WWMAD -- "What Would Margaret Atwood [Say or] Do?" -- Re: The Elisabeth Moss/Scientology vs Gilead HULU TV series brouhaha

Margaret Atwood, author of ''The Handmaid's Tale'', the 1985 novel that was adapted by Hulu for a TV series in 2017, has recently spoken out -- just two days after the Emmys -- about how she views this ongoing media brouhaha over Lizzie Moss, star of the Hulu TV series who won an Emmy winner for her role as well, and Moss's connections to the ''cult'' of Scientology.

When this blogger a few days after the Emmys were announced asked Ms. Atwood if she was aware of the brouhaha over the Moss/Scientology flap and if she knew or was aware that Scientology is a massive fascist self-help fraud concocted by a deeply-flawed American sci-fi writer and mass movement sweet-talking con man, L. Ron Hubbard , Atwood replied in a friendly manner, saying more or less, paraphrasing [who cares, she's not hurting anyone, it's her personal journey and  if she likes being in it, that's fine].

And this blogger has to say that as an outside observer of all this meshagus, I agree with Ms. Atwood. Still, it's interesting, her point of view.


THE VERBATIM QUOTES: (which came in two separate emails a few days after the Emmys were announced)
 
Atwood told this blogger when asked if she was aware that Scientology was a fascist cult and Moss was in it: "Nah, her parents were [Scientology members so she was born into it]. And [her parents were of] the mild Hollywood kind. [Elisabeth is] about as fascist as my bedroom slippers. Nixon was a Quaker [after all]. As Fanny Silberman ( the model for Lily in ''Moral Disorder'' and a Holocaust survivor) used to say: "There's good and bad of everyone." You are what you do. Not what you be. Doo be do be do. If someone wants to believe people came out of a giant clam, that's fine with me, as long as they aren't Mean."


 
Atwood added in a second comment when asked if it was worth it to criticize cults like Scientology and its relation to Gilead: ''....if I take on one religion, then I'd have to take them all on. I am a strict agnostic.( In the minds of us strict agnostics, atheism is itself a religion.) Please, look at the origin stories of the major (and minor)  religions. Look at their past practices. (Mormons, anyone?) (Quakers, anyone?) Read "The Evolution of God" By Robert Wright. Read "Behave," Robert Sapolsky. (Why do we behave the ways we do, with every conceivable factor considered, including genes and upbringing)  Then we can talk about evil cults.'' 



[So. Yes. She has spoken. I find her comments interesting, and I more or less agree with her. What do others think? Some reporters in Canada and USA might look into this more and get even more amplification and clarification. It's a worthwhile global discussion. Other media outlets might pick up on this pro and con.'








UPDATED (September 23)



W.W.M.A.D -- "What Would Margaret Atwood ...[Say or]... Do?" -- Re: The Elisabeth Moss/Scientology vs Gilead HULU TV series brouhaha
 
From the Department of Amplification and the Department of Clarification:


ATWOOD SPEAKS


Margaret Atwood, author of ''The Handmaid's Tale'', the 1985 novel that was adapted by Hulu for a TV series in 2017, has spoken out a bit, but not much, about how she views this ongoing media brouhaha over Lizzie Moss, star of the Hulu show and an Emmy winner for her part as well, and Moss's connection to the ''cult'' of Scientology -- it is definitely NOT a ''religion,'' according to those who have been in it and left it: see Tony Ortega's very good website at  https://tonyortega.org/2017/09/19/tonights-paul-haggis-calls-out-scientologys-celebs-damn-them-for-being-purposely-blind/#disqus_thread


When this blogger recently Ms. Atwood if she was aware of the brouhaha and if she knew that Scientology was a massive fascist self-help fraud, Atwood replied in a friendly manner, saying more or less, paraphrasing [''who cares, she's not hurting anyone, it's her personal journey and  if she likes being in it, that's fine'']. And I have to say that as an outside observer of all this meshagus, I agree with Ms. Atwood. Still, it's interesting, her point of view.
 
Atwood told this blogger when asked if she knew that Scientology was a fascist cult: "Nah, her parents were [Scientology members so she was born into it]. And [her parents were of] the mild Hollywood kind. [Elisabeth is] about as fascist as my bedroom slippers. Nixon was a Quaker [after all]. As Fanny Silberman ( the model for Lily in ''Moral Disorder'' and a Holocaust survivor) used to say: "There's good and bad of everyone." You are what you do. Not what you be. Doo be do be do. If someone wants to believe people came out of a giant clam, that's fine with me, as long as they aren't Mean."



 
Atwood added in a second comment when asked if it was worth it to criticize cults like Scientology and its relation to Gilead: ''....if I take on one religion, then I'd have to take them all on. I am a strict agnostic.( In the minds of us strict agnostics, atheism is itself a religion.) Please, look at the origin stories of the major (and minor)  religions. Look at their past practices. (Mormons, anyone?) (Quakers, anyone?) Read "The Evolution of God" By Robert Wright. Read "Behave," Robert Sapolsky. (Why do we behave the ways we do, with every conceivable factor considered, including genes and upbringing)  Then we can talk about evil cults.'' 



So W.W.M.A.D? She has spoken. I find her comments interesting, and I more or less agree with her. What do others think? Some reporters in Canada and USA might look into this more and get even more amplification and clarification. It's a worthwhile global discussion. Other media outlets might pick up on this pro and con.


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REFERENCE:


Elisabeth Moss defends ''Scientology'' (sic), [since it is not a ''science'' at all but a psychobabble scam fraudulent cult) after an InstantGram fan compares it to Gilead in ''The Handmaid's Tale''



http://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/elisabeth-moss-sounds-like-she-kind-of-wants-to-stop-being-asked-about-scientology-in