A Scientology Countdown Announcement: Before We Start the Top Ten, a Programming Note

Tomorrow morning, we begin to reveal the final ten in our big countdown, “The Top 25 People Crippling Scientology.”

Today, however, we wanted to provide a programming note and announce some addenda.

As we predicted from the beginning, our readers have been vocal about their own choices for this countdown and its order. We want your choices to count, and here’s what we’re doing about it: At noon on Monday, September 19, just a few hours after we reveal #6 in our countdown, we will open voting so that you can submit your own lists of 25 people contributing the most to Scientology’s nosedive. For one week, until noon on September 26, just after we reveal #3 on our list, you’ll have the chance to tell us your own picks.

On Wednesday, September 28, we’ll reveal our #2 pick at 9 am, our #1 pick at 11 am, and then the results of your vote at 1 pm.

(This is all contingent, of course, on the bourbon holding out here in the underground bunker. And the e-meter not losing power. And other stuff.)

Now, for the second part of our announcement. We went into this expecting all kinds of disagreement with our choices and their order (and we know it will only get more violent the higher we go). However, in a few cases, we had to agree with our readers that we’d left some folks out of our group entries who really should have been in there.

We accept all the blame for that. These people deserve every bit of recognition we’re giving them now, and we only wish we’d put them in to begin with. So, if you check back at our previous entries, you’ll now find the following people added…

In #23, “Ken Dandar (and other attorneys who litigate against the church),” we’ve added Barry Van Sickle and Michael Flynn.

In #14, “Tory Christman (and other noisy ex-Scientologists),” we’ve added Bent Corydon, David Love, and “Emma” of the ESMB.

In #13, “Janet Reitman (and other journalists),” we’ve added Nanette Asimov of the San Francisco Chronicle.

And in #12, “Tommy Davis (and other hapless church executives),” we’ve added Karin Pouw.

Yes, we could have added dozens more, and you no doubt will let us hear it when you get a chance to vote starting the 19th. But keep in mind, this is a subjective list that I’ve put together with expert help, and we’ve tried to stick to our own definition of “crippling Scientology” that might not fit with your own. As always, we invite you to disagree in our comments, and please check back tomorrow morning at 9 am for #10.

The Top 25 People Crippling Scientology
#11: Nick Xenophon (and other public servants)
#12: Tommy Davis (and other hapless church executives)
#13: Janet Reitman (and other journalists)
#14: Tory Christman (and other noisy ex-Scientologists)
#15: Andreas Heldal-Lund (and other old time church critics)
#16: Marc and Claire Headley, escapees of the church’s HQ
#17: Jefferson Hawkins, the man behind the TV volcano
#18: Amy Scobee, former Sea Org executive
#19: The Squirrel Busters (and the church’s other thugs and goons)
#20: Trey Parker and Matt Stone (and other media figures)
#21: Kendrick Moxon, attorney for the church
#22: Jamie DeWolf (and other L. Ron Hubbard family members)
#23: Ken Dandar (and other attorneys who litigate against the church)
#24: David Touretzky (and other academics)
#25: Xenu, galactic overlord

@VoiceTonyO | Facebook: Tony Ortega

See all of our recent Scientology coverage at the Voice

Keep up on all of our New York news coverage at this blog, Runnin’ Scared

Tony Ortega is the editor-in-chief of The Village Voice. Since 1995, he’s been writing about Scientology at several publications. Among his other stories about L. Ron Hubbard’s organization:

The Larry Wollersheim Saga — Scientology Finally Pays For Its Fraud
The Tory Bezazian (Christman) Story — How the Internet Saved A Scientologist From Herself
The Jason Beghe Defection — A Scientology Celebrity Goes Rogue
The Paul Haggis Ultimatum — The ‘Crash’ Director Tells Scientology to Shove It
The Marc Headley Escape — ‘Tom Cruise Told Me to Talk to a Bottle’
The Jefferson Hawkins Stipulation — Scientology’s former PR genius comes clean
The Daniel Montalvo Double-Cross — Scientology lures a young defector into a trap
A Church Myth Debunked — Scientology and Proposition 8
Daniel Montalvo Strikes Back — Scientology Hit with Stunning Child-Labor Lawsuits
When Scientologists Attack — The Marty Rathbun Intimidation
A Scientologist Excommunicated — The Michael Fairman SP Declaration
The Richard Leiby Operation — Investigating a reporter’s divorce to shut him up
The Hugh Urban Investigation — An academic takes a harsh look at Scientology’s past
Giovanni Ribisi as David Koresh — A precedent for a Scientology-Branch Davidian link
Janet Reitman’s Inside Scientology — A masterful telling of Scientology’s history
The Western Spy Network Revealed? — Marty Rathbun ups the ante on David Miscavige
Scientology’s Enemies List — Are You On It?
Inside Inside Scientology — An interview with author Janet Reitman
Scientology and the Nation of Islam — Holy Doctrinal Mashup, Batman!
Scientologists — How Many of Them Are There, Anyway?
Roger Weller’s Wild Ride — Scientology When it was Hip
The Marc Headley Infiltration — A Scientology Spying Operation Revealed
Placido Domingo Jr: Scientology’s Retaliation is “Scary and Pathetic”
An Interview with Nancy Many, Former Scientology Spy
The Paulien Lombard Confession — A Scientology Spy Comes Clean
The Deputy Benjamin Ring Hard Sell — Scientology wants your 401K
The Top 25 People Crippling Scientology — the whole series!
The Squirrel Busters Busted — Unmasking the Scientology PI in Charge
Tommy Davis, Scientology spokesman, secretly recorded discussing ‘disconnection’
Scientology internal document says its Office of Special Affairs will ‘handle’ the Village Voice