Scientology and New York

I saw Phantom of the Opera last weekend in NY. My viewing included a visit backstage with Jennifer Hope Willis, who was wonderful with my 6 year old daughter Nabby. The costume bossman even dressed us in a few of the costumes: yours truly wore the Phantom mask!

While walking around near Broadway, we passed the NYC Scientology center, which is across the street from a few theaters. A guy in the "V" mask was standing on the street telling people that they were wasting their money and that true happiness could be found over at the Scientology center.

Whenever I have a brush with Scientology, I feel the need to revisit Tom Cruise's recruitment video. (This makes my body Thetans happy. Yes, I am an SP.)



PS. 3 Across in NY Times today: "Fingered, briefly." If this was a Jeopardy clue, the answer/question would be, "What does Don Draper do to the comic's wife at dinner in this week's Mad Men?"

NY Times comment: Whatever Girls

The Whatever Girls (Sirius 112, 5-7pm) star in a Brooks Barnes NY Times "article" about their new TV show, Whatever, Martha. So I guess it's pretty fucking cool to be in the NY Times. Still, this isn't what I expect from a top-notch paper. The "article" has one piece of information: the girls are doing a Mystery Science Theater mockery of the Martha Stewart show. (Really, who hasn't done this in their living room, so the show just might work. I'm cool because I'm goofing on Martha and I can surreptitiously pick up some of Martha's wisdom while my buddies aren't watching. Bonus.)



Back to the "article." It doesn't describe the show. It doesn't comment on whether it's good. It doesn't visit any examples of the Alexis Stewart's or Jennifer Koppelman Hutt's (Hutt with husband Keith at right) snide comments. And how about this quote describing funny?

• “In one episode, Martha is showing people how to properly whittle a twig to roast a marshmallow,” said Ms. Koppelman Hutt. “That is screamingly funny. The woman is actually whittling a twig. I mean, who does that?”

That's a kick in the balls of my funny bone. You "show" funny. You don't "tell" it. C'mon dude: Give an example of funny. Or lambaste the girls for being the products of (necrophilia, narcissism...what's the word...it's an "N" word...engage brain, ah, got it) nepotism. But please, at least make something of the piece. This is worse than bad press; it's dull-as-shit press.