October 25, 2005

Inside Hollywood's hottest cult: The Kabbalah Chronicles. Madonna, Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore, Sandra Bernhard, and other celebrities are helping one marketing-savvy religious leader's version of Kabbalah become the new Scientology.
posted by HawthorneWingo 19 years ago
  • In my previous occupation, I met those guys when they wanted my company do re-do their website. So I visited the Kaballah center in LA (yes, they spell it differently than the usual spelling) and decided in the first 5 minutes I was there that it looked like a freaky cult at worst or a cult of personality at best. Their little gift shop had special expensive bottles of water (expensive because they were blessed by the Kaballah head honcho himself), every book in the place was written by the same guy, a whole display case of blessed holy trinkets for sale, Kaballah center-themed merchandise all over. It really was just like the LA scientology center, except not so glitzy and I didn't see any busts of the main guy to venerate. We didn't win that project, and though it was a quite handsome sum for a website, I'm pretty glad we didn't. The place just gave me the heebie jeebies.
  • Don't forget Kabbalah Energy Drink. The experts say it taste's kinda blah. Ashton on the other hand says it's grrrrrrrreat.
  • I want to not have the hots for Sandra Bernhard, but I inexplicably do. Therefore, I choose to only mock the other celebrities that are involved. The idea that celebrities would choose a religion that is largely dependent on celebrities is not particularly surprising.
  • i saw that in the store the other day, grover96, and i LOLLED. but deep down inside, i was weeping tears of pity and anguish.
  • Sandra Bernhard is both ugly and sexy at the same time. It's disturbing (yet arousing).
  • I've never understood the fascination with her. I understand the sexy -- it's about 99% attitude, which is for me the most forceful kind, but I never could figure out why she has a career.
  • You've never seen King of Comedy?
  • No, no I have not.
  • Worth a look.
  • Great film. More proof that Scorcese may be a genius.
  • Jerry Lewis was interviewed on NPR and talked about The King of Comedy and he reminded me of what an ass he is.
  • Yeah, but how hysterical was he back in the day with the funny faces and the kooky voice. And all that. A regular laff riot. Guess you had to be there.
  • Actually, he was. Way out there beyond anything anyone else was doing at the time. Later, well, no, but there was a time.
  • Fair 'nuff.