Scientology = A premium price + celebrity endorsement

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There is a term in marketing called ‘premium pricing’. In a nutshell, premium pricing involves charging an exceptionally high price for a product/brand in order to connote prestige and encourage favourable perceptions amongst buyers about its quality and reputation. I’m sure you’re familiar with its use- have you heard of Prada, Rolex or Louis Vuitton? The fashion industry shamelessly engages in premium pricing to give certain brands a market status of luxury or superiority, and as such, consumer’s become aspirational squanderers. The strategy arose when marketer’s cleverly realised they could exploit our tendency to assume that expensive = better. As a result they enjoy a high degree of profitability from every sale, whilst the consumer pays a bucket load for something they could probably buy at Big W for a tenth of the price, but minus the brand equity.

It would now seem that premium pricing has entered an entirely new profit driven industry- religion. As we gauged in the last WhyGuide post, Scientology charges hefty fees in exchange for differing levels of knowledge to the secrets behind the human soul and our extra terrestrial beginnings. This draws on another marketing concept- the exchange theory. We assume that in giving up our money (a hefty sum at that!) we will be entitled to something in return. The more money we give, the better the return. Perhaps this is the reasoning behind why many people ‘buy into’ Scientology. They are buying a belief, and the fact that it has economic value would mean that its more legitimate than all the things you can believe in for free...wouldn’t it???



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Another element adding to the aspirational and prestige factor of Scientology (which trumps its pure insanity) is the fact that it is endorsed by many successful and idolised celebrities. Entertainers such as John Travolta, Kirstie Alley, Lisa Marie Presley, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes have generated considerable publicity for Scientology. Hubbard envisaged that celebrities would have a key role to play in the dissemination of Scientology, and in 1955 launched Project Celebrity (Shaw; 2008). According to Shaw (2008), today, Scientology operates eight churches that are designated Celebrity Centers, the largest of these being the one in Hollywood. Celebrity Centers are open to the general public, but are primarily designed to minister to celebrity Scientologists. In short, the public aspire to the success, prestige and superiority of these celebrities, and so we mimic them- their fashion, their hairstyles, and now their religion.

But why are the celebrities attracted to Scientology in the first place? Hugh Urban, professor of religious studies at Ohio State University was questioned in an interview on Beliefnet.com (2005) about why he thinks Scientology appeals to celebrities. His reply was: “I think the reason that celebrities would be interested is because it's a religion that fits pretty well with a celebrity kind of personality. It's very individualistic. It celebrates your individual identity as ultimately divine... [What these people] often want at least, is some kind of spiritual validation for their wealth and lifestyle, and Scientology is a religion that says it's OK to be wealthy, it's OK to be famous, in fact, that's a sign of your spiritual development. So it kind of is a spiritual validation for that kind of lifestyle” (Urban, in Chasan; 2005).

So very clever and insightful marketing is responsible for Scientology’s adoption. The religion connotes value for the celebrities, who first take it up, and then endorse it to the public who follow blindly like loyal animals. Its legitimacy is further validated by the premium price charged for this ‘service’.

This is what I came up with as to why Scientology has taken hold. Other less complicated reasons may just be that some people enjoy science fiction a little too much, for others, the beliefs justify their assumptions that aliens exist. Of course there are some people who are just a little bit odd... What do you think?

 References:

Chasan, A., (2005) Interview with Prof. Hugh B. Urban in ‘Scientology: Mind over Matter’, Beliefnet.com website, http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Scientology/Mind-Over-Matter.aspx , accessed 14/10/2010

Shaw, W., (2008), ‘What do Tom Cruise and John Travolta know about Scientology that we don't?’ The Daily Telegraph London, 14^th Feb 2008, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/3671262/What-do-Tom-Cruise-and-John-Travolta-know-about-Scientology-that-we-dont.html, accessed 14/10/2010

Image 1: Worthington Scouts website (2009), http://www.worthingtonscouts.org/daycamp_brochure.html, accessed 17/10/2010

Image 2: Hot Gossip website (2008), 'Celebrity Scientologists', http://www.hotgossip.com/celebrity-scientologists/3333/, accessed 17/10/2010

Scientology Part 1- What is it?



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L. Ron Hubbard established the Church of Scientology (CoS) in 1954. Hubbard had spent years as an author writing pulp/science fiction, but this proved to not be a lucrative enough lifestyle for him. He declared in the late 1940s: "Writing for a penny a word is ridiculous. If a man really wants to make a million dollars, the best way would be to start his own religion" (Methvin, 1980).

