# Anyone else see Tom Cruise on "Today" this morning? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 24, 2005, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-see-tom-cruise-on-today-this-morning/309661 "2005-06-24T13:04:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2005, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-see-tom-cruise-on-today-this-morning/309661/61 "2005-06-25T00:49:47Z")
> [@Larry Mudd](#): > > Hilarious. > > The terrible thing is, I actually wanted to see _War of the Worlds_. Sure, the buzz is that it’s abysmal. But Dakota Fanning does well in even crap movies. (_Hide and Seek_, for example.) > > I probably would have held my nose about the Tom Cruise thing and went to see this one in the theatre, because big, stupid movies are better in the theatre. > > Now, though – I can’t do it. Tommy boy needs to be brought low. Not about to grudgingly ignore the fact that he was cast at all. Whatever can be done to consign the man to the dustbin of celebrity will be done. No theatre tickets, no DVD purchase, no DVD rental. > > This transgression shall not stand. I absolutely agree. Normally I try and seperate an artist’s personal beliefs from his or her art, but in Cruise’s case, I can’t. I refuse to ever see one of his films (in the theater, on TV, on DVD, etc.) ever again. I will not put one fuzzy dime into this f\*cker’s pocket ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever again. And I’m on the verge of saying the same for Katie Holmes as long as she stays with him. Which is a shame because I reeeeeeally wanted to see the new Batman. Happy ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2005, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-see-tom-cruise-on-today-this-morning/309661/62 "2005-06-25T00:54:27Z")
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it yet again: Bono made Jesse Helms cry. JESSE HELMS. After that, Bono will always be a hero in my book. And yeah, the guy didn’t grow up in Africa, but he DID grow up in Northern Ireland, which isn’t exactly Grover’s Corners. > [@well he's back](#): > > Didn’t see it but I read the transcript. Cruise keeps saying he’s studied about psychiatry and drugs used for the treatment of mental disorders. Well, he can please show me his diploma, cause I’m still trusting my doctor more than him. I’ve read up on these subjects too and come to very different conclusions. > > Cruise sounds so arrogant, at least via the transcript. Wonder if he came off as badly if you actually saw the show? Apparently he hasn’t done all that much research, if he doesn’t know that anti-psychotics and anti-depressants are two completely different things. A BLOOD TEST for doses? What the hell? And I believe you can overdose on vitamens, can’t you? I love how he, a high school drop out, as I understand, it somehow more knowledgable on psychology than Brooke Shields, a freaking Princeton grad. Oh, and apparently, the [National Mental Health Association](http://www.nmha.org/newsroom/system/news.vw.cfm?do=vw&rid=709) is speaking out against him. (I wrote to the contact e-mail above and let them know that they had a lot of support behind them). As for Holmes, according to a Salon article, her parents had told their fellow parishioners that Katie wasn’t converting. Then she did. BAM! Can we invite Tom to come to the SDMB and crush him here? I’d LOVE to see him say, “I did the research, you didn’t” in GD, and then be slaughtered by the wrath of a (teeming) million Dopers coming in listing degrees and books they’ve read. That would be sweet. ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2005, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-see-tom-cruise-on-today-this-morning/309661/63 "2005-06-25T01:09:49Z")
> [@Happy Lendervedder](#): > > . And I’m on the verge of saying the same for Katie Holmes as long as she stays with him. Which is a shame because I reeeeeeally wanted to see the new Batman. > > Happy If it helps you justify seeing the new Batman movie…she DID make the flick before she’d ever met Cruise! ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2005, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-see-tom-cruise-on-today-this-morning/309661/64 "2005-06-25T01:12:29Z")
Yes Cruise is being a bit looney. But… If his first statement was the Kirstie Alley should have prayed to Jesus instead of taking anti-depresents, the press would not be bringing this issue up again and again. We know he is a Scatologist and we know what their beliefs are, so why ask him. The loons who saw the Virgin Mary in the salt stain were not thought of as loons by the main stream media. ---
