{"id":172,"date":"2021-09-20T12:01:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-20T19:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/queersatanic.com\/?p=172"},"modified":"2021-09-20T12:01:00","modified_gmt":"2021-09-20T19:01:00","slug":"what-the-hell-is-the-satanic-temple-ep-2-spectacle-films-inc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/qs.gehenna.ynh.fr\/?p=172","title":{"rendered":"What the hell is \u201cThe Satanic Temple\u201d?\u200a\u2014\u200aEp. 2: Spectacle Films\u00a0Inc"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em>For more information, see <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/href.li\/?https:\/\/the.satanic.wiki\/index.php?title=Spectacle_Films_Inc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>The.Satanic.Wiki<\/em><\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The other day, someone tagged us on Twitter in response to a tabloid headline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn-images-1.medium.com\/max\/880\/0*2bAYNmimXhD58R4V.png\" alt=\"Person tweeting Hey @QueerSatanic, Cevin made the tabloids\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here is that tabloid, and the completion of that joke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn-images-1.medium.com\/max\/880\/0*8YrehVopemWEie1g.png\" alt=\"@QueerSatanic tweet saying \u201cUrine: Good Health\u201d, quote tweeting an image of a tabloid with an older man at a table and the headline \u201cI fought off COVID by eating cake\u2026 and DRINKING my OWN PISS\u201d, subhed, \u201cMedics warn Tony\u2019s cure is \u2018recipe for disaster\u2019\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/QueerSatanic\/status\/1437899975183114247\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Tweet<\/a>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Which still needs a little bit of explaining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What could drinking urine or &#8220;Cevin Soling&#8221; have to do with starting a religion? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">How does this relate back to The Satanic Temple at all? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Stick with us because it is all a lot weirder and more relevant than you can possibly imagine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn-images-1.medium.com\/max\/880\/0*3ZtbnaBWCwKarsu9.png\" alt=\"Urine: Good Health movie poster, with multiple people drinking it, with credits for executive producer Cevin Soling\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-vimeo wp-block-embed-vimeo wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Urine: Good Health\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/258997098?dnt=1&amp;app_id=122963\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0224334\/fullcredits\/?ref_=tt_ql_cl\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Urine: Good Health<\/em><\/a> is the name of 1999 documentary produced by Cevin Soling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here\u2019s a taste:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-style-plain is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Urine Therapy is an unconventional and controversial practice that involves the use of one\u2019s own urine for health benefits\u200a\u2014\u200aa practice that has been employed throughout history by people around the world.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Naturally, you have questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let\u2019s do the easy part. <em>Urine: Good Health<\/em> was the <em>second<\/em> film produced by Cevin Soling through his corporation Spectacle Films Inc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">OK, so how did Cevin Soling, later to be a co-founder and owner of The Satanic Temple, get into the movie business?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"landlord-scion\">Well, Soling is the wealthy <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1948\/12\/31\/archives\/forest-hills-site-taken-for-housing-plot-on-64th-ave-bought-for.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">scion<\/a> of Northeast real estate developers; he\u2019s son of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legacy.com\/us\/obituaries\/nytimes\/name\/chester-soling-obituary?pid=142395188\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Chester Soling<\/a>, himself a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1979\/11\/04\/archives\/connecticut-weekly-senior-group-fights-for-housing-status.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">landlord<\/a> who naturally <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1985\/05\/05\/nyregion\/westchester-journal-tenant-victory.