I never thought those busts held any appeal at all. They are appalling. Yeah, the guy is ugly, but those busts really amplify it. Even while I was still "in", I secretly believed the original bust to have been commissioned rather than the Official Story.
Those bronze busts are a fascinating study in cult thinking, in the sense that cult members never really stop for a moment and think through exactly how those busts came into being.
I seriously doubt 99% of Scientologists have ever actually come to grips with the fact that Hubbard paid for a sculptor to create this mythical marketing device. After which, at even greater expense to reproduce it for all organizations worldwide as part of the set decoration of the "LRH OFFICE", open pack of Kool non-filter cigarettes and all at the ready, more than a quarter century after his body dropped dead from smoking, drinking, drugs and other abuse.
Does any Scientologist really connect the dots? That Ron purposefully set out to create the trappings of a modern-day saint and
he himself ordered the busts to be made? I mean, transitionally
others create such tribute to a great man, not the person themselves!!!
What utter clownish pomposity!
For sake of comparison, let's take an authentic visionary and tech provider, Steve Jobs. Did he have photos and statues of himself put in Apple stores? Did he wear pretentious ascots and claim he was Buddha reincarnate? No. The guy just wore jeans and a black t-shirt and made a billion happy customers. Rather than lie and brag about non-existent "technology" Steve Jobs actually "delivered what he promised" and built the world's most loved and valuable brand.
Compare that to Hubbard's "brand"--Scientology--the most ridiculed and reviled religion and cult on the planet.
End of rant.