The recent New Yorker article piece by Michael Shulman has resulted in a ton of media pickups, mostly focused on her responses to questions about scientology.
There have been a number of takes on this of interest:
Martha Ross wrote an excellent piece in the SJ Mercury News
Martha quotes journalist Yashar Ali who tweeted:
And Tony Ortega added some thoughts from Geoff Levin who was extensively interviewed for the story, but little of it made it into print:
Now, let me add some of my thoughts, as it was my job back in the day to prepare celebrities for interviews and how to respond to scientology-related questions. Elisabeth Moss followed the playbook to the letter.
Elisabeth is a good scientologist. Raised in a scientology family and surrounded by scientologists, including her manager Gay Ribisi, she knows the party lines she is supposed to repeat and has learned how to be evasive on touchy issues.
The first rule of scientology celebrity PR is “Don’t ever talk about scientology other than to recount personal anecdotal experiences and tell people to read a book and find out for yourself.” See the video compilation clip in Yashar’s tweet above of celebrities doing just that — and there could be a clip of every single one of saying exactly the same.
Shulman says: “It’s tempting to imagine that she’s just culturally Scientologist, like a Jew who goes to temple only on Yom Kippur.” But as I have said before, there is no such thing. Every scientologist is a fundamentalist. You cannot be “half-in” scientology. Ron says so.
Moss hit him with another perfectly rehearsed line that works for her as she has never been a vocal scientology salesperson like Cruise, Travolta or Alley, “I don’t want to come off as being cagey. If you and I met, just hanging out as friends, I’m, like, an open book about it.” But “I don’t want people to be distracted by something when they’re watching me.” So, there you go, I’m open and talk about it, except if I am interviewed for something about my career. So, don’t ask me anything more. The real truth is that even if she was just hanging out as friends, she would employ exactly the same techniques. Walk into any scientology org and start asking tough questions and you will hear “find out for yourself, don’t just believe what you read in the media.”
Then a further explanation which is another rehearsed line: “It’s not really a closed-off religion. It’s a place that is very open to, like, welcoming in somebody who wants to learn more about it. I think that’s the thing that is probably the most misunderstood.” Well, that is not “misunderstood” — it is true and she knows it. But it sounds acceptable. You can’t know about the real beliefs of scientology because they are “confidential” and would “harm you spiritually if you are not ready for them.” You can’t walk in to any scientology building and wander around freely, you will quickly be accosted and guided to the “public areas.” You don’t get to see the confidential directives about how to deal with enemies or litigation. You’re not supposed to talk to anyone who had actually experienced life in the SO or near David Miscavige because they are all “unreliable, bitter apostates who make up terrible horror stories.” If that is your definition of open and welcoming, you need to clear up your misunderstood word.
When pressed a little more about what scientology does for her, she used another standard party line: “Communication is something that I obviously use so much, not only in my job but in my interpersonal relationships as well. That is probably one of the No. 1 basic things that I grew up learning and grew up using and use every day: the power of just being able to listen to somebody, of making somebody feel heard, of not belittling them for what they think or believe, even if you think it’s wrong. ”
I was quoted in the article about this: “That’s a fundamental concept that is sold to new people to get them into Scientology. You’ll hear a lot of Scientologists say, ‘It taught me to communicate,’ because it’s a simple, uncontroversial thing. Lizzie is good at communicating her roles to audiences, so you can’t say that’s a lie. It’s a great line to use, because it’s one of those things that you can’t really challenge.”
But what about getting rid of body thetans and curing cancer? Do you believe the Xenu and volcanos story? What about Hubbard’s claims that Clears don’t get colds? Have you had a cold?
And when Shulman pressed a little further, asking how she could reconcile the reported abuses perpetrated by Scientology—mind control, Disconnection, assigning troublesome members to hard labor which echo the authoritarian tactics of Gilead, she fell back on the “no answer” response: “I would just encourage people to find out for themselves.” With this response she did not acknowledge that disconnection even exists, or that people are assigned to hard labor. She implied these claims are not true, but didn’t actually say so. I have heard John Travolta when pressed say: “I have never experienced any of those things, and I can only speak to what I know.”
Finally, Shulman asked her about the 2017 Television Critics Association Awards. She was nominated for “The Handmaid’s Tale” and we were nominated for “The Aftermath.” I was there and it was VERY obvious that Lizzie and her entourage pointedly left the room when our category came up. She did not want to be seen either applauding or not applauding if we won. Applaud and scientology bosses would be VERY unhappy. Not applaud and everyone in the room would notice. She claimed: “I went to the bathroom, I wish it was more exciting than that.” Blown off again with an “acceptable truth.” Had she been asked if she was permitted to talk to Leah and me she would have had a more difficult time responding with even an acceptable truth. Instead she claimed, “I have never been approached by her” like there is no issue at all and had we approached her she of course would have been gracious. This is not the only time this happened. Giovanni Ribisi did not show up at all to an event with his co-star Bryan Cranston (Sneaky Pete) because he knew Leah and I were going to be there.
While Elisabeth did her job as a good scientologist, I am sure she will NOT be thrilled about the focus on her involvement in scientology and the obvious parallels between it and Handmaid’s Tale. No matter how you slice it, scientology never ends up looking good.
Mike, thanks for giving more clarity on how Scientology celebrities are trained to handle the press.
Elisabeth is brainwashed plain and simple. All the talent in the world cannot justify defending the toxic cult.
I am glad you commented on this – I was wondering! I do feel bad for all people in Scientology. But I tend to feel less sorry for celebrities like Moss because they seem to have it easier in Scientology (because they can afford it) and they have more access to the outside world. Keep doing what you do and maybe more celebrities in Scientology will decide leave Scientology.
