Rod Keller checks in with how the new Scientology Network is playing with Scientologists themselves…
The media buzz about Scientology TV is over, but members are being told the network is thriving and achieving all the goals set out for it. This is being played out in typical Scientology manner – through “Success Stories.” They are the counterpart to the statistics given at major events about how many books were sold, or how many volunteers were sent to disaster areas. Scientologists must write a success story with all the details about how much they have been helped in order to graduate to the next service on the Bridge. Similar anecdotes serve to convince members that their donations are well spent to combat Black PR and antagonism, and that Scientology is constantly expanding.
Success stories are also being distributed which claim that the network is helping disseminate and expand Scientology, such as this story from Gary, Indiana. “2.0” refers to “antagonism” on the emotional Tone Scale. Those low on the scale will not understand or accept the truths offered by Scientology. The narrative is that the network is raising the tone of those getting information about Scientology for the first time. Apparently watching a documentary about a printing plant can have that effect.
It’s important in today’s Scientology that everything be “ideal.” Ideal orgs, missions, Narconon treatment centers, books and tapes, the high quality of everything is promoted and symbolic of the abilities gained by going up the bridge. It’s important that Scientology TV be seen as the highest quality channel available, and several members are promoting the idea that only the National Geographic channel comes close to its production values.
We asked the former babysitter for Glenis Batley for comment. His name is Marc Headley and he worked at Golden Era Studios producing Scientology videos and tapes for 16 years before escaping in 2005. His book Blown for Good recounts his experiences in the church.
I am not sure the quality is any better than anything else. The app crashed on me every time I tried to watch. Also, none of the other stations or production companies have unlimited free labor. Sea Org members are getting less than the lowest Chinese factory workers get. When you can spend all year working on shows that require no ads and have no budget or time constraints you can cranks out some flashy effects. I am pretty sure that NO ONE in the industry is blown away by anything they are doing.
The real story is not how many industry people are “impressed,” but how many people end up in their forever-empty organizations around the globe. My bet is that they will remain empty as they have with every other revolutionary ground-breaking planetary salvaging action they have taken in the last decade. If there is one thing Scientology is awesome at, it’s spending millions of dollars promoting themselves that ends up with less people in their clutches.
Bringing in new members is a goal of Scientology TV but, according to training materials being distributed, not the top priority. This is a Google translation of an email accompanying this poster from Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
The global spread of the Chinese Scientology world
You want to be a master of Scientology spread the net on it?
Date: Sunday, April 8, 2018
Time: 1:00~5:00
Venue: B2 Auditorium, Ideal Org, Kaohsiung
Open Object: Scientology person, student, peripheral staff, staff of the Center staff & agencies
Fees: Priceless (free)
Nature: seminar plus water seatsContent includes:
How to use the global Scientology Television Network
(1) Deal with black propaganda
(2) Raising the public relations in Scientology
(3) Get rid of potential trouble sources
(4) Publicize people around you
(5) Increase the quantity and quality of publicity
(6) Let the books circulate to more new peopleDo you know which channels and videos are currently available in Chinese? If Taiwan wants to integrate with global communications, what should we do? When you arrive at the org, what guidance do you have to do in order to successfully get them to buy books and register for services? How can you guide people who have sold books to institutions/centres to receive services?
The top three goals of the network are to handle antagonism towards Scientology and to counter criticism, known as “Black PR.” Unless that happens and Scientology has a safe space to expand, recruiting new members is secondary.
—–
We reported in January that Scientology plans a new Narconon in the Lombardy region of Italy. The location of Narconon Aurora has been announced as Via Per Le Orane, 50, Osnago. No date has been announced for the opening of this seventh Narconon facility in Italy.
— Rod Keller
——————–
SMERSH Madness 2018
The readers of the Underground Bunker have spoken, and the winner of our SMERSH Madness brackets for 2018, the person our readers judged Scientology’s greatest champion and promoter of the church’s reputation, is Scientology’s leader himself, David Miscavige!
He was our #1 seed and pretty handily won the final match against a surprising upstart, our #11 seed, former top church enforcer Mark “Marty” Rathbun, who had pushed aside both John Travolta and Tom Cruise to get to the championship showdown.
With these two leading the way, Scientology’s future reputation seems all but assured, doesn’t it?
——————–
Make your plans now!
Wow, it’s already April! (And happy Easter to those of you who observe it.) Our flight and hotel is booked — who’s going to join us in Chicago? Remember, Friday (June 22) is Fly Day, and Saturday night (June 23) Chicago Fire star Christian Stolte will be helping us present things on stage as we hold our event at an actual theater this year. It’s going to be a wild time. Head over to our HowdyCon 2018 website to start making your travel plans!
——————–
Bernie Headley has not seen his daughter Stephanie in 5,071 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 1,674 days
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 217 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 1,280 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,054 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 2,828 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 2,174 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 2,668 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 1,708 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 1,420 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 946 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,035 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 2,175 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 2,495 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 2,470 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 826 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 5,128 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 1,234 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 1,637 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 1,509 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 1,091 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 1,596 days.
Mary Jane Sterne has not seen her daughter Samantha in 1,840 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 12,949 days.
——————–
Posted by Tony Ortega on April 1, 2018 at 07:00
E-mail tips and story ideas to tonyo94 AT gmail DOT com or follow us on Twitter. We post behind-the-scenes updates at our Facebook author page. After every new story we send out an alert to our e-mail list and our FB page.
Our book, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, is on sale at Amazon in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook versions. We’ve posted photographs of Paulette and scenes from her life at a separate location. Reader Sookie put together a complete index. More information can also be found at the book’s dedicated page.
The Best of the Underground Bunker, 1995-2017 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Undergound Bunker (2012-2017), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)
Learn about Scientology with our numerous series with experts…
BLOGGING DIANETICS: We read Scientology’s founding text cover to cover with the help of L.A. attorney and former church member Vance Woodward
UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists
GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice
SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts
Other links: Shelly Miscavige, ten years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini ‘Knowledge Reports’ | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology’s little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology’s drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ
Our non-Scientology stories: Robert Burnham Jr., the man who inscribed the universe | Notorious alt-right inspiration Kevin MacDonald and his theories about Jewish DNA | The selling of the “Phoenix Lights” | Astronomer Harlow Shapley‘s FBI file | Sex, spies, and local TV news
