Linkin Park - From Zero (November 15th, 2024) • Page 16

I’m sure how Emily sounds is what most of us are concerned about here. Definitely not her alleged role in the harassment of a rape survivor, Scientology’s history of burying sexual assault claims and their stance on mental health treatment (especially considering what Chester lived through and how he died), the way Emily chose to address her connection to Danny Masterson in an Instagram story, or the band’s silence on the whole matter.

 

I think they were strictly talking about how the band sounded, even though she sounds decent in some areas, I can't help feel like it's missing soul which makes sense since she doesn't even believe in what she's singing, feels like an actor playing a role they don't understand.

 

Genuinely a bummer. Normal circumstances would be so excited and would want to go see them on tour. But unfortunately they chose not to do that.

 

So did anyone get converted into scientology at the show? Were they preaching the message onstage? Booths set up in the lobby? Or were those baseless claims?

 

I don’t know that anyone was claiming that that was happening. People were expressing their fears about what could potentially come in the future, as a result of having one of the band’s central members being a devout Scientologist.

Good try though.

 

come on, that's not gonna happen and you all know it! Tons of movie stars are or were scientologists and I don't recall any previews trying to convert me before the movie. They're not in the lobby with their little e-meters. youre far more likely to run into someone trying to convert you to christianity.

 

There’s not a chance in hell they’ed put booths up preaching Scientology. That would be wild.

I fully expect at this point that the rest of LP knew and they just turned a blind eye to it. I think they’ll have said not to mention a thing about it on stage or off in interviews which involve the band. Now does that brush everything under the rug? Absolutely not.

 

None of this changes the fact that they've yet to comment on Emily's associations with scientology and/or their feelings on the subject, all of which adds to the impression that scientology is okay and that this is not something to be concerned about or addressed.

I don't know what you're accomplishing here.

 

I don’t think anyone (outside of, idk, maybe some fringe Twitter uses one could cherry pick, if that???) thought that’s how that was gonna play out. That’s not really how this shit works.

Also not sure why you’re coming in so hot and defensive on this. No one who matters is gonna be mad at you if you look honestly the matter, feel disappointment in the shit Emily has ties to, and still decide to like the band’s music. I’m still gonna listen to the album, based on currently available information (even though I’ve had other favs with different baggage that I have left behind). Other people stepping away because they can’t listen without thinking about the horrendous things Scientology has done isn’t gonna affect you.

 

Where is this conversion shit coming from? Lol

Scientology is an awful cult that will do anything to silence the skeletons in their members’ closets and attack anyone who talks negatively about them. But who in their right mind was ever worried about getting recruited at a concert now? I would expect to finally get my offer for free drugs before that happened. Lmao

 

Ohh okay that one person that no one even responded to. Yeah totally understandable why you’re so defensive now. Lol

 

i think her being a scientologist is irrelevant to being in the band. Christianity sucks too, and they do terrible things in the name of religion, but nobody is up in arms about members of a band being christian.

The only thing i would hold against her is defending Danny Masterson, but she has already responded to that.

 

there was another but i fucked up the multiquote.

 

She hasn’t really responded to it other than a very general vague statement. Cedric has given way more detail into it. I think your second point is what people are mostly upset at not just her being in Scientology (although, yes that’s still very shitty)

 

I think if she was *just* in Scientology and had no connection to DM (not even sure if that’s possible?) the backlash would all look very different

 

Except she didn’t respond to that. She completely ignored that she played a part in intimidating a witness. And we really don’t have to turn it into a “but this other cult is just as fucked up” competition.

 

I don’t think you understand what Scientology is. It’s more akin to being part of, say, a particular Christian church/sect/cult with specific destructive work, than it is to simply identifying with one of the world’s major religions.

 

100%... I was strictly talking about how the band and Emily sounded and that's it really.

 

This! People are still showing up for Mission Impossible movies. Probably because Tom Cruise isn’t knowingly directly connected to scum like Danny. People still don’t like him for it though. It’s really not that complicated here.

 

i haven't seen anything about her intimidating a witness. Just that she showed up to Danny's trial before she knew all the details because they were friends.

 

I mean, if my friend were accused of the stuff Danny Masterson was, I would certainly not be showing up at a trial.

 

Ahh my bad, didn’t see the other one. The point still stands though. The vast majority of people that are upset by this aren’t thinking she’s going to bring members to all her shows now for recruitment. They’re upset because she’s a terrible person.

 

I would advise people to watch Leah Remini's show about scientology before continuing to comment on how it's "just like any other religion".

Which, by the way, doesn't excuse the other religions either! Certainly Christian bands have associated themselves with some heinous beliefs and actions, and they've been rightfully called out here too!

We don't have to use one shitty thing to excuse some other shitty thing. That's ridiculous.

 

this is just an aside, but i think it's really dangerous to try to draw equivalence between larger religions as a whole and Scientology as a whole - or essentially write them off as just as bad as one another. the exact reasoning why Scientology is considered a cult or a new religious movement compared to an established religion varies depending on who you ask, but Scientology has three things that don't exist in the same capacity as the entirety of Christianity: a younger age (it's only about 70 years old), a hypercapitalistic core (i.e. you pretty much have to pay lots of money to achieve any sort of spiritual transformation), and an incredibly centralized power structure (where all of the operations, decisions, resources, etc. are controlled primarily by one entity, whereas those like Christianity have taken on a more organic organizational control structure, with tons of diffuse, independently-run branches).

none of this excuses any injustices in larger religions. there are obviously systemic issues concerning power, violence, sexual assault, spiritual and emotional abuse, financial manipulation, etc. that should rightfully be condemned and addressed. but the mere existence of thousands of different branches of other religions for centuries, each with their own leadership and resource bases and doctrines, at least opens up the possibility that there are different religious denominations where the abuses attributed to Scientology are less-present, or at the very least not reflective of the larger religion as a whole (especially those with a bend towards addressing systemic injustices as a core part of their mission).

all of this to say that while Scientology probably won't be recruiting members in droves at LP shows (and Emily sure as hell isn't gonna preach about the wonders of Scientology on stage), there is still a very real concern about the band associating with someone who is a public face of a smaller, highly controversial new religious movement with a much tighter locus of control over its members and operations, and history of abuse under its belt instigated by the elites of that movement.