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">sued to evict his own tenants<\/a> including one <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leagle.com\/decision\/19871006135misc2d8711841\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">whose mother had just died<\/a>. Although Chester\u2019s obituary preferred \u201cphilanthropist\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s easy to get sidetracked here, so suffice to say, the anecdote in this 1970 article \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1970\/07\/26\/archives\/a-milliondollar-hotel-where-the-oldest-guest-is-12.html\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">A Million\u2010Dollar Hotel Where the Oldest Guest Is 12<\/a>\u201d paints a picture of a certain upbringing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Cevin Soling apparently entered the 1990s wanting <em>more<\/em> out of life than just being a comfortably wealthy and rent-collecting vampire for the rest of his life. He wanted those things <em>and<\/em> to be considered creative, talented, and, eventually, a serious thinker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the same day in June 1992, Cevin registered both <a href=\"https:\/\/href.li\/?https:\/\/the.satanic.wiki\/index.php?title=Xemu_Records\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Xemu Records<\/a> and Spectacle Films as corporations in New York State, but he seems to have focused on projects under the Scientology-nodding record company at first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Other than raising an eyebrow about an interest in profitable cults, Xemu doesn\u2019t really intersect with The Satanic Temple, or it might be more accurate to say: we have not come across any public record of that intersection. As you should be able to tell from the scroll bar, we have enough material to cover without it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By the late \u201990s, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/blog\/interviews\/cevin-soling-of-love-kills-theory\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Beatles super-fan Cevin Soling<\/a> had discovered a curious interview question-and-answer session involving John Lennon and Paul McCartney, and he was inspired to buy into another hobby:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-style-plain is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[T]he way I got into film, for instance, I never went to film school, I just had an idea for a documentary after reading this article, this interview with Paul McCartney where he was talking about having dinner one night with John Lennon, and Lennon was saying something to the effect of, \u201c<strong>I s\u2019pect we get holes drilled in our heads. I read somewhere it expands consciousness<\/strong>.\u201d And McCartney responding, \u201cWell, you get it done, and if it\u2019s great I\u2019ll think about it.\u201d I\u2019m a huge Beatle fanatic, and read all the interviews\u2026 But this was something that had never been mentioned in any other interview, never came up. And so it was kind of surprising to see the story. <strong>And then I did a little bit of research and found the background of this doctor who came up with this theory about drilling holes in people\u2019s heads, and how it results in increased brain blood volume. <\/strong>And he believed that it resulted in greater brain metabolism and expanded state of consciousness. <strong>So it seemed like there might be some truth to that. So I was kind of curious and decided to study it, but to make it into a film. And I had no film experience, but it was like, Hey, why not make a movie.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHey, why not make a movie?\u201d indeed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So like anyone with lots of money, he paid people to do it for him, got his producer credit, and the result was 1998\u2019s <em>A Hole In The Head<\/em> directed by Eli Kabillio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-style-plain is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A Hole In The Head<em> examines the development of \u201cmodern\u201d trepanation as used by people in the United Kingdom, The United States, and The Netherlands for the purpose of attaining a higher level of consciousness. This procedure, used by the ancient Egyptians, Incas, and others, is believed by the voluntarily trepanned to allow for renewed brain pulsations that increase brain blood volume and thereby improve brain function. Interviews regarding the history and efficacy of the procedure are also held with some of the world\u2019s most respected neurosurgeons and anthropologists.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Reportedly, it\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20111117044420\/http:\/\/hplusmagazine.com\/2010\/08\/25\/fixing-hole-head\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">not a bad documentary<\/a>, for what that\u2019s worth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And it was successful enough at the time to run it back and do another in the same vein, <em>Urine: Good Health<\/em> about urine therapy, again produced by Soling and directed by Kabillio. You saw the result above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A couple of years later, Soling gets into the director\u2019s chair himself for <em>The War on the War on Drugs.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-style-plain is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Comprised of over 60 independent short scenes shot in a wide variety of cinematic styles, <em>THE WAR ON THE WAR ON DRUGS<\/em> parodies drug war propaganda and those who insist we fight the drug war at any cost.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">OK, sure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Soling\u2019s big push, and the one he probably thought was <em>really<\/em> going to break him through to the mainstream as a big-time serious person was 2009\u2019s anti-public schools documentary <em>The War on Kids<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It brought him to the highs of an appearance on the Colbert Report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"iframely-embed\"><div class=\"iframely-responsive\" style=\"padding-bottom: 52.5%; padding-top: 120px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cc.com\/video\/ec0x55\/the-colbert-report-cevin-soling\" data-iframely-url=\"\/\/iframely.net\/hvQoIkO\"><\/a><\/div><\/div><script async src=\"\/\/iframely.net\/embed.