--- title: "Grimes “Accidentally Reinvents Scientology” in Bonkers Interview With an Anti-Vaxxer" description: "During a wild interview with Paper magazine, Claire \"Grimes\" Boucher appeared to \"reinvent Scientology.\"" date: "2022-10-19" modified: "2022-10-19" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/grimes-scientology-paper-interview" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "elon musk" - "grimes" - "the digest" --- # Grimes “Accidentally Reinvents Scientology” in Bonkers Interview With an Anti-Vaxxer ![Indie sleaze is back, baby, and this time, it's coming to shatter — or maybe reinforce — your illusions about Grimes and MIA.]() *\Image: Bryan Badder via Getty Images/Futurism\* ## Keep it Sleazy Indie sleaze is back, baby, and this time, it's coming to shatter — or maybe reinforce — your illusions about two of its strangest stalwarts. In an [artist-on-artist interview published by *Paper* magazine](), experimental singer and mother of two of Elon Musk's children Claire "Grimes" Boucher talks to fellow mid-aughts weirdo Mathangi "M.I.A." Arulpragasam, whose new album "MATA" has been completely eclipsed by her [vaccine-critical commentary](). The two were thick as thieves in the interview, talking about the sort of bizarro concepts they're both known for in their music. At one point, Grimes appeared to, as fellow Canadian musician [Dan Boeckner tweeted](), "reinvent Scientology," a shadowy religious movement that has been accused of [being a cult]() on numerous occasions. "The thesis I've been coming to over time is that the things we need to do to overcome our problems are technological, but that includes both literal technology and social technology, which is something we disregard too often in our culture," Boucher explained in the *Paper* interview. "When I say social technology, religion is a social technology," she added. "It's a thing people used to fill in for mental health before we had concepts of mental health." ## Diatribes Beyond the [almost-Dianetics](), Grimes also made a number of salient points in the wide-ranging interview. At one point after M.I.A. joked that Grimes ought to "get some money off Elon" to solve the kinds of global issues that plague the world, she plans to get into housing policy before proceeding to take down the fair-weather "green" movement. "There’s this faux misplaced environmentalism that leads to this overregulation when that's not the actual environmental issue," the singer said, adding that "denser living is more environmentally friendly." The [interview]() is absolutely worth a read — though it may best be enjoyed after partaking in a mind-altering substance of your choice. **More Grimes:** [*Elon Musk Reportedly Thought His Ex-Girlfriend Might Have Been a Simulation*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()