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Episode 7: Emmy and Oscar Winner Alex Gibney

September 7, 2020 By Mike Rinder 60 Comments

This week's episode of Fair Game podcast features my old friend Alex Gibney. This is not an episode to miss. Alex is one of the greats in the world of documentary filmmakers. His credits include: The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley about Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos We Steal Secrets: The Story of Wikileaks Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God (won 3 Emmy’s) Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (Oscar nom in 2005 for Best Doc) Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer  Taxi to the Dark Side (winner of the 2007 Oscar for best Documentary) about the war in … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: Alex Gibney, fair game, Fair Game Podcast, Hana Eltringham, Jason Beghe, Larry Wright, Leah Remini, Marc Headley, Marty Rathbun, Mike Rinder, paul haggis, sara goldberg, Spanky Taylor, Tony Ortega

Scientology, Lying and the FBI

May 15, 2017 By Mike Rinder 76 Comments

Recent articles at Tony Ortega's blog and the Tampa Bay Times recount the stillborn scientology FBI investigation based on FOI documents obtained by RadarOnline. There is not much else to say about the investigation itself, it has been covered at length by Tony Ortega, the Tampa Bay Times and Lawrence Wright, first in his New Yorker article then more extensively in Going Clear.   What is interesting is to look back at how scientology responded when asked about the investigation in earlier years. A number of people who had been interviewed by the FBI (including me) had confirmed that an … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Legal, Scientology Tagged With: Civil Rights Division, David Miscavige, FBI, Joe Childs, Karin Pouw, Larry Wright, Marty Rathbun, Mary Carter Andrues, New Yorker, public relations, tampa bay times, Tom Tobin, Tony Ortega, US attorney

Scientology Homophobia

October 10, 2015 By Mike Rinder 461 Comments

Is scientology homophobic? There has been considerable discussion about this.  In today's world,  where it is no longer socially acceptable to be anti-gay, scientology has taken steps to attempt to portray itself as tolerant and welcoming of the LGBT community. But similar to scientology's claims that disconnection "doesn't exist" or is simply a "personal choice," the PR smokescreen hides an ugly and unpleasant reality. At its heart, scientology IS very homophobic. Here is the truth as I experienced it, growing up in scientology and then being a senior official in the church for many … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Special Feature Tagged With: David Miscavige, gay, Handbook for Preclears, homophobia, L. Ron Hubbard, Larry Wright, Lesbian, paul haggis, public relations, Science of Survival, The New Yorker, Tommy Davis

Going Clear: The Prison Of Belief

January 26, 2015 By Mike Rinder 224 Comments

I am late to the party with my thoughts about Alex Gibney's Going Clear The Prison Of Belief, not being as diligent as Tony Ortega, who despite NOT being a "former Scientologist" nevertheless has the work ethic of a dedicated Sea Org member. There are numerous media accounts of the film and the premiere and I will not try and recount everything, because I don't want to spend hours rehashing what has already been said by others. And frankly, nobody else's take on the movie is going to have the same meaning to you as you will get when you have the opportunity to see it. Which is itself high … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Public Relations Tagged With: Alex Gibney, Church of Scientology, David Miscagive, Going Clear, HBO, Larry Wright, public relations, Tony Ortega

Scientology Sockpuppet Speaks (Sort Of….)

May 4, 2013 By Mike Rinder 38 Comments

Corporate Scientology has mastered the art of speaking out of both side of its mouth and keeping a straight face at the same time. See Tony Ortega's article about the Laura DeCrescenzo case this morning. While pleading that the CHURCH is being "discriminated" against (they have also mastered the art of playing victims -- everyone including the courts, psychiatrists, governments, SPs, media, the internet, drug companies, cyberterrorists, anyone who dies in their care and the martians are out to "get" them) and how turning over Laura's pc folders will prejudice "other religions," they don't … [Read more...]

