I was really stunned when I saw the clips on TV of Cruise's "insane" performance with Lauer. I knew he was weird (my view of anyone who believes in scientology), but not this weird. I have liked most of his films and will continue seeing them, but my opinion of Cruise has really dropped. I disapproved of Charlie Chaplin's leftest leanings in the 50's, but it would have been I who was "nutty" if I had deprived myself of seeing "Limelight".
Does anyone care that Tom Cruise is a Scientologist?
I care that he uses his influence as a celebrity to bash the entire field of psychiatry and to chastize others for using prescribed drugs for post-partum depression, etc.
There is a potential that a lot of people, who might otherwise be helped through psychiatry and drugs, will forego necessary treatment because they have been influenced by Cruise's whacky ideas.
Look at all the mentally ill mothers who harm or kill their children while suffering from mental illness and/or postpartum depression. (e.g., Andrea Yates)
http://www.crimelibrary.com/notorious_murders/
women/andrea_yates/12.html?sect=11
Cruise is spreading a message that Scientology rather than proper mental health care will save people like this.
Debra, Until I learned about Tom Cruise's belief in Scientology, I was a fan. I now think he's dangerous.
Yes, I'm sure Scientology can cure all mental illness, all alcoholism, all drug addiction, all psychosis including sociopaths. NOT.
He was not only trying to sell the program (even if anyone remotely detected that it was indirectly, it was not) but he was trying to sell with the worst possible tool. Anger and poorly framed one-upsmanship. He just lost a movie ticket sell to see "War of the Worlds" and any recommendations I might have for friends. A movie these days has to depend more on word-of-mouth than any hype the studio can contrive. What an idiot. Someone should have squirted him with women's perfume.
cicerone imposter wrote:Does anyone care that Tom Cruise is a Scientologist?
Not me. If he was a good actor, I'd like him even if he was a satanist. Since he's a bad actor, I generally ignore him, and I would continue to do so if I learned he was a saint, or an atheist like myself. I really couldn't care less either way.
I'm with Thomas on that. I've known Cruise as a scientologist for what seems like decades. I've known Travolta is a member. I am not a Scientology fan. So what?
I've liked Travolta in some movies, as easy in his roles, though I haven't seen all that many. But, these guys aren't the kind of actors that get me to blink.
I had imagined through what I'd heard that Scientology, while misguided (my opinion), was no reason to damage my opinion of adherents.
Now, I want to look into it a bit more. I did think they were of the "less medical intervention" school. Now, I see that he may have dumped Nicole Kidman for getting stiches for their child or some such. Maybe she did the unforgivable and took some medicine.
I think--based on his own words--that he is certifiable and could make great benefit of some psychtropic meds...stat.
I think you're confusing Christian Science with Scientology . . . for a good look at the Scientology claptrap, go google L. Ron Hubbard.
No, I'm not confused. Cruise is a Scientologist.
He has railed against the evils of taking medicine...WIDELY.
Well, that is not central to Hubbard's thesis, so it is either something Cruise is on about, or the post-Hubbard gurus have cooked this up.
Anyway, Cruise has the brains of roadkill, so i'm definitely in the don't give a **** crowd.
Scientology has evolved, or should I say been warped, by the current gurus of self-help that run it. It is run like a pyramid scheme just like all the marketing pyramid scnemes. An new advocate is encouraged to recruit new members and those members are encouraged and so forth. It's in the mind set of the leaders of Scientology and it is a tax-free sceme to scam people into believe it's the only way. They have adopted Christian Science philosophies of not taking any drugs including any prescribed by a doctor. I do agree that often, as I mentioned before, holistic mood elevators work as well as Prosac, etc. without the drugged-up side effects. They likely won't work for serious physchological depressions such as post partem and other psychiatric problems.
I think the self-help guru in "Magnolia" seems to be Cruise's reall persona and it slipped out in the interview.
At least we know now that even if he is bisexual, he and Katy Holmes are likely having resoundingly good sex.
Whether this will turn into a lot of little Cruise's and Holmes, time will tell.
This criticism of scientology in this discussion could lead to scientologists having A2K shut down with whatever legal or illegal means available to them!
Hubbard was a madman, which explains his enmity for psychologists and psychiatrists (the people who could expose him for what he was). Scientology is a commercial organisation which like all messianistic sects attracts insecure people (like actors in a depression (Travolta), who have alcohol problems (Kirsty Alley) or who are insecure about their sexuality (Cruise), etc.). Like any sect they use brain washing techniques to exert control over their adepts, which is necessary since any common-sensed person would see that their theories are utter poppycock. They have a history of scaring off criticism by threats and endless frivolous litigation.
As far as I know The Church of Scientology is under close scrutiny in Europe and it is not recognised as a religion here.
I do not care whether Cruise is gay or not. If he is, it is not his fault and it does not reflect on his professional career. But I do care about him spreading Scientology's dangerous concepts. The way in which he allegedly did it, is typical of scientology: aggressive, overbearing, ad hominem arguments, etc. I was also very surprised to hear that Cruise has studied psychiatry (pray, at which university?).
Why would he get married so often if he was gay?
Homosexuality does not exclude marriage. Gay's who are in denial of, or insecure about, their sexuality often get married, so as to prove to the world that they are straight, or as a simple device to become more socially acceptable (as in the case of Cole Porter, see the fim De-lovely).
Or Rock Hudson, Tony Curtis, Leonard Bernstein and many others. It's also a question of whether a serious relationship with a man doesn't work for some gays or bisexuals and sometimes it's a manifistation of the Oedipus Complex, taking on a wife as a mother image when the mother is no longer alive. Many gay men do like the companionship of straight women and it can sometimes lead to an arrangement including marriage. It can include that the women is also gay and the marriage is a facade.
Let's see, which woman is Brad Pitt hooked up with now? No children with the present marriage and, if true, the new marriage could be with built in adopted children (no intercourse required).
But then, it shouldn't matter if Brad is gay either, nor if all of them don't want to be outed.
As far as Dianetics and Scientology, John W. Campbell got lampbasted by other distinquished figures in the sci-fi field including Harlan Ellison, I believe, for his endorsement of the quasi-religion/science.
Psychiatry is not an exact science and in my college courses, that's one of the first statements the professor made at the beginning of the class. That Cruise would call psychiatry a "quasi-science" is laughable as Dianetics is a quasi science disguised as a religion. It's still a pyramid sceme not much different than Amway. Except Amway can clean your laundry and floor. Scientology could clean out you bank account.
On the subject of Tommy. Has anybody seen War of the Worlds already? It is supposed to premiere soon. I am very interested to know in how far they have mutilated the original H.G. Wells story in this film. If it is as bad as in The Time Machine, I do not want to see it.