**Author:** ![sewalk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@sewalk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sewalk)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2005, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-see-tom-cruise-on-today-this-morning/309661/65 "2005-06-25T01:33:25Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > If his first statement was the Kirstie Alley should have prayed to Jesus instead of taking anti-depresents That would make him a Christian Scientist or somesuch, a looney of a different stripe but still looney in the eyes of mainstream society. Modern medicine and psychiatry are well-accepted today. People who dismiss them as total quackery, like Cruise did, no matter their religious beliefs, are generally considered looney. ---
**Author:** ![sewalk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@sewalk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sewalk)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2005, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-see-tom-cruise-on-today-this-morning/309661/66 "2005-06-25T01:35:16Z")
And it was Brooke Shields, not Kirstie Alley, who happens to be another scientologist who eschews psychiatry (I assume, as this is pretty much a basic tenet of Hubbardism). ---
**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2005, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-see-tom-cruise-on-today-this-morning/309661/67 "2005-06-25T02:10:09Z")
> [@Happy Lendervedder](#): > > I will not put one fuzzy dime into this f\*cker’s pocket ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever again. And I’m on the verge of saying the same for Katie Holmes as long as she stays with him. Which is a shame because I reeeeeeally wanted to see the new Batman. Go, its soooo good! Holmes is far outshone by everyone in the film (when you have a film featuring the cabiler of male stars it does its hard not to be) and she is teh hawtness in it. Do it for the nipples! The nipples! ---
**Author:** ![Thalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f475e1/32.png) [@Thalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thalion)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2005, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-see-tom-cruise-on-today-this-morning/309661/68 "2005-06-25T02:15:56Z")
> [@Boldface Type](#): > > Anyway, if Tom Cruise summits everest, I’ll eat my own head. I’d be careful with that bet, if I were you. Cruise is small enough to be carried to the summit in a Sherpa’s backpack! ---
**Author:** ![Booker57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Booker57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Booker57)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2005, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-see-tom-cruise-on-today-this-morning/309661/69 "2005-06-25T02:29:27Z")
> [@Thalion](#): > > I’d be careful with that bet, if I were you. Cruise is small enough to be carried to the summit in a Sherpa’s backpack! Don’t make light of his size. He did not choose to be that way. Hubberdism on the other hand. Feel free. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2005, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-see-tom-cruise-on-today-this-morning/309661/70 "2005-06-25T03:14:19Z")
> [@Wolfian](#): > > Go, its soooo good! Holmes is far outshone by everyone in the film (when you have a film featuring the cabiler of male stars it does its hard not to be) and she is teh hawtness in it. Do it for the nipples! The nipples! from [IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/news/wenn/2005-06-21/) > [@](#): > > “Everyone is in agreement that the movie’s strength is with Christian Bale, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman.” Adding of Holmes, "She won’t be in the sequel… the next romantic interest will be a much stronger actress. BURN! Regarding the OP… I used to defend Mr. Cruise quite a bit. I like a lot of movies he’s in and I sort of felt obligated to have his back. Not anymore. Ever since his whole 'mental illness can be cured by diet, excercise, and a membership to scientology (however the eff it works) thing, I’ve become pretty upset with him and refuse to defend the SOB any more. ---
**Author:** ![marymargaret](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@marymargaret](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marymargaret)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2005, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-see-tom-cruise-on-today-this-morning/309661/71 "2005-06-25T03:37:20Z")
He seems a bit manic. Some good psychiatric drugs may do him some good. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2005, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-see-tom-cruise-on-today-this-morning/309661/72 "2005-06-25T04:40:58Z")
Craig Ferguson just spent the first 5 minutes of his show ranting about this. “If this show ever becomes a hit and I become a celebrity, my cause is going to be preventing celebrities from going on about stuff they don’t know shit about.” Or words to that effect. The rant was well-received. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2005, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-see-tom-cruise-on-today-this-morning/309661/73 "2005-06-25T05:34:36Z")