Filed Under: David Miscavige, Public Relations Tagged With: David Miscagive, Karin Pouw, Larry Wright, lawsuits, Legal Threats

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Important Reading

Troublemaker - Leah Remini
Ruthless - Ron Miscavige
Going Clear - Lawrence Wright
Bare Faced Messiah - Russell Miller
Counterfeit Dreams - Jeff Hawkins
Blown For Good - Marc Headley
Abuse at the Top - Amy Scobee
Unbreakable Miss Lovely - Tony Ortega
The Church of Fear - John Sweeney
Fair Game - Steve Cannane
Inside Scientology - Janet Reitman
A Piece of Blue Sky - Jon Atack
Beyond Belief - Jenna Miscavige
My Billion Year Contract
Escaping Scientology - Karen Schless
Commodore's Messenger - Janis Grady
Commodore's Messenger - Book II
Scythe Tleppo - Nathan Rich
Expert Witness - Jesse Prince
Perfectly Clear - Michelle LeCaire
Ron the War Hero - Chris Owen
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mikerinder Mike Rinder @mikerinder ·
11 Aug

Great take! It would be the most dangerous thing he ever did…

Chris Shelton, MSc @ChrisSheltonMsc

The only stunt I want to see this man perform is speaking out publicly against Scientology.

It would quite literally be the most dangerous thing he could ever do, far more so than these so-called "dangerous" stunts where his life was NOT really on the line at all. https://twitter.com/BritishGQ/status/1557314444392292352

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leahremini Leah Remini @leahremini ·
11 Aug

Did you think Scientology scared us away?

Not a chance…the Fair Game podcast is back!

@MikeRinder and I will continue to hold Scientology accountable for its abuses.

Check-out our latest trailer and subscribe to the Fair Game podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

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mikerinder Mike Rinder @mikerinder ·
11 Aug

More excellent sleuthing from the relentless exposer of #scientology lies. Bet they HATE Freedom of Information laws at this point....

Stefani A Hutchison @azhlynne

Theft By False Pretenses: Scientology’s 9/11 Scam http://azhlynnes.blog/2022/08/10/theft-by-false-pretenses-scientologys-9-11-scam/

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mikerinder Mike Rinder @mikerinder ·
10 Aug

#FairGamePodcast with @LeahRemini and me will be back wherever you get your podcasts at the end of August!
Now twice a week.
And you can record your questions for Listener Q episodes at http://fairgamepodcast.com just click on "submit a recorded question."
https://www.mikerindersblog.org/fair-game-podcast-is-back/

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leahremini Leah Remini @leahremini ·
9 Aug

We believe discriminatory rhetoric, misinformation, and hate speech have no place anywhere which is exactly why we’re fighting Scientology, its lies, and hypocrisy.

Including those spread by Scientology front groups like the Stand League.

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Recent Comments

  • Jere Lull on Through the Bubble – Lili’s Adventures in Scientologyland Part 26: “Dwarfenführer® has the life he can handle: Money coming in that he doesn’t have to do anything for, servants he…” Aug 14, 17:43
  • mwesten on Thursday Funnies on Saturday: “Then don’t spread them. That way we can address those areas where they are indeed the norm. Denying reality by…” Aug 14, 15:43
  • Cindy on Through the Bubble – Lili’s Adventures in Scientologyland Part 26: “Lilly, I can so relate to the teenage boys and their computer games thing. Good description of it all, and…” Aug 14, 15:36
  • Cindy on Through the Bubble – Lili’s Adventures in Scientologyland Part 26: “David Miscavige is following in those footsteps by hiding out everywhere so that process servers cannot serve him. What a…” Aug 14, 15:11
  • otherles on Through the Bubble – Lili’s Adventures in Scientologyland Part 26: “I believe that one cop his hand on a Reine river bridge holding out his hand would have stopped the…” Aug 14, 15:07
  • Mike Rinder on Thursday Funnies on Saturday: “Well Samuel, perhaps you should ask Lili. She chose this venue to tell her story, and I gladly obliged. I…” Aug 14, 14:38
  • Mark Kamran on Thursday Funnies on Saturday: “Please read my above mentioned reply again. Spread over 200+ countries and 1.4 Billion population, the incidents you mentioned are…” Aug 14, 13:14
  • Samuel T. Alter on Thursday Funnies on Saturday: “I don’t understand why so many of your blog entries this year have been taken up with Lili R’s story.…” Aug 14, 13:12
  • mwesten on Thursday Funnies on Saturday: “If only that were so. You may live in a city/country free from religious violence but to claim such a…” Aug 14, 11:42
  • Peridot on Thursday Funnies on Saturday: “To @mwesten: That is an interesting interpretation of the C of S, that it operates as a capitalist oligarchy. Very…” Aug 14, 09:32

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