The reason scientology doesn’t come out looking good is because it has NO “good” side, in truth. Even the “comm” course, which hooks many in, is a hypnotic indoctrination tech — technique — which sorta-kinda does what it advertises, but leaves converts with that case of “starey eyes”, which disconcerts most others OR comes off as a come-on/flirtation..
You mention Bryan Cranston – there was a rumour on Reddit years ago that in the Malcolm in the Middle days, he once got into a fight with Chris Masterson, who was trying to get the boys to try Scientology. No idea how true this is, if at all, but it’s a funny story.
So tired of the mainstream media always letting them get away with it.
If that’s all the Media are given to work with, they’re kinda trapped into promulgating the lies. MOST in the mainstream won’t alter quotes to portray the truths they’ve discovered about the untruthful organization. That doesn’t stop scn from making stuff up whole-cloth, of course
I feel pretty sure Elizabeth Moss coming forth with this publicity was to dilute the law suit of child labor and child trafficking of Valeska Paris, Gawain and Laura Baxter which was flaring up in the media.
DATE CO-INCIDENT.
The headline on Scientology’s malfeasance needed a new topic.
Elizabeth Moss
I listened to the celebrity Tom Cruise and John Travolta say the exact same thing Elisaeth Moss is saying..”Try Scientology for yourself”
Okay – I did
Scientology harmed me.
I was trapped in it for far too long
It was hard to leave due to the mind control tactics and hypnosis
plus the way it wraps its tentacles around your life; your job, your family and friends
I went up the bridge to nowhere
lost all of my money and home and filed bankruptcy
lost my family and friends
lost my job
Scientology SUCKS
Scientology ruined my life and ruins everyone’s life
the Scientologists are all liars
I actually found Scientology to be the BIGGEST scam of the 21st century
In fact, I now know with total knowingness and insouciant certainty that
Scientology is a danagerous cult that uses fraud, deception and manipulation to bleed it’s members dry while shattering their families. it is a kool aid drinking cult that destroys people so David Miscavige can sit on billions of dollars and play his dictator game
Shove that up your pipe Elizabeth Moss
Took the words right out of my mouth.
Once you start up the “bridge, they pull it right out from under you and there’s this LONG fall, blow-up.
“It’s not really a closed-off religion. It’s a place that is very open to, like, welcoming in somebody who wants to learn more about it. ”
From what I have read and listened to, yes, it is an place that is very open to welcoming in someone who wants to learn more.
So is a steel trap. With the same results. You can not escape without a lot of pain and suffering.
Like…chewing your own leg off. I think this analogy fits, for many.
Watching “The Handmaid’s Tale,” which Moss executive produces, was one of the things that opened my eyes about scientology and inspired me to get out. The similarities in these two hyper-defined, precisely laid out AND ENFORCED cultures was inescapable.
When I acted as the Director of Promotion and Marketing for ASHO Day in Los Angeles in 1980, Giovanni Ribisi’s father, Al, handled some of the org’s promo pieces. Al worked with us regularly: he might not have produced all the literature, but we always needed three price quotes.
In 1999/2000, I worked in the promo dept. of Management Success, a Scientology Front Group located in Glendale, Calfornia. Al Ribisi worked with us virtually every week for our promo needs. A few days after I had received surgery to remove a cancerous tumor, Al arrived quietly in my office, snuck up behind me, reached around and gave me quite a bear hug (he didn’t know about my operation). My boss responded to his hug much stronger than I did (his display of affection didn’t hurt me in the least) and it’s something I’m likely never to forget.
And why is that? I haven’t been a Scientologist in Good Standing since 2014. I haven’t been declared a Suppresive Person although the Office of Special Affairs might have a different story to tell about their response to my JennyAtLAX blog and all the protests I joined (or started) against my former “church.”
I enjoyed so much in Scientology, mostly because of the safe bubble world that Scientology builds around its members in Good Standing. In Scientology, you want to do what Ron says. You want to be like Ron. You want to emulate Source, it’s Founder, and you want to spread his good word worldwide.
Scientologists spend all their time getting auditing or training. They learn a little bit of what’ll happen or might happen to the group’s enemies, but a Scientologist will probably never imagine that he can become an enemy to Scientology. It can happen, however, in a heartbeat.
Scientology’ s left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing. Scientologists spend countless hours auditing others or themselves, or receive auditing. Maybe they’ll coaudit so as to get a reduction in the cost of a service. If not auditing, they’ll spend countless hours drilling, or listening to hundreds of hours of lectures. The Practical drills can be a lot of fun, especially when you can get away from Course for a while, and survey non-Scientologists out in public for Course points.
That’s the “left hand” of Scientology.
The “right hand” of Scientology is the complete opposite of its left. The right hand, or its strong arm (the Office of Special Affairs, for example) will crush it’s enemies and will stop at nothing in taking over the world.
As any good Scientologist knows, it’s either Ron’s way, or the highway.
I don’t care about the publicity. I’m not joining up.
Celebs have learned the hard way that any attempt to us their name to promote Scientology is only going to pull them down. Scientology’s PR is beyond being salvageable. Scientology is a family destroying, controlling, abusive, money sucking con that is run by a nut job. Anyone with access to the internet can find this out in short order.
You got it 👍, now the truth is on your palm : Andriod and iPhone.
Just Google it and got it all
This is the key factor which became nightmare for the Cults.
Unlike past when one need to visit library or log on computer to seek the truth , now just Google it silently and secretly.
Celebrities aren’t delivering for Miscavige anymore, and there’s practically no new blood being brought in. That’s why he’s relying increasingly on the whales to hand over money to continue phony “expansion”.
I love your explanation Mike of how actors are groomed in what to say to journalists. Yashar Ali’s compilation is gold.