And so this is exactly what he did. Hubbard called his new subject Scientology and in introducing it, he claimed to have discovered the human soul. Scientology involved freeing souls (which Hubbard called "thetans") from supposed entrapment in the physical or material world and restoring their alleged supernatural powers (see the following South Park clip for more information on the beliefs of Scientology)

Scientology has been surrounded by controversies since its inception. It has often been described as a cult that financially defrauds and abuses its members, charging exorbitant fees for its spiritual services. This is because, for members to delve deeper into the religious teachings of Scientology, one must pay a fee to get to the next ‘level of initiation’. These levels are known as ‘OT’ levels, and the highest level – OT level VIII – is the major goal of Scientology and is the level at which one becomes “clear” and develops their ability as ‘Operating Thetans’ (Beyer, 2010)

 Information in the upper OT levels are kept secret until a member is deemed ready to receive them- that is, they have payed enough to reach this level. This secret is kept because the mystical teachings imparted at the upper levels are seen as harmful to unprepared readers- i.e. those not yet willing to pay enough. According to the ‘What Scientology Won’t Tell You’ website (2004), “the estimated cost from beginning Scientology courses through completion of the upper levels is today $300,000 - $500,000 in US dollars.”

The following South Park clip shows a scene from an episode that shows the very secret that the Church of Scientology normally attempts to keep confidential and only reveals to members once they make significant monetary contributions. According to Wikipedia (2010), “The plot of the episode centers on character Stan Marsh, as he joins Scientology in an attempt to find something "fun and free". After the discovery of his surprisingly high ‘thetan levels’, he is recognized as the reincarnation of the founder of the church, L. Ron Hubbard. The episode generated significant controversy. Tom Cruise, who is portrayed in the episode, reportedly threatened to back out of his promotional obligations for the Paramount Pictures film Mission: Impossible III if Viacom, the owner of both Comedy Central and Paramount, allowed a repeat of the episode to air.”

Trapped in the Closet
Tags: SOUTH
PARKmore...

So why do some people follow this bizarre belief? It is founded on ideas that are highly controversial and...well, some would say preposterous, but I guess this could be said with any religion to some degree. Stay tuned for the next TheWhyGuide post where I will attempt to unravel this mystery of Scientology fellowhip. In the mean time, your comments are welcome, and could be alluded to in the next post! So what do you think? What would make you join this religion? What is it that appeals to some people? Do some people just want to have something to believe in?

References:

Beyer, C., (2010), ‘How Much Does Scientology Cost? The Financial Expenses of Spiritual Development’, About.com Guide, http://altreligion.about.com/od/controversymisconception/a/scientology_cos.htm, accessed 09/10/2010

Methvin, E., (2004), ‘Scientology: Anatomy of a Frightening Cult’, http://tinyurl.com/2dkw2

South Park Studio’s Website (2010), http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/104274/what-scientologist-actually-believe

What Scientology Won't Tell You website (2004), http://www.xenu.net/archive/infopack/8.htm accessed 10/10/2010

Wikipedia (2010), ‘Trapped in the Closet (South Park)’, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trapped_in_the_Closet_%28South_Park%29

Image 1: Abundant Grace Ministries website (2010), http://www.abundantgraceministries.org/new_page_5.htm 

Facebook group for those against skinny jeans on men

 

Here is a link to a Facebook group I found that is full of haters of skinny leg jeans on men. It goes to show that I am not the only one pondering this behaviour. Please note that I personally dont think men who wear skinny jeans are 'tool[s]', but I do think they look needlessly uncomfortable. Check it out at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=5852241148&v=wall 

Facebook Group: Every time I see a man in skinny leg jeans, I feel an uncontrollable rage

"Why do men want to look like a tool ??? If you wear skinny leg jeans, you might as well go stop off at the doctor's surgery and have your balls removed as well".

Skinny Leg Jeans: A Hard Thing To Pull Off

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Skinny leg jeans have dominated the denim fashion scene for a few years now. Stoic and strong, they have remained a ‘must have’ garment in many people’s wardrobes.  Upon their inception into the fashion scene, they were primarily worn by females. Why? Well the jeans hug their figures and show off their lines. They are a stylish piece, and can be dressed up or down and look great with boots. Celebrities wear them, I wear them, and my friends wear them. I even own some in a few different colours. I’m just a part of the crowd.

But then their popularity overflowed into men’s fashion. The market expanded and now it is not uncommon to see men who will eagerly squeeze themselves into skinny jean confinement. For these men, I believe this to be a colossal mistake.