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cc.com\/video\/ec0x55\/the-colbert-report-cevin-soling\"><strong>Cevin Soling\u200a\u2014\u200aThe Colbert Report | Comedy Central US<\/strong><br><em>Cevin Soling warns that school security has taken precedence over education.<\/em><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cc.com\/video\/ec0x55\/the-colbert-report-cevin-soling\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But it also brought Soling to the lows of demonstrating that his opposition to public schooling is in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.owltail.com\/podcast\/34112-philosophical-parenting-the-series-from-freedomain-radio\/best-episodes\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">complete alignment with other \u201clibertarian\u201d unschooling advocates<\/a>, like white nationalist and \u201cscientific racist\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.splcenter.org\/fighting-hate\/extremist-files\/individual\/stefan-molyneux\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Stefan Molyneux<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We will return to this subject at a later time (Soling certainly has), but this has already gotten fairly long, and this may all seem rather tenuous or at least tangential to The Satanic Temple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In actuality, <em>Urine: Good Health<\/em> and Spectacle Films\u2019 \u201cout-there\u201d documentaries are a perfect lens to view The Satanic Temple because that seems to have been all it was ever meant to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To repeat:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Satanic Temple was supposed to be another Spectacle Films documentary.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The earliest press releases for The Satanic Temple predated the incorporation of its own legal entity by about a year, and the connection to Cevin Soling wasn\u2019t even kept particularly hush-hush at first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In <a href=\"https:\/\/href.li\/?https:\/\/www.prweb.com\/releases\/2013\/4\/prweb10603215.htm\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">April 2013<\/a>, Spectacle Films announces a talk to be given at Harvard:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-style-plain is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Cultural Studies Club of Harvard University\u2019s Graduate School of Education will be hosting \u2018A History of Satanic Worship\u2019 to be presented April 11, 2013, by academics and practicing Satanists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Satanic Temple spokesperson,Lucien Greaves<\/strong>, will present \u2018A History of Satanism from The Old Testament to The Satanic Temple\u2019 accompanied and followed by <strong>long-time public Satanism advocate, Szandora Lavey<\/strong>, who will offer a personal perspective on the modern practice of Satanism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Cevin Soling, of Spectacle Films<\/strong>, a Harvard Graduate School of Education student, will speak about the use of religion in the service of social activism and as a potential device to protect civil liberties.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">(Beyond this, Szandora LaVey\u200a\u2014\u200aformer wife of a grandson of Church of Satan founder Anton LaVey\u2014doesn\u2019t seem to factor in as a pivotal early figure in TST; if that\u2019s wrong, drop us a line. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CQr3SEng_kd\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">As of 2021<\/a>, she was still collaborating with TST as a burlesque performer, though <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ozy.com\/true-and-stories\/possession-a-story-of-unholy-matrimony\/95729\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">as of 2019<\/a>, Szandora said she considered herself \u201ca solo figure in Satanism.\u201d)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the point is Cevin Soling, in his capacity as owner of Spectacle Films, was openly promoting The Satanic Temple at first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Within a few months, Lucien Greaves had brought back in longtime friend and <a href=\"https:\/\/the.satanic.wiki\/index.php?title=Might_Is_Right_24-Hour_Radio_Special\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">fellow protofascist-book fan<\/a> Shane Bugbee, and in June 2013, they sent out another press release, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.prweb.com\/releases\/2013\/6\/prweb10818961.htm\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">again through Spectacle Films<\/a>, for an Adopt-A-Highway fundraising campaign. This is <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/4ydIjzAQIGA\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">the first video<\/a> still on The Satanic Temple\u2019s official YouTube channel. (The trailer to <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/cwBKjpLlM70\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><em>A Hole in The Head<\/em><\/a>, is too, by the way\u200a\u2014\u200awithout noting its connection to TST\u2019s owner and in order to promote <em>another<\/em> Soling-owned corporation, Cinephobia LLC\u2019s The Satanic Temple TV.