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Going Clear' Was The Most-Watched HBO Documentary In 9 Years

BlackRob

Gold Meritorious Patron
Plenty of America found out what it's like to be an operating thetan on Sunday by tuning in to HBO's premiere of the Scientology documentary, "Going Clear." Its 1.7 million viewers provided the network with its most-watched doc premiere since Spike Lee's two-part 2006 Hurricane Katrina film, "When the Levees Broke," which accrued 1.75 million.

Those 1.7 million viewers reflect the premiere telecast, meaning the number does not include HBO Go streams, DVR views or the encore that aired on Monday night. It's a particularly strong statistic given the film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January and was given a limited theatrical release earlier this month.

By now, we probably don't need to reiterate just how incendiary "Going Clear" is to Scientology. Based on Lawrence Wright's 2013 book of the same name, the Alex Gibney film been roundly blasted as "one-sided, bigoted propaganda" by the Church of Scientology. For more, read this, this and this.

Source: http://www.spinoffshowcase.com/2015/03/going-clear-was-most-watched-hbo.html
 

Boson Wog Stark

Patron Meritorious
The immediate response is great. It's also good that Gibney's documentaries go on to become classics in the areas they cover, and GOING CLEAR will go a long way in characterizing Scientology for years into the future.

It is up to the cult to furnish evidence that Hubbard was a good husband to Sara and father to their child, or that his war injuries (blindness, paralysis) were real and healed by Dianutty. It's not enough that Scientologists believe this, or do not care that he lied incessantly, not when the truth is well documented. Hubbard's actual war record is laughable, compared to the way the cult spins it.

So, it's in the record, and in the public's mind that Hubbard is an epic liar, just as Lance Armstrong used steroids, or there were wrongdoings at Enron. It's not a matter of debate that Hubbard was an epic liar. Sure, Scientologists won't debate it but that's because they only attack, never defend, as mandated by Hubbard.

The compelling portraits of ex-members, who were shown in a human, honest manner are ten times more convincing than anything the cult can churn out against ex-members. Also they were much more real and convincing than anything the cult has turned out, in trying to make their own membership look good.

The cult tries to portray the enthusiasm of their own members, in the Tom Cruise video or videos where they show people talking about expanding their space, or their wins and these come off as forced, crazy, scary, canned or fake, in comparison to ex-members telling their real experiences. Because of the documentary, people will know why; forced enthusiasm is required in the cult, or else. Members are required to attack or deflect criticism, or else.
 
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I told you I was trouble

Suspended animation


I've just watched it for the first time ... I don't know what to say and I don't know how I feel.

It brought back some truly awful feelings ... but I also feel very proud of all the people that appeared on it.

I think I'll just let it wash over me for a while and be thankful that I found the strength to get out when I did and found you guys here.
 
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