> [@marymargaret](#): > > He seems a bit manic. Some good psychiatric drugs may do him some good. I’m beginning to wonder if perhaps Mr. Mapother has recently gone _off_ his own meds as this is totally some stuff somebody who’s decompensating would do. As for a Christian saying another celebrity should pray rather than medicate, I’ve no doubt whatever that it would make just as big a stink. You just don’t dispense medical advice whether you’re a snake handler or a Moonie wid-out ja gotta license. (I’ve become just as furious at televangelists advising people not to take psychotropics because “you’re hearing demons and Jesus can help you” [Jeff Fenholt particularly has preached this]). I wonder if Tom read the _EW_ interview in which his comments on Jung were corrected. (Of all the loopy things Jung said and did, Tom is enough of a dumbass to choose something fake- plus, I wonder if he ever considered that even if Jung had been a swastika waving proud charter member of the Nazi Party that it wouldn’t in and of itself invalidate his research (it’s called _ad hom_ and it’s easy to remember sweety because it rhymes with _Lad Tom_). ---
**Author:** ![sleeepy2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@sleeepy2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleeepy2)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2005, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-see-tom-cruise-on-today-this-morning/309661/74 "2005-06-25T05:39:16Z")
> [@Indygrrl](#): > > Yeah, I really don’t like it when people dismiss what Bono has to say based on his celebrity status. He has done a lot of good, and continues to generate attention and funds for the cause. I respect the guy for that. I just dismiss him for his shitty music. > [@Stephe96](#): > > I think I’ve figured out Cruise’s interviewing method and I’ve gotta admit: the guy is good. Bear in mind that all quotes below are approximate. > > He basically has divided personal questions into ‘friendly’ and ‘unfriendly.’ > > His response to a ‘friendly’ personal question goes like this: example, “How did you meet Katie Holmes?” He can’t answer truthfully, of course, so he simply laughs maniacally for about 20 seconds (“HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!”) and then he eases into “Honest Tom” Mode by saying something like, “I’ll tell you, Dave, I’ll tell you…” and THEN he answers, not the question asked, but a question similar enough that most in the audience will come away with the impression that the question has been asked and answered. “Dave, when I met Katie, I’ll tell you, I just knew…you know what I mean? It was like, wow! This is the woman I want to marry and be with for the rest of my life.” Now what is someone like Dave or Jay gonna say here? “Yeah, Tom, but you didn’t really answer the question, did you?” Hardly. Next question. > > ‘Unfriendly’ personal questions (“How do you respond to people who think Scientology is nothing but a cult of goons?”) are responded to thusly: Steely-eyed “Super Serious Tom” Mode staring directly at the interviewer while flatly repeating person’s name in vaguely threatening manner: “Matt…Matt…Matt…Matt…Matt…Matt…” Then he’ll seem to START to answer the question asked (“People who make those accusations-”) but he’ll quickly swerve into attacking the questioner’s credibility: “Matt, I’ve gotta tell you, I don’t listen to those people because they are uninformed. Like you yourself. You don’t know enough about what you’re saying to even ASK me that question.” Follow-up questions are met with same: “There ARE people who think you’re involved with a dangerous cult.” “Matt, Matt…don’t say ‘people.’ Admit that YOU are the one asking this question. YOU are the one who thinks that…and we’ve already established that you don’t know what you’re talking about.” > > Genius when you think about it. Add to this the fact that the interviewer is absolutely aware that he or she is sitting next to the most popular Hollywood actor of all time, and persistent badgering about the guy’s religion will only serve to make THEM look like bullies…well, it’s a perfect plan. Brilliant observation, well put. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2005, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-see-tom-cruise-on-today-this-morning/309661/75 "2005-06-25T05:55:10Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > I wonder if he ever considered that even if Jung had been a swastika waving proud charter member of the Nazi Party that it wouldn’t in and of itself invalidate his research… Yeah, that’s even more spurious than if someone used Wernher von Braun’s Nazi past to support an argument that the Apollo missions were bunkum. Oh, wait… ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2005, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-see-tom-cruise-on-today-this-morning/309661/76 "2005-06-25T06:22:55Z")
