I've done my fair share of ranting about Scientology, be it about Tom Cruise's aggressive and arrogant antipsychiatry nuttiness a couple of years ago or the very recent piece I wrote about the disturbing and idiotically conceived anti-psychiatry museum run by the Church of Scientology. The Church of Scientology is, of course, a target-rich environment, given the sheer nuttiness of it all. Indeed, there'd be nothing other than laughter from me if Scientology didn't push a rabid anti-psychiatry pseudoscience in the name of religion and if it didn't go after its critics with the tenacity of a rabid Rottweiler.
Although, among famous Scientologists, Tom Cruise gets under my skin in a major way, given his intentionally confrontational and ignorant rants about psychiatry, John Travolta never bothered me that much. He always seemed a lot more genial and low-key and not nearly as obnoxious about his religion as Tom Cruise. True, I did once take him to task for some stupid things he said about "environmental toxins," but in general Travolta never inspired the loathing in me that Cruise has managed to do.
June 19, 2007 -- JOHN Travolta blames Virginia Tech, Columbine and all the other tragic school shootings not on the psychos who committed the heinous acts - but on psychiatric drugs. "I still think that if you analyze most of the school shootings, it is not gun control. It is [psychotropic] drugs at the bottom of it," Travolta told W. But the "Hairspray" film star won't be jumping on couches over the issue or attacking Matt Lauer as his fellow Scientologist, Tom Cruise, did last year: "I don't disagree with anything Tom says. How would I have presented it? Maybe differently than how he did, but it doesn't matter."
That's right; you've got it. It wasn't mental illness that was responsible for the shooter's rampage at Virginia Tech, it was pyschiatric drugs! I guess it's time to lump Travolta into the same category as the people who blamed the Virginia Tech shootings on atheism and evolution, vaccines, race-mixing, or any number of other personal hobby horses.
Travolta is a reminder. While it may be true that not all Scientologists are as upfront about pushing the idiocy of their religion as Tom Cruise, that is no reason not to look at more "reasonable" or "amiable" Scientologists with less suspicion. If a person is a committed Scientologist, even if that person is apparently intelligent and amiable, he will share the same anti-scientific beliefs as Tom Cruise. Apparently Travolta has recovered from his critically low e-meter reading, because he's now dishing out the antipsychiatry woo with the best of the Scientologists.
(Via D-Listed. Yeah, I admit it. I read D-Listed from time to time. Deal with it.)
Was the environmental toxins about this?:
...Had John and Kelly been at the screening, they might have a better understanding of the disorder reportedly affecting their 14 year-old son, Jett. Sadly, the Scientology couple cannot even publicly admit that their son is afflicted with a neurological disorder, lest - according to the incontrovertible doctrine of Scientology founder L Ron Hubbard - he be labeled a "degraded being" that brought his affliction onto himself. Instead, the Travoltas have long blamed their son's disability on Kawasaki Syndrome-related "environmental toxins," specifically carpet cleaning chemicals.
Cookie for those that can tell what the disorder is.
Just a guess, but I'd have to go with autism.
Ding ding ding!!
Yeah!~ I started reading D-Listed, thanks to the link you used to have on your blog...and don't forget Go Fug Yourself!
re: Travolta - Maybe he's not so far away from Vinnie Barbarino after all...
You forgot to give the editorial at dlisted (first time I have ever seen it. Tt looks fun whacky). They seem to think he same as you but are more direct:
"Somebody hand me a straitjacket, a muzzle and a 12-inch dildo. John Travolta needs operating on. This bitch has no idea what he's talking about. He has blamed the horrific shootings of Columbine and Virginia Tech on drugs.
He said, "I still think that if you analyze most of the school shootings, it is not gun control. It is [psychotropic] drugs at the bottom of it."
NO! It's crazy people with guns! If John Travolta got fucked in the ass more often he'd be a much better person. Tom Cruise and John should just get it over with and marry one another. They'll be too busy ass munching each other to give interviews where they spit out crazy talk.
John went on to talk about Tom Cruise's infamous rant at Matt Lauer about drugs.
"I don't disagree with anything Tom says. How would I have presented it? Maybe differently than how he did, but it doesn't matter."
I have had a poster attached to my desk for about three years now. The title is "Aluminum Foil Deflector Beanie: The Practical Alternative to Mind Control".
