Paul Krassner and Scientology

Paul Krassner writes about Scientology. Just that combination of words is enough to make me want to read - Krassner, premier satirist of his generation, taking on the ripe subject of Scientology. But in this case it does sound like he was being serious about what Scientology said - still makes for a funny series of events:
In 1971, I announced in an ad the features that would be included in the 13th-anniversary issue of The Realist. Among them, "The Rise of Sirhan Sirhan in the Scientology Hierarchy." The Church of Scientology proceeded to sue me for libel; they wanted $750,000 for those nine words, the title of an article that I had not yet written.
The Realist was famous for its extreme satire (back in 1967, "The Parts Left Out of the Kennedy Book", most famously, described, um, an act of Presidential necrophilia; no less than Joseph Heller said "You practically write Catch 22 with every issue") so clearly the Sirhan Sirhan thing was a joke. Scientology was not amused, however. But you never end up looking good suing satirists. Especially famous ones.

(Link via Majikthise.)

Oh, and I can't believe this is the second time I'm referencing Sirhan Sirhan in this blog in as many months.

Interview with Paul Krassner

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