You can call me sexist if you like, but I think there are some outfits suited only to women and some outfits suited only to men. Skinny leg jeans are a garment for the ladies.  We have a history of adopting uncomfortable things to wear, and yet still manage to make them look fantastic- high heels immediately come to mind. With this experience, we can handle the skinny jeans. But men on the other hand, make them look ridiculous.

Countless internet discussion forums on the topic support my view. If you disagree, please let me know! An opinion that shines through the most is that skinny jeans are simply too tight on men, and for that reason they look stupid and are dysfunctional. According to istillhatescreennames (2010) “Men in skinny jeans look like they're wearing women's clothes...they are the by product of heroin, chic and Goth”. Shockolate (2010) asserts “I prefer pants where I can actually use the god damned pockets”, and Hateren47 (2010) says “I think they are for girls... When I see a guy in pants so skinny his ass is hanging out, I want to ... sneak up on him, grab him by the belt and lift him off his feet and shake him into them”. I too am annoyed by this careless display of arse by men. The University of Wollongong is rife with young guys wearing skinny legs so tight that they can’t seem to pull them up over their buttocks. A penguin would have a hard time out waddling them.

But looking silly is in no way as bad as the documented health effects that have been caused by this below the waist prison. Ammokid (2010) plainly states that “they crush my balls”. Could it be that skinny jean wearers will all one day suffer from infertility? Free thinker (2010) admits “I’m afraid to even try wearing a pair for the fear I can put them on, but not take them off. Then my legs will lose circulation, I'll have to get my legs amputated, and then I'll spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair”. This is not as paranoid as it sounds. A recent story by MSNBC (2009) showed how a woman named Parmeeta Ghoman became afflicted with a nerve condition called meralgia paresthetica, also known as ‘tingling thigh syndrome’. The condition can happen when constant pressure — in Ghoman’s case, from the skin-tight denim — cuts off the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve, causing a numb, tingling or burning sensation along the thigh. According to Dahl (2009), “over the last several years, experts say they’ve been seeing more people of a healthy weight complain of symptoms. The culprit: too-tight jeans”.

So why do we do it to ourselves? Many women have always taken a ‘beauty knows no pain’ attitude to fashion, and that’s fine as long as what they wear looks fantastic. But men and skinny jeans? Not a great look and clearly not a comfortable one. My only guess on why they choose this behaviour is because they are copying everyone else. Everyone else is copying the popular ‘Emo’ celebrities, and these pop stars only wear them to make them look more ‘Emo’ and gaunt, and hence more credibly hardcore. And so the cycle of bad fashion is born. Or perhaps men choose them because they accentuate a certain area in the pants. But if this means that you can’t pull your pants up, then sorry guys, you’re only drawing attention to the fact you have trouble dressing yourself.

What do others think?

 

References

Ammokid, Free Thinker and Shockolate (2010), ‘Poll: The Skinny Jean Fad’, The Escapist Forum website, 25^th August 2010, http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.227896-Poll-the-skinny-jean-fad?page=2

Istillhatescreennames (2010), Answeology website, February 13, 2010, http://www.answerology.com/index.aspx/question/2789894_Whats-up-with-skinny-jeans.html

Dahl, M. (2009), ‘skinny jeans give thigh a painful pinch’, MSNBC website, 22^nd May 2009, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30870617/

 Image 1: Shine website, (2008), 'Is This Ugly? Skinny Jeans on Men', http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/beauty/is-this-ugly-skinny-jeans-on-men-152526/

Latest news updates on all things MasterChef

This link provides you with the latest news about all things MasterChef Australia, sourced from hundreds of Australian news publishers, companies and blogs. Check it out for some intersting info, including the ratings success of MasterChef Junior- clearly, the craze continues!

http://wotnews.com.au/news/MasterChef

MasterChef: A Supersized Portion of Appetising TV

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MasterChef Australia has catapulted from just being another trashy reality TV series that fills the void between dinner and bed, to being the TV series of the decade. For many it has grown past being a form of media to become a nightly event, an aspiration, even a way of life. And it breeds. MasterChef has spawned various offspring in the forms of a MasterChef magazine, celebrity chefs and restaurants, Celebrity MasterChef and now, Junior MasterChef. Where will it stop?

