Scientology: Fair Game Podcast

[Cobb Salad]

Let’s talk about Leah and Mike’s weekly podcast!

[Cobb Salad]

This week’s episode had a guest - a woman who is the niece of a high ranking Scientologist who hasn’t been seen in public for 10 years.  She does a welfare check along with Leah and Mike’s help and in the end gets “Fair Gamed”.  With the experience this woman has had so far it seems like if you want to do something like this you better be well prepared for the harassment you’re going to get later.  P.I.s sent by Scientology later appeared at this woman’s house to talk about the visit.  I wonder how they’d react if someone with means appeared at one of their facilities to do a welfare check and the P.I.s tried to show up at the front door only to be met with a guarded fence.  Maybe they’d have other tactics for that kind of thing.  This is pretty scary stuff.  

[chediavolo]

It seemed to me Leah and Mike were cleverly hinting that Ms. Preston was most likely not getting the help she needed. Especially when Mike was saying how Breast cancer has such a high survival rate these days. Truthfully, I don't know how true that is. I think too many women still die of this disease. They were also talking about mental health and how Scientologists don't believe in psychiatry and why. Very interesting. I know there is a limit to how much they can say about specific people due to lawsuits but they did mention a few.  I hope they go deeper into the celebrity scandals of all kinds, while the most recent podcast about the woman uncle was interesting , he is a stranger to us. Still want to know, just hoping they divide it equally. 

[Cobb Salad]

36 minutes ago, chediavolo said:

It seemed to me Leah and Mike were cleverly hinting that Ms. Preston was most likely not getting the help she needed. Especially when Mike was saying how Breast cancer has such a high survival rate these days. Truthfully, I don't know how true that is. I think too many women still die of this disease. They were also talking about mental health and how Scientologists don't believe in psychiatry and why. Very interesting. I know there is a limit to how much they can say about specific people due to lawsuits but they did mention a few.  I hope they go deeper into the celebrity scandals of all kinds, while the most recent podcast about the woman uncle was interesting , he is a stranger to us. Still want to know, just hoping they divide it equally. 

I got that vibe too.  Maybe Ms. Preston got the proper treatment, maybe not, it might have boiled down to other factors, we’ll never know.  I knew someone in the 80s who was treated for it and survived despite it being very serious but it is still something one can die of. 
From watching the show on A&E I’m guessing they’re not lacking for guests and stories.  I’m not counting on anything too celebrity oriented besides the Danny Masterson case - it’ll probably be more stories from former “parishioners” and relatives.  

[chediavolo]

22 hours ago, Cobb Salad said:

I got that vibe too.  Maybe Ms. Preston got the proper treatment, maybe not, it might have boiled down to other factors, we’ll never know.  I knew someone in the 80s who was treated for it and survived despite it being very serious but it is still something one can die of. 
From watching the show on A&E I’m guessing they’re not lacking for guests and stories.  I’m not counting on anything too celebrity oriented besides the Danny Masterson case - it’ll probably be more stories from former “parishioners” and relatives.  

Agree. I am glad they are doing this podcast. The two of them are a great pair. Leah reminds me of home, the attitude, the accent. Comforting in a swear like a sailor way! 

[Absolom]

It was said Kelly Preston went to M D Anderson for cancer treatment.  If she did, she should have received top level science based care.  What they did before going there might have had an impact if they didn't start there.

[Morrigan2575]

On 8/7/2020 at 2:11 PM, chediavolo said:

Truthfully, I don't know how true that is. I think too many women still die of this disease.

Stage 0 and 1 have a 99% 5 year survival rate. Stage 2 is like 92%, Stage 3 is 70+% and Stage 4 is sadly around 25%.  Average 10 year Survival Rate is 84% for all BC. 

BC is highly beatable and the rates are getting better all the time due to new treatments and earlier detection. There is no cure so yes women die from it but, more beat it.

I have no idea what treatments KP got, I would bet, given Scientology's stance that it was detected late (probably not getting her annual mammos).

However, well never know for sure because it's unlikely they will release that information. 

[laurakaye]

I think I love the podcast more than I loved the tv show because in the podcast, we get lots more Leah doing the talking, and the give and take between her and Rin-dah is fabulous.  She loves "busting his balls" (her term) even in the midst of serious conversations.  I also love that the more ticked off she gets, the stronger her accent.  She's just awesome.  I wish I was Jennifer Lopez just so I could claim Leah as my best friend. 🙂

[chediavolo]

I wish she would have mentioned Tom Cruises mask rant on the recent podcast. 
I wish they’d get into the celebrity Scientologist more ! 

[chediavolo]

The one with the Jonestown survivor sucked.  Stick to Scientology. 

[Simon Boccanegra]

I did find the Jonestown survivor an interesting person, and the Jim Jones/People's Temple story has always held fascination for me, so I enjoyed it. But I will say we've found the one guest who makes it hard for even Leah to get a word in edgewise. At 113 minutes, it's by far the longest episode in the series to date, and Capt. Williams must be talking uninterrupted in 90 of those minutes. Leah's interjections are at an all-time low, and there's only scant evidence that Mike hadn't taken the week off.   

But I do like that when they have a guest who knows much more about some topic than they do, they hang back. They were that way with the Jehovah's Witnesses and the NOI people on the A&E show too. They're good interviewers in that sense. It's just that so much of the time, the content is in their field of expertise too, so it's more conversational (and, yeah, maybe more dynamic and interesting).

ETA: For their next branching-out attempt, I'd love to hear them talk to one of the former Manson Family members such as Dianne Lake, given Manson's connection to and borrowing from Scientology.

Edited January 12, 2021 by Simon Boccanegra

[sharkerbaby]

16 hours ago, Simon Boccanegra said:

ETA: For their next branching-out attempt, I'd love to hear them talk to one of the former Manson Family members such as Dianne Lake, given Manson's connection to and borrowing from Scientology.

interesting, I had no idea!  I'm going to have to look into this.

Edited January 13, 2021 by sharkerbaby

[chediavolo]

Ok now I am curios beyond control.  What is the name of this delicious bottled water that Leah drinks?!! A search titled up nothing.  

[Cobb Salad]

On 2/26/2021 at 10:18 AM, chediavolo said:

Ok now I am curios beyond control.  What is the name of this delicious bottled water that Leah drinks?!! A search titled up nothing.  

Sounds like a good question for the next ask me anything, if they’re doing those anymore.   

[Nordly Beaumont]

On 12/24/2020 at 6:22 AM, chediavolo said:

I wish she would have mentioned Tom Cruises mask rant on the recent podcast. 

Leah and Mike were on the podcast "How Did This Get Made" and this was brought up. Leah's sarcasm was dripping "Oh, didn't you think that was brave of Tom? You didn't see that as a display of bravery and manhood?" Leah and one of the hosts (June Diane Raphael) agreed it was a classic abuser rant. They didn't talk too much about it, but it was clear that no one found it something to applaud, Leah least of all. It's how she was raised - suffering scolding and abuse that as a Scientologist, she just had to accept.