Girls, I Was So Glad To See This Organization Get Skewered!!!!!!

Darlings, have you seen the "Law And Order--Criminal Intent" episode, entitled "Con-Text?" It was a revelation to me, darlings, because I at once saw what organization was being skewered--one I have had some indirect personal experience with--and I was SO glad to see someone take it on!!!!! This episode also features two good performances, by John Benjamin Hickey (who reigns in his hotness, here) as ersatz motivational speaker Randall Fuller, and Sean Dugan, as a sadly misguided youth named Doug Morgan.

The episode starts out concerning the murder-suicide of a father and son, in order to get money. The crime is committed by the other son, Doug Morgan, as part of a scam to hand over money to a motivational speaker for an organization on here called Gracenote, but which I could clearly see was a stand-in for the Landmark Forum. I am surprised the actual operation did not file a lawsuit against the 'Criminal Intent' producers and writers!!!!!!!

To explain Gracenote, let me explain the Landmark Forum. It is run by Landmark Education, and its supposed intention is to take people in need of guidance, and help them activate their lives. With the students just happening to fork out a lot of money along the way; in lots of cases, more money than your average Ivy League college or university!!!!! The more money you fork over, the more classes you take...the cycle goes on and on!!!!!

Then there are weekends, like the initial one, that involve sitting together in a room, being allowed to eat and go to the bathroom only when told to (Honey, I would like to see them try and work that one with ME; I would go right ahead and shit on their goddamn floor!!!!!) while being screamed at by some brainwashed group leader, who in turn is trying to brainwash these others!!!!!!

Do I hear some of you out there, mouthing the word, "cult?" Well, yeah!!! And do I sense a similarity to EST, Dianetics, Ron Hubbard, and Scientology???? You better believe it!!!!!!

Getting back to "Law And Order"--the charismatic group leader is played by the equally charismatic John Benjamin Hickey, good actor, in a an unsympathetic role, but turning in a spot on performance, nonetheless. He senses Dog Morgan's (Sean Dugan) rootlessness and low self esteem, and closes in on him, with his touchy feely crap, sweetening the deal with a sex surrogate, a group leader named Lena Caruso, who eventually gets murdered by Randall Fuller for her trouble!!!! Fuller explains the importance of acquiring the money, even if murder is necessary..and Doug complies!!!!! Fuller finally gets hauled off at the end, and Dog is obviously going to have to do some time, but, honey, let me tell you, he will have more freedom in prison than with these charlatans!!!!!

Shades of Kirstie Alley!!!! I am surprised she did not make a cameo appearance, but maybe the crew did not have a wide enough camera lens, the day of the shooting!!!!!

I was also disappointed that the episode did not say whether or not the Gracenote organization had been taken down, though the implication left was that it would be!!!!! I could only hope that the same could be said of the Landmark Forum, because someone needs to bring them down!!!! And, honey, maybe this blog post is a start!!!!!!

I am speaking from personal experience here. Someone with whom I was once very good friends I lost to the Landmark Forum. But not before he invited me to an orientation meeting, so I could see for myself if I wanted to participate. At the time, I had never heard of it; after all, I follow theater, darlings, not drink-your-Kool-Aid-type social groups!!!! But, considering myself open minded, and, as a favor to my friend (who, to his credit, did NOT at all pressure me to join!!!!) I went, and listened!!!!!!

What I heard were testimonials from group success stories, speaking in abstracts, rather than concretes, about how their life had changed, thanks to the Forum. I remember one young lady relating how she went from being a low paid worker (in the teens) to highly paid (in the fifties, and up). This is all fine and good, but no one said exactly HOW they accomplished what they did--just that they had, thanks to the Forum.

I was beginning to get their number quickly!!!! And I was not the only one!!! There was a woman there the night I was, whose husband had been coming to the Forum, and taking classes, for a long time!!!! He insisted it had helped him, and was continuing to do so. And maybe, in his eyes, it was. But, as the wife asked, and I agreed, "Does anyone ever graduate? When does this all end?"

You could have heard a pin drop in the room, after she spoke. And you could hear those onstage taking a collective breath, and witness their faces transforming from bogus bonhomie to icy steeliness!!!! The moment was just short of someone escorting that woman out of there, and I am surprised she was not. And, if it wasn't for my friend, whom I could not fault for more than lack of judgement, if I had been there to rescue someone, I might have stood up and made a scene similar to the one Kate Winslett makes in the upcoming, and aforementioned on here, girls! film, "Carnage!"

But I kept my mouth shut, agreeing with her all the time. When all this tedious lecturing was over, I thought I was finished, but, darling, it was almost worse!!! They did provide some kind of refreshments, and while partaking of such, I was approached by several group members, vociferously urging me to drop, I think, $300, for an initial class! They were so desperate; when I insisted I did not have that amount, let alone a checkbook, on me, they insisted I could sign an IOU, or promissory note, which to me meant I would be turning over my will to their brain trust!!!! Fuck that!!!! And I could NOT get away from these people, who would not let up; I remember running out of the room, up the stairs, and out the door, , with me not feeling completely safe, till I was out on the street, away from the building!!!!!!

So much for my experience. Let me add that, the more my friend continued with the Forum, the less I saw of him. Until, just two months ago, I ran into him at the Center, having not seen him, in at least a year!!!! He looked none the worse for wear, thank God, but I am sad to report we had not much to say to each other by this time!!!!!!

Contrast this with another, more recent friend, who, I think, took one Landmark class, then saw the light. But, then, she is too sharp, and her life too active, not to!!!! But I had to admit, for awhile, I was concerned!!!!!!!

So I think it was brave of 'Criminal Intent' to so obviously take on these
schemers!!!! And I hope someone or something eventually brings them down!!!!! And if it this blog, so be it, then!!!!!!!!

Follow your own destinies, darlings!!!! NOT someone else's!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!