The Sheila Variations

"the galactic space patrol salute"

HAHAHAHAHA!!

*wiping coffee from screen*

And his face doing the salute!!!! He is so serious about it, it's HILARIOUS...

And what the hell is this "Freedom Medal of Valor"? This is all so ridiculous! And all this crap about the aliens...

Anyway, thanks for the updates, Sheila! Like many people, I am fascinated by this utter trainwreck formerly known as actor Tom Cruise. This guy has LOST it for good. He is NUTS. And I can't stop watching.

The thing is, according to that great article about Tom's former publicist, Tom hasn't LOST it, he was ALWAYS this way, but due to the power and diligence of his publicist, he was prevented from making the kind of horse's ass of himself he's doing now. Alex's site points to an article in Entertainment Weekly where Tom says, "If people don't dig where I'm coming from, they can just f--- it." And talk about delusion: he thinks that people who disparage him for his overdramatic acting out about being in love with Katie Holmes "have never been in love before, and I feel sorry for them."

Yeah, I saw that EW piece ... there was also a great piece in the Hollywood Reporter that I linked to about what happens when you fire your big-shot publicist and hire your uncritical sister to represent you instead.

It's a fascinating look at how his publicists controlled his image, and didn't let him do that much talking. Mystery was one of his main assets in preserving his mystique.

I am certain that we are seeing the real Tom Cruise right now, unplugged - who he is all the time. It's just that his canny publicist (now fired) knew that she had to keep him under wraps.

I mean, it's extraordinary.

Red, that piece in the Hollywood Reporter about Tom's publicist was extraordinary. Obviously, she's been keeping the lid on Tom all these years. I have to believe his career wouldn't have been nearly as illustrious if his status as a nutcase were more obvious earlier on.

Now I'm really curious about John Travolta ... I know a lot of the rumors (that he made Battlefield Earth in order to, perhaps, appease the organization and give himself some breathing room ... that, in essence, he is trapped by what they know about him. He can't leave, it would be too risky ... But as far as I know, he doesn't stroll through the world chatting about Scientology at every opportunity.

Also, Jenna Elfman? Woah, nelly, she is completely lost. She sounds like Squeaky feckin' Fromme or something.

I mention Jenna Elfman only because I just read an article about her in that same Cult News site I just linked to. She sounds even more evangelical than Cruise.

Like - she has a sense of urgency about saving the world. She talks openly about cutting people out of her life who don't agree with her beliefs (she calls them "suppressers".) Like ... she is full-blown brainwashed. It's amazing.

OMG Dharma...“Bring it on. Please. Please just try and attack me. I welcome it. Now that I'm willing to confront them, they scurry away…"

that is MESSED UP!

and Tom's face in the saluting picture- really freaky totally brainwashed look.

i'm completely hooked on that site.

mere - hahahaha I know, right??

Like: Jenna: shhhh. Stop talking about people "scurrying". You sound insane!!

"Now I'm really curious about John Travolta.."

Yeah.. Especially with Travolta being noted as an OT 7.. one level deeper into the Cult than Cruise.

Maybe he doesn't have to salute..

One more quick point.. is it a little suspicious that the Wikipedia page on Operation Snow White ends abruptly with "(to be completed)"?..

I would love to attack "Jenna" and then NOT scurry away. Just to see what she would do.

peteb: Google "Operation Snow White" and take a look at the first two links that come up.

Coincidence?

No way. They are obsessed with their Google listings and how far up they are in the rankings. Check it out.

I think you may be getting a different search result in the US from me, Sheila.. which in itself is interesting..

Google UK search "Operation Snow White"

But the Wikipedia entry on the topic is nowhere to be seen.. although I found it via one of the links you posted earlier.

No, Pete - it's the same one. The first link is broken. That's what I'm talking about.

Sorry, Sheila.. I misunderstood.. Yeah, I noticed that.. and, in fact, that entire site has gone.

I wasn't sure if we saw different things ...

I know their dirty tactics with Operation Clambake (pretty much the anti-scientologist website out there) ... Operation Clambake has had to relocate their site about 3 times because of ... I don't know ... hackers? Not sure, but I do know that they are basically a floating website, trying to keep ahead of scientology. It's nuts!

"It's nuts!"

Indeed.

My only surprise is that they don't have a propaganda site propelling itself(?) up the Google rankings for that particular search.

And I see Clambake sitting comfortably at No. 2 in the search I linked.. with a very comprehensive account of Snow White.

Project Glass being a particularly pertinent entry.. relating to a previous discussion.

and Project Coal.. sheesh.. wasn't that the wording of the advert that Dustin put his name to?

In the picture with the "bling", Tom is actually taller than that other guy. How short must HE be?

Talking of Tom's faces when it comes to his "faith", has anyone seen the interview he gave to Peter Overton of Australian TV program "60 Minutes"?
The whole interview started to fall apart when Scientology began to be discussed, and Tom's intense, lunatic stare telling the journalist that he should mind his manners... It made my blood curdle.
Tom Cruise really, REALLY freaks me out.

ceci:

yes!! I saw the whole thing. It was completely creepy. Also creepy was the fact that he made Overton take a tour of the "Scientology Celebrity Center" before he would do the interview with him. (He denies that this is the case - that it was Overton's choice - but to Overton, the implication was clear. You want access to me? You take a tour of the center.)

How 'bout when he told him to "put his manners back in". He went psycho for a second.

A friend of mine o is on Jenna's new show (yes, she's filming a new TV show God help us) and the ifrst day of rehearsal she sent everyone an e mail about the evils of medication and how she hopes every cast member that was near her was "clear".

Travolta has some serious skeletons in his closet. He's not as much as a believer as Cruis eis, but he's trapped.

Cruise is single handedly going to bring this Cult to it's knees. But his tumble on the way down is getting better and better.

Nut burgers. All of them.

alex - woah about the Jenna Elfman show. I bet the poor unknown actors getting their first breaks are like: "Jeez ... did it have to be this show???"

The Overton interview is the perfect summary, in my opinion, of what Tom Cruise really is. Not only is he a zealot (making the journalist lose four hours of his time touring the "Scientology Celebrity Center"), but he is intolerant (would not acknowledge that Overton wasn't particularly impressed with the tour and turned into a jerk when the journalist very politely suggested Scientology might not be very "popular"), has bad manners, thinks is the king and savior of the world and is completely NUTS. Just a couple of minutes watching the interview was like a massive overdose of Tom Cruise for me. I can't get his intense stare out of my memory. It haunts me.

Sorry for the rant... I am obsessed!