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This <a href=\"https:\/\/www.indiegogo.com\/projects\/the-satanic-temple-adopt-a-highway-campaign#\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">IndieGoGo campaign fell flat<\/a>, just $2,244 out of its goal seeking $15,000. This benefitted \u201cLucien Greaves\u201d directly because remember, \u201cThe Satanic Temple\u201d still doesn\u2019t officially exist yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This press release gives us the explanation of what Spectacle Films\u2019 ostensible involvement is, though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-style-plain is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Spectacle Films will be <strong>documenting The Satanic Temple\u2019s efforts<\/strong> toward contribution to the Adopt-a-Highway program in an ongoing project aimed at chronicling the Satanic organization\u2019s unique activities<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After some sort of falling out, Lucien Greaves\u2019 old bud Shane Bugbee <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20140217112007\/https:\/\/www.shanebugbee.com\/?p=2161\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">posted on his own website<\/a> and told then-<a href=\"https:\/\/www.villagevoice.com\/2014\/07\/22\/trolling-hell-is-the-satanic-temple-a-prank-the-start-of-a-new-religious-movement-or-both\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Village Voice<\/em><\/a> journalist <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/annamerlan\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Anna Merlan<\/a> about the original plans for The Satanic Temple: a \u201cmockumentary\u201d in typical Spectacle Films style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is from a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/40453\/the-satanic-temple-at-sundance-mockumentary-or-documentary\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Catholic News Agency<\/em> article<\/a>, but they use Merlan\u2019s reporting and put it together with some other contemporary coverage going back even earlier, to the Florida actions aimed at then-Gov. Rick Scott.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-style-plain is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That same month [January 2013], the Miami Herald\u2019s Naked Politics blog reported that <strong>Lucien Greaves was listed as casting director of a feature film called \u201cThe Satanic Temple.\u201d A casting call on the Actors Access website sought actors \u201cto be the followers of a charismatic yet down to earth Satanic cult leader,\u201d required to wear \u201ctasteful Satanic garb.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c<strong>Spectacle Films and Polemic Media\u00a0\u2026 are producing a mockumentary about the nicest Satanic Cult in the world<\/strong>,\u201d said the casting call, according to the Huffington Post.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let\u2019s take a break to quote that ad in full, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/entry\/satanists-rally-for-rick-scott_n_2471328\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">via HuffPo<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-style-plain is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Spectacle Films and Polemic Media the companies behind \u2018<em>The War on Kids<\/em>\u2019 and \u2018<em>Freeloader<\/em>\u2019 are producing a mockumentary about a the nicest Satanic Cult in the world. We are looking for actors for 8 speaking roles to play minions as well as 10 featured extras.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We are seeking people from all walks of life, goths, grandparents, soccer moms, etc to be the followers of a charismatic yet down to earth Satanic cult leader. The shoot will be on January 25th in downtown Tallahassee. Actors will be required to wear tasteful Satanic garb.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/miamiherald.typepad.com\/nakedpolitics\/2013\/01\/you-hear-the-one-about-the-pro-scott-satanic-cult.html\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Miami Herald<\/em><\/a> further specified, \u201cA casting call was posted on the web site Actors Access on Jan. 7 seeking <strong>non-union actors for no pay.<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So there <em>are<\/em> some things they\u2019re consistent about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Back to the CNA article:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-style-plain is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shane Bugbee, an early collaborator of the Satanic Temple, told a version of the group\u2019s history at the Vice magazine website, and then a more critical version in an interview with the Village Voice and related blog posts in 2014. He said that Lucien Greaves is in fact Doug Mesner, who reportedly studied at Harvard University, focusing on neuroscience and false memory related to ritual abuse and alien abduction.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[@QueerSatanic Note: If this is true about the credentials of Lucien Greaves, whose real name is \u201cDoug Misicko\u201d, no one has ever offered evidence verifying it.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-style-plain is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bugbee himself had interviewed Mesner for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vice.com\/en\/article\/4w7adn\/unmasking-lucien-greaves-aka-doug-mesner-leader-of-the-satanic-temple\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the website Vice<\/a>, an interview published July 30, 2013.