet Archive, where it is no longer available for the stated reasons of "issues with the item's content".

[edit] Music

Maynard James Keenan, in concert.
Maynard James Keenan, in concert.

Frank Zappa's 1979 concept album/rock opera Joe's Garage lampoons Scientology in the song "A Token of My Extreme". Zappa uses terminology such as "L. Ron Hoover" and "Appliantology", telling the main character "Joe" that he "must go into the closet" to pursue his latent appliance fetishism.[15][16] Gary Numan had popular songs laced with Scientology references in the 1980s such as "Me, I Disconnect from you", "Praying to the Aliens", and "Only a Downstat", influenced directly by Burroughs' Scientology-based writings.[17][18]

The alternative metal band Tool has voiced criticism of Scientology. After releasing their first full-length album Undertow in 1993, the band began touring to promote their new work. In May 1993, Tool was scheduled to play the Garden Pavilion in Hollywood but learned at the last minute that the Garden Pavilion belonged to the Church of Scientology, which the band felt clashed with "the band's ethics about how a person should not follow a belief system that constricts their development as a human being".[19] The band's vocalist Maynard James Keenan recalled that he "spent most of the show baa-ing like a sheep at the audience".[20] Scott Schalin reported in Bay Area Music: "Between songs, Keenan, staring first at the lush grounds paid for by devoted L. Ron followers and then into the eyes of his own audience, bayed into the mic like a sheep looking for his shepherd's gate. "Baaaaa! Baaaaa!" the singer bleated."[21] The lyrics to the Tool song "Ænema" contain the phrase: "Fuck L. Ron Hubbard, Fuck all his clones."[22]

[edit] Television

An organization with similarities to Scientology, called Selfosophy, was a central part of an episode from the second season of Millennium that aired on the FOX network on November 21, 1997, entitled "Jose Chung's Doomsday Defense." Selfosophy was created by a science fiction writer who had spent time in an insane asylum. Matt Roush of USA Today wrote that the episode was "written with the density of a Simpsons cartoon. You'll scream till you laugh, or laugh till you scream."[23] Michael Patrick Sullivan writing for Underground Online/UGO wrote: "After a year and a half of doom and gloom stories, one of the most astounding television writers of the nineties, Darin Morgan, is allowed his fractured take on Millennium and Frank and author Jose Chung investigate murders that lead them deeply into the world of a pseudo-religion called Selfosophy (read as Scientology). Bizarre is exactly the word for it as Millennium takes sharp aim at itself and has fun with it."[24]

In the South Park episode "Trapped in the Closet", Stan becomes a Scientologist after being recruited to take a personality test and then becomes their leader after followers start believing he carries Hubbard's thetan. This episode is controversial for a few reasons. It calls Scientology a "worldwide global scam", and makes fun of Tom Cruise's ordeal with the media calling his sexual orientation into question. Soul singer and voice of 'Chef,' Isaac Hayes quit the show, Matt Stone and Trey Parker believe it was over its treatment of his religion. The episode depicts Tom Cruise as denying being 'in the closet' amid several blatant pokes at this. To ostensibly avoid legal issues all names in the credits are John or Jane Smith.

In 2006, season four of Nip/Tuck, the characters Kimber and Matt join the Church, making them the first Scientologist regular characters on a prime-time TV show.[25] In the second episode of the fourth season, Kimber has a hallucination in which Xenu appears to her.[26] Though the Scientology "tech" and details are portrayed in a simplified way, the show is incorporating the Scientology storyline as a serious subplot, rather than a parody or a one-time jab. In the episode Dawn Budge, Matt moves out of the house after his parents pressure him to leave Scientology.[27]

Boston Legal aired an episode in which a person sues his previous employer for being fired due to being a Scientologist, entitled: "Whose God Is It, Anyway?"[28] The show covers Scientology doctrines such as engrams, operating thetans, evolution from clams, leaving the body, and Xenu and the space opera in Scientology doctrines while discussing religious freedom in general and calling attention to the fact that singling out Scientology for special treatment would be bigotry. See also List of Boston Legal episodes.

30 Rock aired an episode in 2007 entitled The Fighting Irish referencing a religion named Practicology involving what appeared to be an E-meter in which Tracy Morgan (as Tracy Jordan) confessed to believing in a variety of odd things, e.g. that there are 31 letters in the white alphabet.[citation needed]

The Chaser's War On Everything aired a segment with Julian Morrow out the front of the Church of Scientology in Sydney, asking if people would like to take a 'gullibility test.' Some of the questions included "Can you believe that a famous science fiction writer also created a completely true religion?" and "Can you believe that Tom Cruise is a completely normal human being?"

[edit] Theatre

The controversy surrounding the Church of Scientology and the (new) Cult Awareness Network organization was described in the 2002 play, Jesus Hopped the "A" Train.[29] The character Angel tells Mary Jane that individuals who call the Cult Awareness Network looking for help will end up speaking with a Scientologist on the other end of the phone.[29] The play was nominated for a 2003 Laurence Olivier Theatre Award, in the category: "The BBC Award for Best New Play of 2002."[30]

In 2003, the play A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant was produced, which described a tale of the life of L. Ron Hubbard and the Church of Scientology, told from the perspective of fictional children of Scientologists. The play won a 2004 Obie Award.[31][32][33]

[edit] Video Games

A cultural reference or/and a parody to Scientology appeared in the 1998 RPG video game Fallout 2. The games San Francisco is hosting a powerful sect called the "Hubologist" (Scientology parody) who are trying to reach their "star father" ( Xenu parody) by building their own space shuttle. Also members of the sect are actors from New Reno, woman named Cruise and man named Kidman (reference to Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise, then married and both Scientologists).

