Mark Bunker
Mark Bunker | |
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Portrait of Mark Bunker. | |
Born | Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United States |
Nationality | American |
Occupation | Broadcast journalist, videographer, documentary filmmaker |
Known for | Criticism of Scientology |
Website | Xenu TV |
Mark Bunker is an American broadcast journalist, videographer and documentary filmmaker. He won a Regional Emmy Award in 2006 from the Pacific Southwest Emmy Awards division of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.[1][2]
He is a critic of the Church of Scientology, having previously worked for Bob Minton and the Lisa McPherson Trust, and is the founder of Xenu TV, a website featuring videos and commentary critical of Scientology.[3]
Early career
Mark Bunker worked in radio in the Midwest. In the mid-1980s, he then moved to Los Angeles to work as a theater actor and as an actor in television commercials.[4] He also worked for a company doing market research for Hollywood studios, and trained as a video editor with KNBC. [4]
Broadcast journalism
In 2006, Bunker along with KUSI-TV reporter Lena Lewis, won an Emmy Award from the Pacific Southwest Emmy Awards division of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, for a story on border issues in the San Diego, California area.[1][2]
Criticism of Scientology
Bunker started Xenu TV in 1999 and moved to Clearwater, Florida, where he produced videos for the Lisa McPherson trust.[5]
In 2001, Mark Bunker and Jeff Jacobsen, a fellow critic of the Church of Scientology, were refused service by businesses operated by Scientologists in Clearwater.[6] Together they filed discrimination complaints with the Pinellas County Office of Human Rights.[6] The Office of Human Rights rejected their complaints, ruling that the church members had not broken any laws in denying them service.[6] Bunker, Jacobson, and other members of the Lisa McPherson Trust saw this as a sign of the escalating control the Church of Scientology held over the town.[6] Ray Arsenault, a University of South Florida professor and then acting president of the Pinellas chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, also viewed the denials as acts of discrimination. "It really is a way of trying to bring pressure to stop them from exercising their First Amendment rights."[6]
Since 2010, Bunker has been producing a feature-length independent documentary film entitled Knowledge Report: Scientology's Spies, Lies, and the Eternity Prize concerning the Church of Scientology.[7][8] According to Bunker, the planned release date is May 2016.[9] This film is being funded by Bunker himself and through crowdfunding.
Project Chanology
In 2008, Bunker posted a video to YouTube critical of the Internet-based group "Anonymous" and asked them to tone down their campaign against the Church of Scientology; a movement called "Project Chanology".[10] In the video "Message to Anonymous", Bunker urged the group to work legally and pursue peaceful ways to protest Scientology.[11]
According to NPR's Morning Edition, Bunker has "become a revered voice to many members of Anonymous",[12] and they refer to him as "Wise Beard Man".[13] Anonymous has adopted a slogan referring to Bunker: "Wise Beard Man. His words are wise, his face is beard."[11] The refrain along with a picture of Bunker has become an Internet meme on the website 4chan.[14]
When actor Jason Beghe decided to leave Scientology in 2008, he contacted Andreas Heldal-Lund, founder of Operation Clambake, who convinced him to meet with Bunker.[15] Heldal-Lund and Bunker went to Beghe's house, where Beghe participated in an interview about his experiences as a Scientologist.[15] Bunker published a 3-minute portion of the 3-hour interview to YouTube in mid-April 2008,[16] and in the video Beghe calls Scientology "very dangerous for your spiritual, psychological, mental, emotional health and evolution".[17] He also comments "I don't have an agenda. I'm just trying to help. I have the luxury of having gotten into Scientology and after having been in it, been out. And that's a perspective that people who are still in and not out do not have."[18]
The video was taken down from YouTube on April 17, 2008 but was reposted by multiple other YouTube users shortly thereafter.[19] By April 18, 2008, at least 45 users had reposted the video interview using their own YouTube accounts.[3] Bunker's account was also canceled on April 17, and he believes this was due to copyright issues with a clip from The Colbert Report that he had uploaded.[19][20] Bunker said that those issues had been resolved, and that YouTube should have given him time to prove that before pulling the Jason Beghe interview.[19] Bunker believes that YouTube removed the Beghe interview after receiving pressure from Scientology.[19] A representative for YouTube told Fox News "There’s no conspiracy here.", but would not say whether Scientology pressured YouTube to remove the video, saying: "We do not comment on individual videos."[19]
On February 24, 2009, Bunker was arrested while photographing the arrest of another individual who was protesting against Scientology outside of the organization's Gold Base compound near Hemet, California.[21] The protester was also arrested, after Scientology officials had made a citizen's arrest.[21] Bunker stated that five protesters had previously walked in front of the Scientology property, and crossed its driveway.[21] Police allege that the two individuals arrested were blocking the entrance to the facility, but according to The Press-Enterprise: "protesters say they were neither trespassing nor blocking the entryway".[21] A protester was arrested, and Bunker said that while he was photographing police deputies arrest the individual, he was arrested as well.[21] The protesters were released the same day, and the Riverside County District Attorney dropped the case because of insufficient evidence.[22]
Awards
Year | Award | Organization | Work | Category | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2006 | Emmy Award | Pacific Southwest Emmy Awards | Border Special, KUSI | Historic/Cultural - Program Feature/Segment | Won[1][2] |
References
- 1 2 3 "Emmy 2006 Recipients - Historic/Cultural - Program Feature/Segment" (PDF). The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, Pacific Southwest Chapter. 2006. p. 8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-27. Retrieved 2009-11-23.