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Bugbee named Cevin Soling, president of Spectacle Films, as the real man behind \u201cMalcolm Jarry,\u201d the pseudonymous co-founder of the temple. <\/strong>According to Bugbee<strong>, <\/strong>Soling was president of the Harvard Extension Cultural Studies Club at the time it attempted to host the black mass. Bugbee alleges that<strong> David Guinan, owner of Polemic Media, was a third co-founder of the temple.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is a lot of information, but it\u2019s actually been known virtually all along. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.churchofsatan.com\/the-satanic-temple-fact-sheet\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">The Church of Satan has documented this stuff for years<\/a>, and these accusations have never actually been refuted, despite what some TST defenders will say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But it\u2019s this next part that can be distracting because it goes back to \u201cthere is only one true Satanism\u201d which most people outside of the Church of Satan don\u2019t really care about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-style-plain is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Claiming a long history with Satanism, Bugbee himself said he and his wife held the final interview with prominent Satanic figure Anton Lavey, who allegedly made Bugbee a Satanic priest. <strong>He contended that Mesner is an employee of Soling and that Soling asked Bugbee to play the role of Lucien Greaves<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[@QueerSatanic Note: Whether or not this is true about the offer to Bugbee, Penny Lane\u2019s <em>Hail Satan?<\/em> documentary <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=vQfU_bxFSoE\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">contains footage<\/a> corroborating that Doug Mesner\/Misicko was not originally intending to take on the role of Lucien Greaves.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-style-plain is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bugbee said he at first saw the Satanic Temple as a prank, believing it was \u201cthrilling\u201d to participate in \u201ca<strong> joke on the public at large and, in general, the grossly inept media<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He said the group\u2019s purpose seemed to shift after the fake rally for Rick Scott.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c<strong>The dissolving of the original idea of making a mockumentary and the rise of a want for a real religious sect seemed to happen very quick<\/strong>,\u201d said Bugbee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He objected that Soling and Guinan had \u201cno real relationship with Satanism.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sure, Shane Bugbee has an axe to grind and a very particular view of Satanism, but is he wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As that excerpt talks about, the original \u201csecond rich kid\u201d in the project was David Guinan, the director for another Cevin Soling self-insert \u201cdocumentary\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt5465690\/?ref_=nm_flmg_prd_2\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Mr. Cevin and the Cargo Cult<\/em><\/a> a.k.a. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt1759674\/?ref_=nm_flmg_prd_6\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><em>John Frum, He Will Come<\/em><\/a>, being worked on since at least 2006 but officially released in 2017.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The premise of <em>that<\/em> stunt seems to be that Soling was interested in convincing the people of the island of Tanna that he was <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/John_Frum\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">John Frum returned<\/a>, the messiah of a cargo cult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can judge for yourself which trailer makes him come off worse (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/watch\/?v=10150402040322755\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Facebook video<\/a>, if the first trailer link doesn\u2019t work).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/video.php?height=316&#038;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2F263144243716792%2Fvideos%2F10150402040322755%2F&#038;show_text=false&#038;width=560&#038;t=0\" width=\"560\" height=\"316\" style=\"border:none;overflow:hidden\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowFullScreen=\"true\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/video\/vi697604889?playlistId=tt1759674&amp;ref_=tt_ov_vi\">John Frum He Will Come<\/a><\/em>\u200a\u2014\u200aIMDB.com trailer<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c<strong>I believed that by fulfilling the prophecy, I truly would be John Frum<\/strong>,\u201d Soling says in the first trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-vimeo wp-block-embed-vimeo wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/129842244?dnt=1&amp;app_id=122963\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c<strong>I think you\u2019re a lazy guy who wanted to start a cult so you picked up on one that was already around<\/strong>,\u201d offers up the second trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hmm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Anyway, Professor Joe Laycock in <a href=\"https:\/\/oxford.universitypressscholarship.com\/view\/10.1093\/oso\/9780190948498.001.0001\/oso-9780190948498\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Speak of the Devil<\/em><\/a>, Laycock\u2019s\u2026 \u201cscholarly\u201d look at The Satanic Temple confirms all this original intention about TST being meant to be a similar documentary, and it\u2019s anything but a secret.