[edit] See also

Film Portal
Television Portal
Scientology Portal

[edit] References

  1. ^ William S. Burroughs (1970-03-06). William S. Burroughs On Scientology. Los Angeles Free Press.
  2. ^ Genna, Giuseppe (2004). In the Name of Ishmael. Miramax Books, pp. 89-92. ISBN 0786888865. 
  3. ^ Clinton, Paul. "Review: 'Bowfinger' over-the-top farcical treat", CNN, Time Warner, August 12, 1999, pp. Section: Movies. Retrieved on 2007-12-18. 
  4. ^ O'Hehir, Andrew. "Bowfinger: Martin and Murphy team up for a good-natured sendup of the mindless summer blockbuster -- and just barely avoid making one themselves.", Salon, August 12, 1999. Retrieved on 2007-12-18. 
  5. ^ Booth, Michael. "Martin skewers Hollywood", The Denver Post, July 16, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-12-18. 
  6. ^ Morris, Wesley. ""Bowfinger' has the touchMartin, Murphy make mincemeat out of Hollywood as a down-and-out producer and his "star'", San Francisco Chronicle, Hearst Newspapers, August 13, 1999. Retrieved on 2007-12-18. 
  7. ^ Staff. "'Bowfinger' Lacks Chemistry Between Martin, Murphy.", Albuquerque Journal, January 1, 2007. 
  8. ^ Staff. "Hollywood looks in the mirror, and laughs", Fort Worth Star-Telegram, January 21, 2000. 
  9. ^ Staff. "Martin makes Murphy make magic; BOWFINGER", Daily Record, October 22, 1999, pp. Section: Features. 
  10. ^ Staff. "Actor Terence Stamp makes the most of his film roles", The Dallas Morning News, October 23, 1999. 
  11. ^ Holden, Stephen. "CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK; Laughs, Schmaffs. Does It Have an Edge?", The New York Times, The New York Times Company, September 3, 1999. 
  12. ^ Millar, Jeff. "Good acting gives hard-to-follow `Limey' a boost", Houston Chronicle, Houston Chronicle Publishing Company Division, Hearst Newspapers Partnership, LP, October 15, 1999, pp. Page 4. 
  13. ^ Staff. "Steve Martin on Scientology", New York Daily News, July 28, 1999. 
  14. ^ Bruce Kirkland. "Spawn of Hollywood", The Toronto Sun, 2000-08-11. 
  15. ^ Carr, Paul; Richard J. Hand (December 2006). "Frank Zappa and musical theatre" (abstract). Studies in Musical Theatre 1 (1): 41–56. ISSN 1450-3159. 
  16. ^ Prince, Michael J. (Spring 2005). "The Science Fiction Protocols of Frank Zappa". Chapter&Verse. PopMatters Media, Inc.. 
  17. ^ http://digest.garynuman.info/1994/1-100.txt
  18. ^ [1]
  19. ^ Sokal, Roman (2001-05-23). Tool - Stepping Out From the Shadows. Exclaim!. Retrieved on 2006-09-17.
  20. ^ Dolan, Jon (August 2006). 33 Things You Should Know About Tool. Blender. Retrieved on 2006-09-18.
  21. ^ Schalin, Scott. "Sob Story - Tool Will Give You Something To Cry About", Bay Area Music, November 1993. Retrieved on 2007-10-24. 
  22. ^ Gennaro, Loraine. "Angry Jung Men!", Livewire Magazine, February / March 1997, pp. Volume 7, #3. 
  23. ^ USA Today, Roush R., 20 Nov 1997
  24. ^ http://www.ugo.com/, Sullivan, M.P., 22 November 1997
  25. ^ Leventry, Ellen. "Scientology Gets Nipped and Tucked", Idol Chatter, Belief.net, October 4, 2006. 
  26. ^ Dow Jones. "TELEVISION; `Nip/Tuck' warms up to Scientology", Los Angeles Times, October 1, 2006. 
  27. ^ Hank Chilton, Ryan Murphy. "Nip/Tuck", Dawn Budge [Television]. Episode 49, Production Code 405, (Season 4, Episode 5): F/X.
  28. ^ Staff (Original Air Date: 17 October 2006 (Season 3, Episode 5), #49). "Boston Legal" Whose God Is It Anyway? (2006). Internet Movie Database. Internet Movie Database Inc.. Retrieved on 2007-11-01.
  29. ^ a b Guirgis, Stephen Adly (2002). Jesus Hopped the "A" Train. Dramatists Play Service, Inc., 25. ISBN 0822217996. 
    "Scientologists sued the Cult Awareness Network, bankrupted them, and took over the damn Cult Awareness Network! ... Same office! Same phone number! But when you call the [expletive] up, you speaking to one of them! What kinda help you think they gonna give you?"
  30. ^ Staff. "Laurence Olivier Award winners - complete list", London Theatre Guide, February 14, 2003. Retrieved on 2007-10-28. 
  31. ^ Hernandez, Ernio. "A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant Returns to NYC", Playbill, September 15, 2006. Retrieved on 2007-11-01. 
  32. ^ Staff. "OBIES Awards", The Village Voice, pp. "2004 Winners", Special Citations: Kyle Jarrow and Alex Timbers A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant. Retrieved on 2007-11-01. 
  33. ^ Glaister, Dan (2004-10-22). Curtain goes up on Scientology. Guardian Unlimited. Retrieved on 2007-10-24.

[edit] External links