The season 2 finale this year was predicted to be such a ratings success that it forced the National Election Debate between Julia Gillard and Tony Abbot to a different time slot. It certainly dominated the ratings (duh! I’ll take cooking over politics any day), with the final challenges being watched by “an average national audience of 4.63 million, while the announcement of the winner was watched by a peak audience of 5.74 million” (Bacco007, The Spy Report, 2010).
And it is not just the media who are enjoying the show’s success. Thanks to the MasterChef juggernaut, gourmet food producers and retailers are riding a wave of demand for exotic ingredients. According to Lower (2010), “As viewers try to reproduce the Ten Network show's gourmet dishes at home, pheasant, squab and quail are some of the high-end items finding their way on to shopping lists”.

So what’s going on!!!???  Why is a cooking show, (a theme traditionally reserved for the low peak daytime television media spots) drawing such a crowd? Why are men, women, boys and girls, young and old drawn to this phenomenon? Being a fan myself, I feel I can shed a little bit of light on the reasons behind this bizarre craze.

First of all, the show is hilariously overdone. Ridiculously complicated recipes made from exotic ingredients most of us have never seen before, merge in an inventive dish presentation that makes them look as though they should be in the Museum of Contemporary Art- not the kitchen.

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And these dishes are not just revealed modestly- Oh no. First the music intensifies and builds to a crescendo, and then the TV screen is immersed in flames as the show cuts to an excruciating ad break. 2 minutes later, we are brought back to the show. We watch the process all over again, and finally, with the clashing of a gong in the background, the silver lid is lifted from the plate and we get our first glimpse of the ‘Tart of Scallops and Truffles with Sweetbreads, spinach puree and Beurre Blanc’ (Season 2, 2010). Such a rush!

Another highlight is the judges. The faces of Gary, George and Matt provide constant amusement as they meticulously chew each mouthful. Concentrating hard, they derive every flavour from the dish with their highly credible celebrity tastebuds. They wield their cutlery like elegant buccaneers, and it never ceases to amaze me how in each episode they are able to dream up new and exciting similes or ways of describing the flavours. This alone keeps me coming back.

Finally, I find that the real charm of reality TV lies in its schadenfreude characteristic. Deriving pleasure from the misfortune of others is truly a wonderful way to relax in the evening and is the reason (I believe) that reality TV has become such a popular genre of programming in the past decade. I enjoy the fact that I am sitting slouched and comfortable on the couch while the contestants- everyday people like me- are tormented and questioned under conditions of extreme tension and pressure. That is true entertainment!

And now MasterChef Junior is airing to give us our entertainment fix. These kids are quite incredible in their cooking skills, with one kid tempering chocolate to perfection in the first episode last week. Are these children for rent?  

However this show is missing some of the key highlights that draw me to MasterChef original. The judges cannot possibly be mean or harshly criticize the innocent children- a real shame I think. Criticism can be character building. So it would seem that the only loser in MasterChef Junior will be Katy Perry, whose smash hit ‘Hot and Cold’ has been replaced as opening theme song by an inspiring cacophony of happy violins.

So these are the reasons I believe the MasterChef craze has taken off. Can you provide any more insight? Meanwhile, as the social trend continues to move towards many of us having a time poor lifestyle, we won’t always try to replicate this show’s fabulous dishes. However we can live vicariously through them as we watch the show with an egg on toast, and pretend it is something more.

Bacco007, (2010), "Ratings: 1 in 4 watch MasterChef finale". The Spy Report (Media Spy), 26 July 2010. http://www.mediaspy.org/report/2010/07/26/updated-ratings-1-in-4-watch-masterchef-finale/, accessed 14/09/2010

Lower, G. (2010),‘MasterChef proves a golden goose for food producers’, The Australian website, 24^th July 2010, http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/masterchef-proves-a-golden-goose-for-food-producers/story-e6frg6nf-1225896295409, accessed 14/09/2010

Image 1: Fenopy website (2010), MasterChef Screenshot, http://fenopy.com/torrent/MasterChef+Australia+s01e38+SDTV+xvid+avi/MjEyOTg0MA, accessed 16/09/2010

Image 2: TV.com website (2009), http://www.tv.com/matt-preston-says-masterchef-cooks-could-kick-my-a/story/14651.html, accessed 16/09/2010

Bieber's Fandom Goes Beyond Teenage Girls

Warning! This video is terribly frightening.
I hope its a spoof, but who could be sure in this crazy mixed up world.
Fandom can attract some strange and scary beaviour.

Reference:

glozell1, (2010), 'Grown Woman Crying Over Bieber', YouTube website, posted March 20th 2010, accessed 10/11/2010, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0F6UInVYdMo