Not even Jon Stewart has dared ask Tom Cruise about Scientology

Not even Jon Stewart has dared ask Tom Cruise about Scientology.

The Atlantic: Cruise Controlled

During the multi-country press tour for Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, not even Jon Stewart has dared ask Tom Cruise about Scientology.

http://www.theatlantic.com/entertai...ology-mission-impossible-rogue-nation/399956/


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The question for Jon Stewart, then, is why bother giving a huge movie star a meaningless six-minute spot to promote a movie at all? Stewart leaves The Daily Show next week after 16 years hosting the show, during which time he’s been lauded for his incisive interviews with everyone from President Obama to Pervez Musharraf to Angelina Jolie. In 2008, The New York Times asked if he was the most trusted man in America, writing that The Daily Show offers insight that often eludes mainstream news, “speaking truth to power in blunt, sometimes profane language.” In his interviews over the years, Stewart has lambasted Senator John McCain for agreeing to speak at Liberty University, criticized Al Gore for selling his television station to a network funded by oil money, and accused Judith Miller of deliberately favoring the Bush administration in her reporting leading up to the Iraq War. Why devote precious time in one of his final episodes to helping a controversial actor promote a movie that doesn’t need the boost?

A representative for The Daily Show hasn’t responded to questions about whether Stewart was limited in the subjects he was allowed to address regarding the Cruise interview. But the interview by itself is telling. In May, USA Today asked if Going Clear might have the potential to “ruin Tom Cruise’s summer.” Apparently not: Tom Cruise as an institution depends on a degree of complicity between the people who profit from his movies and the people who pay to see them, with everyone involved agreeing not to ask too many tough questions and ruin the fun. The fact that reporters and television entertainers also buy into this deal is disappointing, even if it isn’t ultimately so surprising.


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Look at what Jon suggests at 19:35

http://thedailyshow.cc.com/full-episodes/txiqu2/july-28--2015---tom-cruise

 

Have either Jon Stewart or Jimmy Fallon http://www.forum.exscn.net/showthread.php?40088-TC-Jimmy-Fallon-lip-sync-battle&p=1054656 ever done anything more then puff ball references to Scientology - if that? Maybe they have, but I can't find it during a cursory search, and I don't want to endure repeated commercial messages to search any further, so perhaps someone can answer that question and provide the relevant links.

Are the few others who did serious, hard ball, in depth, segments on Scientology being visited by Tom Cruise? Are these two being rewarded for having been cooperative? or have they decided to reform themselves and play ball?

After all, what they do is a business, it's scripted, and to repeat, it's a business.


[video=youtube;TIl0VYQjaNY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIl0VYQjaNY[/video]

[video=youtube;UFBZ_uAbxS0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFBZ_uAbxS0[/video]

 

I clicked on the link inside the Atlantic to see the British interview. His female costar is obviously in love with Tom. The couple is touching each other throughout. She's not his fairytale type though....being a seasoned mature, actress. She's not perfect, she fidgets trying to mark her territory, and she's older than what he's accustomed to.

 

Clearly, a condition for Cruise's appearance on The Daily Show was that there be no mention of Scientology. Stewart's "volcano" joke was much too oblique a reference for his audience to understand.

Still, this is quite a departure from the good ol' War of the Worlds days when Cruise couldn't stop blabbing about the wonders of his cult. Now he refuses to discuss it.

OSA does devote significant resources to "handling" celebrity critics of Scientology, like Howard Stern, who, in the past were merciless in ridiculing Scientology. Perhaps Leah Remini will have something to say about this in the future, because the last time she went on Stern, I had the distinct impression that OSA had prepared her in advance.

 

All of these talk show hosts are whores for ratings. But that's the nature of the business. No ratings....no show.

However, there used to be some in that world who would take chances. Be edgy. Be provocative. Be daring. And that endeared them to their audience even if it got them into trouble with their networks and sponsors.