> [@Cyros](#): > > John Travolta and Tom Cruise - both high school drop outs. If there was ever a better reason to convince children to remain in school, I don’t know what it is. Heh. In Cruise’s case, however, it’s somewhat understandable. Supposedly his dyslexia (until $¢iento£og¥[sup]®[/sup] cured him of it:rolleyes: ) was so bad that he was completely illiterate. Many schools often have trouble dealing with kids who have _mild_ developmental problems, so it’s possible that his education was so botched because of this it made more sense for him to bail than stay in. (Obviously, however, he didn’t proceed to the next logical step of hiring a private tutor and getting his GED, AFAIK.) Oh, and for Og’s sake, **Happy** , go see the new Batman movie. It’s a **great** film, period. Not simply a great “Batman film”, or a great “comic book film,” but a great film, in general. I’d be surprised if even people who normally hate such films, didn’t like it. Yes, it’s _that_ good. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2005, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-see-tom-cruise-on-today-this-morning/309661/77 "2005-06-25T14:11:35Z")
> [@drm](#): > > from [IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/news/wenn/2005-06-21/) > > BURN! > > Regarding the OP… > > I used to defend Mr. Cruise quite a bit. I like a lot of movies he’s in and I sort of felt obligated to have his back. Not anymore. Ever since his whole 'mental illness can be cured by diet, excercise, and a membership to scientology (however the eff it works) thing, I’ve become pretty upset with him and refuse to defend the SOB any more. On the plus side of the whole thing (and as pointed out by the NYT article), his off-script comments and attitude set Lauer right back on his heels. Lauer came off as unprepared and ill-informed, which is the case with most talk-show interviewers, regardless of subject. If one is going to pretend to be a journalist, one should probably prepare for the interview. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2005, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-see-tom-cruise-on-today-this-morning/309661/78 "2005-06-25T16:35:45Z")
Al Roker posted a blog about this whole situation on the [Today Show Site](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8293264/#TomCruise). > [@](#): > > Hey gang, so did you see Matt’s interview this morning with Tom Cruise? Okay, I congratulate people who are passionate about their beliefs, their faith and their love. What frightens me a little bit is when that passion tries to steam roll others. I don’t want anyone coming after me for knocking Scientology — let’s be up front about that. Someone’s religion is their deal as long as you don’t hurt me or my loved ones with your beliefs, I’m cool with yours. > > But I think Tom oversteps the line when he starts taking on people who use certain drugs to deal with either depression, mental illness or other problems. Can there be abuses, troubles and misdiagnosis? You bet. But there is too much evidence that points to real help for certain people. > > Is Brooke Shields better because certain drugs helped her post partum depression? You have to look to her and her family for that answer, but it is not Tom Cruise’s place to take her to task for her choices. Did they hurt Tom? Did they somehow cause problems for him? Hey, I have relatives who were on Ritalin. A couple it helped, a few it didn’t. You don’t see me on some crusade, bashing people who did nothing to me. > > Just as we should shut up about wondering if Tom’s relationship with Katie Holmes is a publicity stunt, Tom oughta pipe down about people he doesn’t know about situations he hasn’t experienced. You’re an actor, not a med student. But the best part about being American is that you can say whatever the heck you want in this country, as loopy and as goofy as it might sound. > > So let the war of the words continue — that’s what America is all about. I always liked that guy. I still do. ---
**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2005, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-see-tom-cruise-on-today-this-morning/309661/79 "2005-06-25T17:30:48Z")
You know what I can’t wait for: The Soup to tear this guy a new one. The episode when they talked about his appearance on Oprah still cracks me up: -And then things got weird. -And you get a Katie! And you get a Katie! And you get a Katie! And you get a Katie! Everybody gets a Katie! Al Roker, never really paid much attention to the guy, but those are some good thoughts. ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2005, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-see-tom-cruise-on-today-this-morning/309661/80 "2005-06-25T17:48:08Z")
Dreamworks must be absolutely freaking right now. That confrontation, what, 3 days before release of War of the Worlds? Bad timing Tom. I now know that there is such a thing as bad publicity. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-see-tom-cruise-on-today-this-morning/309661.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-see-tom-cruise-on-today-this-morning/309661.md?page=5)