You (including you, John Tr_volta) can find it at http://www.zapatopi.net
Sorry for multiple posting, but I just noticed that the zapotopi.net page's logo is an octopus with shoes.
I enjoy the information provided by Widipedia on L Ronny. Quite a guy. Another NPD (narcissitic personality Disorder). Heres another short over achieving high strung control freak that held himself in high esteem (wait thats Tom Cruise). I am sure he thought, why become part of an existing church and it's dogma and scam people when you can start your own church with your own dogma and really scam people.
Frankly the guy deserves a lot of credit accomplishing as much as he did with this Scientology business. It seems to be a belief system that is centered and draws strength from denile. Based on Hubbards own constant struggle with the truth over the years he decided to base a whole religon on denile.
Reminds me of Martin Shorts nervous cigarette smoking dripping sweat character on SNL that constantly says "Did I say that? I never said that. Why would I say that?
They should call it the Church of Denile
Hide? why would we hide? What do we have to hide?
Wait, I thought Scientologists didn't believe in psychiatry. But they believe in psychiatric drugs?
Did you know they have a service, under the name 'narcanon' which they claim will drive the drugs out of a 'patient'? They feed them niacin - a lot of niacin. And they combine it with aerobic exercise. The niacin has the curious property of turning one's sweat orange. The orange color, they tell their victims, is due to the drugs being excreted in one's sweat. Although it's mostly associated with illegal drugs, they advocate it for psychiatric drugs as well.
Concerning the Scientology anti-psychiatry museum.
and I quote, "Visitors to the museum, which have included celebrities, doctors, educators and legislators, have described it as, "inspirational," and that the museum should be viewed by "everyone who breathes.""
Everyone that breathes? Lets start the viewing with all the lower functioning mammals first. I figure if a few Rabbits turn their nose up at the exhibit its finished for sure.
If by breathing we include all aerobic respiration, that's a lot of visitors. Even those creatures sophisticated enough to have lungs or gills would make quite a line-up.
And why settle for rabbits? Does Milnesium tardigradum (wiki it) have lungs? Could we invite it along to cast its own judgement? Or should we just invite a whole crowd of PZ Myers' eight-membered friends? (Preferably the ones with the little blue rings).
Wonder if he's proud of this picture?
Also, doesn't he have 2 daughters? If so, then this quote from CNN is incredibly bothersome on many levels:
'"I have never been compelled to share with you my bathroom habits or share with you my bedroom habits," says the married father of two.'
After Columbine, the National Threat Assessment Center of the Secret Service conducted a study of school shootings. Their reports, under the Safe Schools Initiative, are available at the Secret Service website.
Their findings are interesting. For one thing, they list the states of the school shootings. Note that a fairly common denominator is the availability of guns. And. 2/3rds of the shooters were victims of bullying.
Their findings are interesting. For one thing, they list the states of the school shootings. Note that a fairly common denominator is the availability of guns. And. 2/3rds of the shooters were victims of bullying.
Proving what common sense ought to tell the conspiracy theorists -- the people who are most likely to commit mass murder are simply those with means, motive, and opportunity. Police have known this for years, but apparently it's all new to some folks. On the other hand, it's tough to eliminate means, motive, and opportunity without also trampling all over a lot of people's rights. I suppose people like blaming psychoactive drugs because they could be easily banned.
Kawasaki Disease: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kawasaki_disease. It is sometimes listed as a rare adverse reaction in some vaccine trials but no link has yet been shown to my knowledge. The Ethics of Vaccines blog from the University of Pennsylvania http://www.vaccineethics.org/2007/06/info-on-kawasaki-disease-added-to… covered how this has been added to the insert for RotaTeq. They mention that the FDA notes "The cases reported to date are not more frequent than what could be expected to occur by coincidence." This won't stop the antivax crowd from claiming yet another reason not to poison our kids with vaccines.
I would tend to think that these mass killings are more the result of someone who needs phsychotropics not taking them, rather than the other way around. Kind of hard to go postal, with a reasonable dose of a benzodiazepine in you.
I really have to feel for the poor child that has parents like that and is autistic. That is just seriously screwed up.
Bartholomew Cubbins, Travolta just has the one daughter (that we know of - standard disclaimer I use when discussing the mating and breeding of celebrities). So he has the one son and the one daughter - he's not denying any kids by allowing himself to be described as a father of two.
That having been said...this, of course, is appalling. Sigh.
"Intelligent" and "Scientologist"? Aren't those terms mutually exclusive?