Howard Stern is now nothing but a whore himself. Despite his high school obsession with dirty jokes I used to admire him for his overall grit and edginess. This past year he was practically on his knees giving "pleasure" to Kirstie Alley when she was on his show. He has totally dropped his attacks on the cult. He used to make fun of all Scilon celebrities and he called the cult out for what it is. No more.

Jon Stewart is pathetic for many reasons, but that's not for this thread. He has nothing to lose in confronting Cruise since he's almost done with that show. Sure, TC would've refused to come on. So what? Stewart could've made much hay out of that. He could've said, "Tom Cruise refused to come on because he wouldn't answer even one serious question about his benefitting from slave labor in his church". Something like that. But no, he's a gutless wonder. Better to just attack Fox every other minute. Pussy.

It seems that the press overall has lost its fear of the cult, but the talk show hosts and others in the business still run in fear of it. In fact, in this age of "Going Clear" it's almost like the Jimmy Fallons, the Howard Sterns, and the Jon Stewarts are going backwards.

It's looking more and more like the effect of "Going Clear" is already wearing off.

 

I guess scientology has dirt on Howard Stern.

 

"Still, this is quite a departure from the good ol' War of the Worlds days when Cruise couldn't stop blabbing about the wonders of his cult. Now he refuses to discuss it."

WELL DONE SP's! We have delivered a blow to the enemy - we have SUPPRESSED Tom Cruise and his Cult - Scientology!

Tom Cruise is so stupid - he does not even realize he HAS BEEN SUPPRESSED. He can't talk about Scientology to ANYONE!

I LOVE IT!!!

How Oat Tea is Tom Cruise?

He is so Oat Tea and has reached levels of awareness never achieved by man before - his 3rd Ex-wife, Katie Holme's, delivered a BLOW of epic-ness. She, a Declared SP (covertly by the Church of Scientology) was so powerful - she designed a plan to get out of Tom's bubble covertly, with the least amount of damage to HER EIGHT DYNAMICS and destroyed all of Tom Cruise's DYNAMIC'S.

Katie Holmes, SP, wiped Tom's insouciant and CERTAIN Scientological Smile off of his face for eternity!

Never before has a WOG dismantled the biggest being on the planet - Mr. Mission Impossible; Tom Cruise.

His 2nd ex wife - Nicole Kidman, an Oat Tea, was not aware enough to know Tom was covertly divorcing her and getting the kids to disconnect.

Jeh-sus OSA - After just looking at Tom Cruise's life and how it was shattered 3 times - are you still drinking the kool-aid?

Well, if you are....FUCK YOU OSA!!

 

Howard Stern would promote something like Scientology.

He is dirt.

He is disgusting - a foul excuse for Homo Sap!

 

Next year and the year after ...and the year after that.....Paramount, or Warner Brothers or some other Studio will have a "big summer blockbuster" to promote. They will spend approx $200 million dollars to do so....worldwide.

There has been a "Movie Promoting machine" around for a long long time.....

I suppose if Howard Stern wants to have access....or Jon Daily wants to have access to the movie star....for a show....2 years from now.....he will "do the appropriate thing" today....

It is a survival thing I suppose...

It is not proper Journalism....it is "collusion" and not fair to the public......IMO....but that is the way it is....

I suppose Howard Stern is "entertainment" and not journalism.....so that fits.....

 

Yes, Howard Stern has always been an entertainer, not a journalist. But he used to take chances even when he was on regular broadcast radio. I'm not talking about just dirty stuff either. He would call out celebrities and politicians for their BS. He showed no mercy. He used to rake Scientology over the coals and was very effective. I remember once when he took about an hour to make fun of Travolta and Cruise by playing clips of them praising Scientology. His comments on JT's discussing his "clay table wins" had me rolling on the floor.

Now that he's on satellite radio all he does is say words like "fuck" because he now can, but he's lost his edge in the areas in which it really counts. The areas which set him apart from the field. At least that is how it seems to me now. I don't listen to him regularly anymore.

 

Both Stewart and Stern are paid entertainers, not journalists.

