Can Tom Cruise get his cool back?
Mikey 14 comments
A friend and I were only talking about this last week: Why hasn't Tom Cruise gone into damage control mode yet? His Scientology shenanigans certainly warrant it. Either this is just a coincidence, or Scientology's biggest pimp has indeed started a campaign aimed it reclaiming some of the coolness factor that he used to be associated with.
Browsing around a few of my favourite sites today I noticed a recurring theme on some of them - the presence of this advert:
I will be first to admit: I used to like Tom Cruise. I never considered him a particularly fantastic actor but I immensely enjoyed some of the movies he has been in. Like any other actor he has also starred in some atrocities (many in fact), the most horrific that comes to mind is Mission Impossible 2. And like many other male actors who were at the height of their careers during the eighties, he starred in at least one homo-erotic fantasy, in his case it was Top Gun.
I will also be first to admit that Tom Cruise lost a lot of his cool because of the whole Scientology association. I mean let's face it - these days he's a fruit loop. Reluctantly hitting the advert I was directed to the official Tom Cruise site and a smile came across my face, and if I didn't know any better I would have guessed what I heard was tailor designed for my personal tastes.
The first two sound tracks that play are ones that I absolutely love. Both these tunes (among others) have on many occasions been my sources of inspiration as an artist. The first is called "", made famous in the movie Risky Business and performed by a band called Tangerine Dream, who along with a handful of other electronic musicians ahead of their time inspired me to get into music composition. That particular tune was the one that set my wheels in motion.
The second tune most people will recognise as (or 2010), "Also Sprach Zarathustra" which was composed and performed by Richard Strauss in 1896, and as mentioned I have found to be an awe inspiring tune.
The point I am making is that for me, Cruise is suddenly associated with things I think are cool. It seemed like the people in charge over at 'Cruise Marketing' had done their job, and listening to those two wonderful tunes playing over top of some of the memorable scenes of Cruise's movies I suddenly remembered why the man was cool in the first place.
That said, it's going to take more than an internet marketing campaign and cool web site to win me back. I reckon if he could keep his religious beliefs out of everyone's face he might just regain the coolness points he lost, and so desperately needs.
andrew
Sunday 1st June 2008 | 06:58 PMi would rather have roast lamb than see tom cruise!!!!
Andrea L
Sunday 1st June 2008 | 08:50 PMNice blog. With everything you said I loved 'Love on a Real Train' my Dad used to play it all the time. Considering its more than 25 years old now I think you and I are showing our age!
Gina Squitieri
Sunday 1st June 2008 | 10:32 PM
Tom's just a little too......... ummmm.....HAPPY or "perfect" for my tastes. I cannot get the pictures of him jumping all over Oprah's couch outta my head-right up there w/ Rick Roll.
Tom Cruise was really great in Risky Business, but that was all for me. A Few Good Men was an excellent flick, but Jack Nicholson was the prize.
Tom Cruise damage control, no damage control: Uh-uh. :-)
(That Tangerine Dream song is fantastic--dowloading now, downloading now....... The beginning of 2001 Space theme used to scare the bejeebus outta me when I was a youngster... strange beating of the drum and the horn(s). But that's me. )
Locked
Tuesday 3rd June 2008 | 01:58 AMI think it is the media and public that has made this man go crazy. I bet he was completely sane when jumping on that couch. What exactly was so "wrong" about that? He was obviously freshly in love, and maybe a bit too excited, but who cares? Leave the poor man alone! It is all this "crazy" talk that actually makes these people go insane. Take britney for example. Basically as soon as you call someone crazy for doing something any human being with a real soul and real emotion would do(like jump on a couch or scream ," I LOVE _____!!!" thats when their path to craziness starts. They think to themselves "Am I really crazy for thinking this way." Then it becomes a never ending "self talk" to convince the brain that they indeed are insane. Then they really do go loony.
Just remember. The world has gone crazy. Not you. Its okay!
You gotta remember the same people that called him crazy are the same people who "love" oprah because she gave them a car....a bit twisted in the sanity department no?
Don't even get me started on Dr. Phil
and for the record Oprah is a cool chick, I got nothing against her personally.
Locked
Tuesday 3rd June 2008 | 02:00 AMOh yes I almost forgot.
Top Gun was one of the greatest movies ever made. Don't forget it!
haha
Laiste
Tuesday 3rd June 2008 | 11:28 AMThe whole Tom Cruise thing is a show of just how powerful the media is in shaping our opinions. While he was married to Nicole Kidman he could do no wrong- his scientology beliefs were a footnote to how 'wonderful' he was. It wasn't until they broke up (seemingly out of nowehere) that weird stories about him began ciculating. Especially in the gossip magazine.
I remember when Penelope Cruz' father was reported as saying he forbade his daughter from marrying him because of the 'cult'. And stories about how Tom Cruise 'interviewed' young hollywood actresses for the job of his 'wife'.
Probably the one thing we need to remember is that we DON'T know this guy at all. We only know what we see in the media. And you are right Mikey, its going to take a lot more then one website with cool music to change the public opinion about him.
Franken
Tuesday 3rd June 2008 | 11:55 AM...in response to this comment by Locked. That's not how you spell 'gayest'.
Gina Squitieri
Tuesday 3rd June 2008 | 02:35 PM...in response to this comment by Locked. I can't stand Oprah's personality either. She's even more manufactured than Cruise is.
Okay?
mini-mel
Tuesday 3rd June 2008 | 04:59 PM...in response to this comment by Locked. dont forget days of thunder... and cole trickle. ha ha ha
tom cruise is a sad sad little man.. who appears to have a bit of a control (freak) problem..
but i best put my manners back in.. i may very well be stepping over the line
Tom Cruise
Tuesday 3rd June 2008 | 05:48 PM
witetiger
Tuesday 22nd July 2008 | 09:07 PMHey I love Tom cruise, but lost him there a few years ago with his scienctogolgy shiit and couch jumpin thing, but much as i wanted to be nice and keep him living in my idols (80-90's) thought the website would make a difference, but that's a big NO for me, Tom u hurt that dream hun......... oh and where was the scene's from the movie he did with nicole, cant remember the name , but I do remember a steamy love scene??? i leave that with u ?
witetiger xo
witeitiger
Tuesday 22nd July 2008 | 09:16 PM...in response to this comment by witetiger. oh yeah LOVED top gun too....
Jake
Sunday 1st June 2008 | 05:04 PMI watched a docco on TC some time back and it had some old interviews from the 80s. To my surprise, I'd never seen them before and apparently before being edited for media/public view for the movie he was promoting, it depicted him as a total nutbag/nutcase. So, it is fair to assert that his 'recent' fruityness has probably endured for quite a while, it was just hidden from the media by his publicist or agent.
So there you have it.
There are heaps of movies of his that I love, but he is a nut, through and through, scientology just gives him and excuse for being so.