billfrat.com - In Defense of Tom Cruise

In Defense of Tom Cruise

Bill Frat
Friday, 26 December 2008
Before we get into the defense, lets stop and think about the prosecution for a moment. Why does everyone hate Cruise? You ask anyone this and they'll give you a plethora of answers – he's crazy, he's not a good actor, he's obnoxious, he's smug, he's a scientologist, he frowns on medication, he uses his celebrity as a platform to promote and preach his individualistic beliefs – these are all bad. But they're not all fair. First off, the guy's not terrible at his profession. The consensus that he's a bad actor came about only after he had fallen out of favor with the American public. Now, it's not like Tom was thought of as a gifted actor before the Oprah fiasco, but the second he jumped on that couch, everyone just assumed that his craziness extended into his performances. And that's just not true. He's either average or good in everything. The guy is limited but he has great presence, is always watchable, and – most importantly – is never bad. But, because it's easier to dislike a bad actor versus a good one – I mean, there's a reason no one hates the asshole Sean Penn – Cruise is considered lousy. Second, I find it difficult to fault someone for a belief system when the majority of us can't possibly understand the world in which the religion is applicable. Everybody knows who Cruise is, where he is, and what he's doing at al times. Do I think that believing in Aliens is crazy? Yes. But so is being hounded for a photo, autograph, or sound bite every other second. If Scientology makes sense to people that live and operate within a nonsensical industry, then so be it. Plus, nobody seems to care that Travolta, Beck, Jason Lee, Brandy, Paul Haggis, Bart Simpson and hundreds others are scientologist. And third, he's a good guy. Supposedly, before doing a movie, Cruise will memorize the name of every crewmember on set so that he can thank each one personally. That says a lot about a person. It says that, celebrity and millions aside, the guy has his priorities straight. I also like that he embraces his stature and doesn't act like his celebrity is a burden. He's always the biggest guy at throwaway events like the MTV Movie and People Choice Awards. You never see Johnny Depp or Russell Crowe at those. He loves what he does and you should be pissed at those don't. There's no getting around the fact that Cruise is a bit wacky. But, for Christ Sakes, so is Kevin Garnett, Bono, Jack Nicholson, Richard Branson and thousand others. I was disappointed when he made an ass of himself on the Today Show, but life under a microscope as large as his is going to eventually reveal a few blemishes. I'm bummed that his reputation is shot; I wish there was more I could do. I hate the fact that I can't watch Jerry Maguire in a group anymore without having to listen to cheap shot after cheap shot. However, if I can convince just one person a week that Cruise isn't that bad, than, well, this is a cross I am more happy to bare. Cruise, bro, I got your back. Frat. Frat it elsewhere Hits: 1232 Comments (1) Fratman and Bra-bin , December 29, 2008 Hahaha, can't watch Jerry Maguire without the cheap shots.... it was a blood bath when we watched it the other day, but it was also a hungover morning so while there would have been cheap shots either way, they may not have been as bad if it were watched in different circumstances... ok well it would have still been pretty bad but I can see some of your arguments here. Write comment Name Comment smaller \| bigger