A Couch Tom Cruise Won’t Jump On: Actor Lambastes Psychiatry on ‘Today’
Cruise, Lauer argue on ‘Today’
I’m passionate about learning. I’m passionate about life, Matt.
- Tom Cruise
Under normal circumstances, I could care less what a celebrity has to say about ANYTHING. Being an actor or an athlete provides one with no extra moral authority, expertise, or sometimes just plain common senses when it comes to a subject outside their profession. Of course, too many celebrities have yet to figure out this reality, which is why being in the vicinity when they open their mouths can be so tremendously entertaining.
Like my Daddy used to tell me: ‘tis better to be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. It’s a lesson Tom Cruise could stand to learn. The poor maroon has almost overnight morphed into a circus freak. Whether it’s jumping up and down on David Letterman’s couch while professing his love for Katie Holmes, or now passionately arguing with Matt Lauer over the virtues of Scientology and the evils of Psychiatry, Cruise’s public persona has become that of a runaway freight train. We don’t want to look, but we can’t stop ourselves, because we LOVE a good train wreck, don’t we? Yes, we do….
“It is a religion. Because it’s dealing with the spirit. You as a spiritual being.” When Lauer mentioned Cruise’s earlier criticism of Brooke Shields for taking anti-depressants, Cruise told the “Today” show co-host he didn’t know what he was talking about.
“You don’t know the history of psychiatry. I do,” Cruise said.
The interview became more heated when Lauer, who said he knew people who had been helped by the attention-deficit disorder drug Ritalin, asked Cruise about the effects of the drug.
“Matt, Matt, you don’t even — you’re glib,” Cruise responded. “You don’t even know what Ritalin is. If you start talking about chemical imbalance, you have to evaluate and read the research papers on how they came up with these theories, Matt, OK. That’s what I’ve done.”
You know something, Tom? Being a celebrity, and having people hang on your every action and utterance, does NOT convey ANY degree of intellectual authority upon you. Yes, you may be beyond willing to take yourself seriously, but you’re an actor, not a theologian or a medical professional. Of course, given the number of celebrity-worshippers willing to live their own miserable, pointless existences vicariously through you, I suppose I can understand why you might think you actually have something useful and meaningful to add to the public discourse.
Jeebus, what a freakin’ maroon….
And this is why I rarely ever pay attention to anything that ever escapes the mouth of a celebrity. Indeed, ‘tis better to be thought a fool than to be Tom Cruise and remove all doubt….
Because entertainment celebrities speak well, in some limited sense, they are reliable interviews for reporters and hosts who dread having someone freeze on them and not give them a good show or story. Also, celebrities need little introduction for the audience to get up to speed who they are.
You have amply noted the tremendous downside: this causes celebrities to believe they are able to think.
Tom Cruise's star power has been pretty considerably dimmed, I would imagine, by his recent public displays of utter ignorance smeared with false facts.
I know I personally have alot less interest in watching any of his movies now that I pretty well know he's off his freakin' rocker.
Ö as for Brooke Shields:
Brooke, you are an idiot and a hypocrite.
According to PEOPLE Magazine, she said:
"I agree with him (Tom) about his feeling on prescribing drugs to kids. We are in accord ÖI don't think Ritalin should be prescribed to kids. Postpartum depression is a different matter. I think I'm more qualified to talk about that (than he is.)
Brooke, what the hell do you know about Ritalin?
I don't care to debate how much of a nutcase Cruise is, mainly because I don't care...
But consider this. Not so long ago, electroshock "therapy" and frontal lobotomies were popular treatments for a variety of ailments, and were subject to the same risk/benefit assessments that are in use today. Now these treatments are considered ineffective and archaic.
I'm less than convinced that the pill companies and the shrinks really understand how the human brain works, or even desire awareness of the long term effects of the substances they are prescribing in alarming (but profitable) quantities.
If your doctor prescribes a substance to correct your "brain chemistry" ask her if she will accept responsibility for any detrimental side effects or permanent damage that may not be apparent for 20 years. If she says no, ask why!
> Cruise’s public persona has become that of a runaway freight train. We don’t want to look, but we can’t stop ourselves, because we LOVE a good train wreck, don’t we? Yes, we do….
Actually, no, I pay no more attention to his blatherings than I do to Anna Nicole Smith.
Perhaps people should put the two of them together, and film it. Some people would certainly pay to see the results of that head-on collision of trainwrecks.