- 1 2 3 Whyte, Murray (February 10, 2008). "Scientology Protests - Anons plan 'polite' church protest: Demonstrations - sparked by viral spread of Tom Cruise promo video - planned in 14 countries". Toronto Star. www.thestar.com. Retrieved 2008-04-15.
- 1 2 Schmidt, Veronica (April 18, 2008). "Jason Beghe Scientology video removed from YouTube". Times Online. entertainment.timesonline.co.uk. Retrieved 2008-04-18.
- 1 2 http://www.villagevoice.com/news/the-top-25-people-crippling-scientology-no-7-mark-bunker-6699987
- ↑ Lattin, Don (2000-05-15). "Travolta's Religious Battlefield: Critics say movie bolsters Scientology". San Francisco Chronicle. www.sfgate.com. Retrieved 2007-10-28.
- 1 2 3 4 5 O'Neil, Deborah (2001-09-23). "Northpinellas: Scientologist merchants can bar critics: A ruling says church opponents are not protected from discrimination and can be refused service". St. Petersburg Times. www.sptimes.com. Retrieved 2008-05-14.
- ↑ http://www.knowledgereport-themovie.com/about/
- ↑ Ortega, Tony (July 26, 2011). "Scientology Apocalypse! Mark Bunker and Marty Rathbun Reveal Their Ties". Village Voice. Retrieved March 22, 2016.
- ↑ Ortega, Tony (November 5, 2015). "Hey, Mark Bunker, what's taking that film of yours — 'Knowledge Report' — so long?". The Underground Bunker. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
- ↑ Puzzanghera, Jim (February 4, 2008). "Scientology feud with its critics takes to Internet: Cyber attacks and threats against the church erupt after it asks YouTube to pull Tom Cruise clips". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Company. Retrieved 2008-02-05.
- 1 2 Landers, Chris (April 2, 2008). "Feature by Chris Landers: Serious Business". Baltimore City Paper. www.citypaper.com. Archived from the original on June 8, 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-16.
- ↑ Masters, Kim; Renée Montagne (February 7, 2008). "'Anonymous Wages Attack on Scientologists: The fight started when the Scientologists tried to get a video of Tom Cruise off the Internet". Morning Edition: Digital Culture. National Public Radio. Retrieved 2008-02-07.
- ↑ Ortega, Tony (2008-03-11). "What to Get L. Ron Hubbard for His Birthday". The Village Voice. Village Voice Media. Archived from the original on 2008-03-15. Retrieved 2008-03-18.
- ↑ Davies, Shaun (2008-05-08). "We've toned down the hate: Anonymous: Anonymous's initial attack on Scientology was highly aggressive — the group collapsed the church's website on January 17 and "declared war" soon after". National Nine News. news.ninemsn.com.au. Archived from the original on 2009-02-25. Retrieved 2008-05-08.
- 1 2 Ortega, Tony (April 8, 2008). "Scientology's First Celebrity Defector Reveals Church Secrets: 'I was Miscavige's favorite boy,' says veteran TV actor Jason Beghe". Village Voice. www.villagevoice.com. Archived from the original on April 20, 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-16.
- ↑ Friedman, Roger (April 16, 2008). "Actor: Scientology Is 'Brainwashing'". Fox News. www.foxnews.com. Retrieved 2008-04-16.
- ↑ "'Sex and the City' star's cancer battle, Mills follows McCartney". The New Zealand Herald. www.nzherald.co.nz. April 16, 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-17.
- ↑ Staff (April 23, 2008). "Hollywood Scientologist slams church: A former friend of Tom Cruise and long-term member of the Church of Scientology has slammed the controversial religion in an online video rant". Marie Claire. www.marieclaire.co.uk. Retrieved 2008-04-23.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Friedman, Roger (April 18, 2008). "Cruise, Travolta: Homo-novis". Fox News. Fox News Network, LLC. Retrieved 2008-04-18.
- ↑ Metz, Cade (April 24, 2008). "Anti-Scientology crusader vaporized from YouTube: 'Help me, Stephen Colbert. You're my only hope'". The Register. www.theregister.co.uk. Retrieved 2008-04-24.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Glick, Julia (February 24, 2009). "Two protesters arrested, cited outside Church of Scientology compound". The Press-Enterprise. www.pe.com. Retrieved 2009-02-25.
- ↑ Asbury, John (April 25, 2009). "Scientology protesters won't face charges". The Press-Enterprise. PE.com. Retrieved 2009-06-27.
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