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here\u2019s how <a href=\"https:\/\/muse.jhu.edu\/article\/772858\/pdf\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">book reviewer Brian C. Wilson<\/a>, a professor of American Religious History, puts it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-style-plain is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Laycock\u2019s book is roughly divided into two parts. The first charts the history and development of TST, while the second addresses how TST has shaped national debates on several fronts.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-style-plain is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In March 2012, Florida governor Rick Scott signed into law a bill \u201callowing students to read \u2018inspirational messages of their choosing\u2019 at assemblies and sporting events\u201d. In order to push back against what they viewed as a violation of the separation of church and state, <strong>three friends, Malcolm Jarry, Doug Mesner, and David Guinan<\/strong>, <strong>decided to stage a public rally for a fictional organization called The Satanic Temple<\/strong>, praising Scott for finally allowing Satanists a public voice. Other publicity stunts followed, but by this time a creed had been created and TST began to coalesce into a real organization.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/books\/edition\/Speak_of_the_Devil\/pXLKDwAAQBAJ?q=guinan&amp;gbpv=1&amp;bsq=guinan#f=false\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Guinan used his real name<\/a> for all this, including in the book; Soling instead used \u201cMalcolm Jarry\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">(And for those who are still confused, a person whose legal name is Doug Misicko has also publicly used \u201cDoug Mesner\u201d for past public work, and an absolute <em>legion<\/em> of sockpuppet names, but he\u2019s popularly known by \u201cLucien Greaves\u201d now. Unlike Soling, Greaves apparently doesn\u2019t try to have a separate public life pretending he\u2019s not an owner of The Satanic Temple, so we stick with Greaves\u2019 pseudonym for most references.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can easily see how what was intended to just be a film taking the piss out of conservatives for their public religious hypocrisy snowballed into the beast that is The Satanic Temple today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Penny Lane\u2019s documentary\/propaganda film <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hail_Satan%3F\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Hail Satan?<\/em><\/a> released in 2019 even seems to rely on some of this early project\u2019s footage since there\u2019s no indication anyone else was involved at that early stage in 2013 when TST hadn\u2019t even decided if <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20130116090744\/http:\/\/www.thesatanictemple.com\/fundamental-tenets-of-the-satanic-temple\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">they officially believed in a supernatural devil or not<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To recap, this silly project\u200a\u2014\u200ameant to be just one of many\u200a\u2014\u200acame first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But at some point, apparently rather quickly, they realized:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/queersatanic.com-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/YouCouldMakeAReligionOutOfThis.png\" alt=\"\u201cyou could make a religion out of this\u201d bill wurtz text\" class=\"wp-image-386\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And the connection with Spectacle Films was eventually (mostly) severed as they invested more and more into this one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Which is unfortunate for all sorts of reasons\u200a\u2014\u200anot least of which being that <strong>The Satanic Temple never fully lost their original ethos,<\/strong> and they muscled their way to the center of attention in regards to reproductive justice and abortion access in the United States by taking advantage of conservative media outrage and straight journalism\u2019s laziness\u200a\u2014\u200aexactly like Bugbee claims was the plan from the start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">PS &#8211; The Satanic Temple ritual doesn\u2019t work to exempt you from abortion restrictions. Stop spreading that misinformation.<\/p>&mdash; Texas Equal Access Fund (@TEAFund) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TEAFund\/status\/1435218714627035138?