I don’t normally write about celebrity scandal–it’s not my thing. But I came across this thoughtful article, “Travolta Tragedy: Don’t Blame L. Ron Hubbard,” by Kathryn Lofton on a new webzine, “Religion Dispatches,” that I like a lot (the articles are written mainly by religion scholars and it’s heavy on the politics.)
In her essay, Lofton makes a plea that, in the process of endless, public, tabloid dissection of Kelly Preston’s and John Travolta’s tragic loss of their son, that people stand back for a moment, resist the temptation to sensationalize and instead think about what, exactly, we are all avoiding when we gleefully gossip about a famous person’s loss, especially that of someone belonging to the Church of Scientology, the religion everyone loves to despise:
“It’s tempting to rehearse the details of this consumption, to work through the crime scene and the motive, to share what we know about Jett’s medical records, his ambulance ride, and his parents’ abiding love for their church. It is tempting to do so because it is what we do, studying minor melodramas to fill conversation at check-out lines, to fill the spaces of our own losses as we stare, superior, at the failures of others….we will know and prosecute, know and defame, know and titter. We will know the Travolta-Preston world soon better than we know Gaza, better than we know western Xinjiang, and better than we know Detroit…Before it begins (the inquests, the circling paparazzi, weeping Kelly explicating before weeping Oprah) let us pause, briefly, to think about that body, to think about his floor, and to think about that thing that is much harder to make spectacular, to make sensational or cultish. The tedious work of parenting is beyond unsexy. It is boring and disappointing, repetitive at best and adventurous at worst. And to make a world feel better for what a lousy job they do at it (or how lousy they think they’re doing at it), they will spend some time parsing the possibly religious structures of two actors’ struggles with it. The structures of religion allow for that, and will survive beyond that, furnishing a bendable whipping post for human frailty.”
It’s a thought-provoking article and happily beyond the usual drivel about these matters. Check it out.
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posted January 9, 2009 at 4:14 pm
When it comes to the Church of Scientology; The most common avoidance by journalists & the mainstream media is the most obvious.
I watched the Tom Cruise video and (as always) “PHYSICAL” illness is always the keyword.
Why doesn’t the media bring up the MENTAL illness issues here ? Everyone across the world is thinking it, but NBC CBS & ABC won’t ask it.
It’s like they’re all too scared to say or ask anything relevant and such interviews ( The View ) look like a trick pony act.
“Roll over NBC.”
“Jump through the hoop, CBS.”
“Speak ABC, speak. God dog.”
Jett Travolta had AUTISM. It was OBVIOUS.
John Travolta’s brother Joey knew it.
John’s own doctor ( Cyril Wecht ) saw it.
We saw it. But nobody had Jett Travolta tested for it because Scientology persecutes the mental health field. That’s a huge story that’s going untouched.
posted January 9, 2009 at 4:21 pm
How can we not blame L Ron Hubbard ?
With all the Scientology double talk about PHYSICAL illness, Hubbard, Dianetics, Scientology Policies, Church of Scientology & its members fully persecute the MENTAL health field.
Wheather or not Jett Travolta had autism – his parents refused to have him tested for it, even though it became obvious to those around them. From John’s brother Joey to Autism Organizations and fans to protesters … AUTISM was obvious.
posted January 9, 2009 at 5:21 pm
Healing Policy, Church of Scientology:
“It has been longstanding policy of (the Church) to handle physical illness and insanity in the following manner.”
“1. Require physical examination from whatever practitioners of the healing arts may be competent and available;
“2. Clearly establish that the disability does not stem from immediately physical causes;
“3. If the disability is pronounced to be curable within the skill of the physical practitioner and is in actual fact a disease or illness which surrenders to contemporary physical treatment, to require the person to be so treated…”
There you are, church policy as written by L. Ron Hubbard.
I’m sure the Travolta family followed the policy fully and completely and considering their love of Jett and financial resources, did everything possible to help their child with the best doctors they could find.
posted January 12, 2009 at 9:58 am
Why so many issues and not more compassion? As children of God where has our compassion gone? The family is in a awful loss and grief will be with them for a long long time and so should our prayers. There is no sign of abuse and wheter or not there was autism or not it did not cause death. What about their freedom to choose their way to live their lives? Do you think there is one day when their son didn’t go without love and do you think for minute he lived in a unsafe world? Shame on all of you who have nothing to do and be standing in judgement that is not our job it is God’s and God’s only.
Today say a prayer for the family reach out and help a neighbor or a friend. The world is lucky to have fine people like the Travolta’s.
posted January 13, 2009 at 11:20 am
Why is Ron Hubbard’s name even being brought up here???
The Trovolta’s lost a child they loved.
Why in the world would anyone start judging them?
This is no the tot mom who killed Casey,,, and last I heard the tot mom did not believe in anything except herself.
If you want to judge go for the people who treaten the happiness in the universe with murder, being a bully, sex offender to many to name.
I do not believe the Trovolta’s are about murder or evil.
Let them alone during the loss of Jett. My prayers are with the Trovolta family at this time.
posted March 17, 2009 at 6:36 pm
Y’know, the public really doesn’t treat popular figures with the respect they deserve. We are entertained by hard working people, we like the entertainment. A few are popular wherever they go and well liked. A few don’t succumb to temptations of drugs. Few of us would publicly share our grief should we experience a family loss. Yet when a public figure has a similar loss, people attempt extortion.