I thought the "How about if they drop you into a volcano?" question was quite good. A small message to those who know the Xenu story that says "Hey, we all know what is going on here". And yes, of course these "mega stars" have had their agents negotiate what subjects may be discussed.

I would question whether the hosts of these programs always get to choose who appears on their show. Although, being the producer of the show probably gave Jon Stewart more control than some others may have.

Not being an action movie fan, nor a Tom Cruise fan, I've never seen a Mission Impossible movie? Are they hugely popular in the US? I thought I had read that this series brings in most of its money in Asian countries.

Because I've really liked the books, I did watch the Jack Reacher movie on Netflix. Let's just say Cruise came up short in the role of Jack Reacher. Way short.

 

Nicole was never an OT. Where do you get this stuff?

 

Nor was anyone else, the term doesn't exist in reality. That's why Scn staff can't make the protesters go away by using their "OT powerz".

[EDIT: there's a video somewhere where Sheila actually challenges the staff of Sydney Advanced Org to make her go away in this way].

 

Media coverage of this story has really picked up.

Salon: “What does Jon Stewart have to lose by asking real questions?”: Scientology watchdog explains Tom Cruise’s media blackout

http://www.salon.com/2015/07/31/wha...watchdog_explains_tom_cruises_media_blackout/

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The long, strange dance between the Church of Scientology and the media just took another awkward step. The Wrap recently broke the news that actor Tom Cruise had “forbidden news outlets from asking questions about his personal life and Scientology during his worldwide promotional tour for ‘Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation’… The ban included any mention of HBO’s explosive Scientology documentary ‘Going Clear,’ as well as tabloid reports that Cruise was dating his assistant.”

For a while, Cruise was open about his commitment to Scientology, but he — or his team – seem to be clamping down again.

We spoke to journalist Tony Ortega, a longtime Scientology watcher and author of the book “The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology Tried to Destroy Paulette Cooper.” Ortega is now executive editor of TheLip.TV. The interview had bee edited slightly for clarity.

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Washington Post: No interviewers are asking Tom Cruise about Scientology. Here’s why that’s not surprising.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...ts-not-surprising/?postshare=8461438380567058

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Gilbert sums up the current state of Hollywood publicity succinctly: “Tom Cruise as an institution depends on a degree of complicity between the people who profit from his movies and the people who pay to see them,” she writes. “With everyone involved agreeing not to ask too many tough questions and ruin the fun.”


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This week's Regraded Being comic touches on the subject.

http://www.mikerindersblog.org/rriday-regraded-being/

 

The Hollywood Reporter: Scientology Movie Director "Disappointed" Jon Stewart Didn't Confront Tom Cruise (Guest Column)

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/scientology-movie-director-disappointed-jon-813415

By Alex Gibney

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As audience members we can do our part. While we crave the entertainment that celebrities offer (Lawrence Wright has famously said that the worship of celebrity is the real American religion) we can’t let star power blind us to abuse. We should insist that celebrities play by the rules the rest of us do. And we need to be willing to encourage those who can to ask uncomfortable questions on our behalf. Just because Tom Cruise is promoting a movie we may like, we can’t allow him — or talk show hosts — to use his star power to silence questions about the viciousness exercised in the shadow of his reputation. Human rights are more important than Hollywood stunts on the wing of an airplane.

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Just in case people are really wondering: Jon Stewart is just ending his Comedy Central show, he's not flying off to Jupiter. He probably had strict rules as to what he could question him about, and chose to honor his agreement. The show is taped so if he did break the rules, good chance the show would have never seen the light of day. I think people are being a bit unrealistic about this thing.

 

Haggis challenges journalists about Cruise

Although dated today, seems rehashed as the Stewart interview is over. Would have been more timely before that interview, but at least it's out there again today.

http://www.aol.com/article/2015/08/23/paul-haggis-on-journalists-not-asking-tom-cruise-about-scientolo/21226354/?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl10%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D1481766471