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 7, 2021<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They have also been given <em>a lot<\/em> of money by people who just learned about them five minutes prior, knowing none of this history\u200a\u2014\u200a<a href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/@queersatanic\/why-you-havent-left-the-satanic-temple-4ad5c79a15e8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">or of their founders\u2019<\/a>\u200a\u2014\u200aand The Satanic Temple\u2019s various corporations have continued to not be forthcoming about how much money they\u2019re pulling in with this trick or transparent in how it\u2019s being spent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But, and this is key, they <em>have<\/em> argued for many years that they are a legitimate religion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That means that criticizing them, particularly with factual references to well-documented events, is <em>not<\/em> defamation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">(Even if they sue you and lose anyway.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">&quot;The Court agrees with Defendants. The doctrine of ecclesiastical abstention applies. The Court may not resolve the defamation claim without delving into doctrinal&quot; matters, which would require violating the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/FirstAmendment?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#FirstAmendment<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/MhUB4d2DmF\">https:\/\/t.co\/MhUB4d2DmF<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/pJDHCVAx00\">pic.twitter.com\/pJDHCVAx00<\/a><\/p>&mdash; QueerSatanic is on hiatus (@QueerSatanic) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/QueerSatanic\/status\/1436247909138239496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 10, 2021<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Next time, we\u2019ll actually take a look at The United Federation of Churches LLC d\/b\/a \u201cThe Satanic Temple\u201d and what the first year of TST looked like leading up to that entity&#8217;s incorporation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>P.S.\u200a\u2014\u200aSpectacle Films continues to publish Cevin Soling film and book projects. The most recent of which was <\/em>Tiffany Brittany Brooke<em>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Here\u2019s the first page.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn-images-1.medium.com\/max\/880\/1*Gahvjtt7Yf3QrvInkrKYJg.png\" alt=\"First page from an illustrated book, done in the style of a children\u2019s book. \u201cOnce upon a time there was a young girl named Tiffany\u2026 or Brittany\u2026 or Brooke\u2026 who left home to follow her dream of becoming a prostitute\u201d\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>In between <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Tiffany-Brittany-Brooke-Cevin-Soling\/dp\/0976777193\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><em>the book printing<\/em><\/a><em> and the eventual <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt13272532\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><em>short film adaptation<\/em><\/a><em>, someone apparently had the brilliant insight that perhaps the phrasing here (\u201cyoung girl\u201d) is not ideal, even for a supposed dark satire, and wouldn\u2019t it all land a little better if it was \u201ca young woman\u201d instead?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>So remember, self-publishing your ideas can be risky business, even if you can afford it financially<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>But mainly remember, when it comes to The Satanic Temple <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/QueerSatanic\/status\/1430688400365920260\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><em>there\u2019s always more, and it\u2019s always worse<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[Editor\u2019s note: A previous version of this article did not identify Szandora LaVey and her relationship to The Satanic Temple.]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For more information, see The.Satanic.Wiki The other day, someone tagged us on Twitter in response to a tabloid headline. Here is that tabloid, and the completion of that joke. [Tweet] Which still needs a little bit of explaining. What could drinking urine or &#8220;Cevin Soling&#8221; have to do with starting a religion? How does this&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":387,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[719,839,1075,1088,15,1169,1171,16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-172","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cevin-soling","category-hole-in-the-head","category-shane-bugbee","category-spectacle-films-inc","category-the-satanic-temple","category-united-federation-of-churches-llc","category-urine-good-health","category-what-the-hell-is-the-satanic-temple"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/qs.gehenna.ynh.fr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/qs.gehenna.ynh.fr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/qs.gehenna.ynh.fr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qs.gehenna.ynh.fr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qs.gehenna.ynh.fr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=172"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/qs.gehenna.ynh.fr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/qs.gehenna.ynh.fr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=172"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qs.gehenna.ynh.fr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=172"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qs.gehenna.ynh.fr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=172"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}