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"The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" Spoofs "The Church of Cosmetology!"

Sock Puppy

Patron with Honors
I started binge-watching the new season of "The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" on Netflix this weekend (for those of you who haven't seen it, the show is hilarious!) and low and behold, one of their episodes features a spoof of the fictional "Church of Cosmetology!" Who could the real life inspiration be for this fictional Church? Hmmm, let's see, The Church has an esteemed "Founder" who is a former "make-up artist" (LOL!) who bears an uncanny resemblance to a certain David Miscavige and they have access to life altering technology that's (I'm paraphrasing here) "too cool for your parents to understand."

Best of all, they even have their own cruise ship!!!

Ahhh, Scientology, you can always count on to provide delicious comedic fodder . . .

Read more about it here:

https://www.romper.com/p/what-is-the-church-of-cosmetology-based-off-of-on-kimmy-schmidt-it-might-feel-familiar-8787
 
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CommunicatorIC

@IndieScieNews on Twitter
Is Cosmetology Real On 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt'? It May Seem Familiar.

Bustle: Is Cosmetology Real On 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt'? It May Seem Familiar

http://www.bustle.com/articles/1553...nbreakable-kimmy-schmidt-it-may-seem-familiar

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Is Cosmetology Real On 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt'? It May Seem Familiar

KELLY SCHREMPH

Just as there are natural born leaders, there are also natural born followers, and I think we can all agree that Kimmy's former bunker-mate Gretchen has a tendency to fall into the latter category. While checking her "electronic mail" at the library, Kimmy discovers that Gretchen has become a member of the religion known as the Church of Cosmetology. And while the cult of Cosmetology isn't real beyond Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, it could be seen as an alleged spoof on the popular, real-life religious organization known as the Church of Scientology, which has become a well-known belief system for Hollywood stars like Tom Cruise, John Travolta, and many, many more. Bustle reached out to Netflix and the Church of Scientology about the similarities, but has not yet received a response.

As the episode progresses, we come to learn more and more about Gretchen's newfound religion — like the fact that the founder of the church is former makeup artist Clint Flagstaff, who went on to write a book called Foundations: Unlocking Your Hidden Potential, which basically serves as the gospel for all of his followers. Could this character be seen as a parallel to Scientology founder, L. Ron Hubbard, who created the organization by means of a book — a self-help book titled Dianetics — as well?

Then there's the cruise ship ad, which is how Kimmy realized that Gretchen was a member of the religion in the place. This could allegedly be a parody of The Sea Organization, which Hubbard only allowed his most dedicated Scientologists to join, according to the organization's website. The Kimmy Schmidt ad also assures its viewers that those who join will be granted "mind powers" (like the ability to turn corn kernels into popcorn) and showcases a device that looks similar to the Scientology E-meter (short for electro-psychometer), which Hubbard created for his auditors that "measures mental state and change of state in individuals," according to the Scientology website. The site also says the device is used to "locate and confront areas of spiritual upset."

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chipgallo

Patron Meritorious
I was happy that my 23-year old daughter turned me on to this episode (she has been extensively cult proofed). There are more funny lines in one show than in other shows' entire season. In S2 Episode 9, Tiny Fey guests as a psychiatrist and the writer(s) obviously did some research in making one of her personas believable. And it is always great to see Carol Kane hamming it up.
 
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