The National Love/Hate Relationship with Tom Cruise

By Ben Widdicombe Posted May 15th 2010 01:00PM

The American public has such a conflicted relationship with Tom Cruise that sometimes it feels like we're all in marriage counseling together: Tom sitting on one side of the sofa and 307,006,550 of us on the other, trying to explain why we love him so much when sometimes we're not sure if we even like him.

All these colliding emotions about Tom came out last week when a video of him and his wife, Katie Holmes, mugging their way through a charity benefit performance of 'Whatever Lola Wants' went viral online. (Following copyright complaints, the clip has since mostly disappeared from the Internet.) People couldn't get enough of the couple, even though many still can't shake the feeling that something is not quite right about their relationship.

As we prepare for the marketing blitz around the June 25 release of his action-comedy 'Knight and Day' with Cameron Diaz, PopEater thought it was time to take stock of our relationship with America's greatest movie star. He does seem a bit more subdued, as his appearance on The Oprah Winfrey show this week, minus the couch jumping, showed

Tom has had a rocky few years. The moment he began to slip from bona fide national treasure to sometime-figure-of-fun can be traced to March 2004, when he fired his longtime publicist, Pat Kingsley. At the time, Hollywood scuttlebutt was that Cruise was hoping 2003's 'The Last Samurai' would be his Oscar vehicle, and blamed his PR team for not securing him a nomination. (Cruise has been nominated for the Academy Award three times, but has never won.)

Whatever the reason they parted ways, the following years proved the wisdom of Kingsley's policy of having Cruise never discuss his Scientology faith. When Kingsley left, Cruise replaced her for almost two years with Lee Anne De Vette, his sister and a fellow Scientologist. De Vette (and Tom) felt that he should be more open about the faith that played such a big part in their lives.

This did not go down well with the public. But the snickering turned into a career-threatening backlash in May 2005, when Cruise criticized his friend Brooke Shields on both 'The Today Show' and 'Access Hollywood' for taking anti-depressants, which Scientologists do not approve of. (He later apologized.)

While that was a PR disaster of his own making, he also suffered ridicule in January 2008 when a Scientology-produced video the actor made about his faith leaked onto the Internet. And somewhere between those two events was a memorable 'South Park' episode that managed to skewer Cruise both for his religion and those pesky gay rumors.

Ah, those rumors. Certainly, gossip about Cruise's sexuality has not hurt the actor's box office appeal -- at least not as of 2005, when he brought in almost a quarter-billion dollars for 'War of the Worlds.' But the more insidious damage it has done has been to create an aura of insincerity around him. When he infamously jumped on Oprah's couch to declare his love for Katie Holmes, people felt they were watching an actor acting rather than a genuine man in his 40s discussing his upcoming third marriage.

This generalized suspicion about the Cruise-Holmes union has spawned a thousand (essentially made-up) tabloid stories about their allegedly unhappy marriage. Unfortunately, they both exploit and promote an existing feeling that Tom, on some level, is not being honest with the American public.

All of those doubts are perfectly exemplified by that awkward, three-minute clip of Katie performing 'Whatever Lola Wants' at last week's private benefit, and the immediate, rushed attempts to have it removed from the Internet.

The message to the public seems to be that even behind closed doors, this couple is on stage.

Tags: tom cruise

Comments

(79)

Saturday 15 May

By johnrunion

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cruise was a major, major star for twenty years. he has finally run his course...and he has no one to blame but himself.

Monday 17 May

By JB

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Tom Cruise is a great and talented actor. as for his religion...

i would never call cruise an actor, a movie star YES; an actor No.

By Gerry

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Saw Tom on Oprah yesterday. Thought he came across as a real gentleman, a good family man and a very talented actor. He was certainly well mannered, humble and realistic about himself and his life. I see nothing about the guy to dislike. I'll go see his new movie as soon as it hits the streets. Cameron Diaz has a great sense of humor and is a gorgeous, talented actress.

By JustinOpinion

It's called ACTING! He's a schmuck.

Sunday 16 May

By fiona

Schmuck all the way. At some point Cruise deemed himself an action movie star and now seems to only do those kinds of films. Why? Money for one...America has an obsession with action flicks. But in action flicks, how often do you see any character development? It's all about the non-stop action. The characters are only there to carry it out. Robots could do the same. Cruise has avoided films where he has to ACT...develop a character and show a different personality other than his own stale laugh and grin. He just doesn't have it in him.

By Mike

There just ..Will NEVER be another TOP GUN !!! period... he's had some great movies but you can't top That for an iconic Movie !!! doesn't help the fact that he acts a fool about his religon either.. be normal be happy .. you Don't have to make a retard of yourself on nation wide t.v.. America is based on being who and what you want.. with in the guide lines of the law which can be touchy. I say make another movie take your millions and do something good with it.. that shows me more of a person then anything..

By MR TAYLOR

His new movie is going to be great. Won't miss it as I am sure many people will want to see it. plus it has Ms Diaz in it.
He is a great actor. In his private life he may do some stupid things but who hasn't.
God bless him and his family

By emily

i don't think he cares if god blesses him and his whole family because scientologists don't believe in god

By cornellyangi

MS.TALYLOR...you must be one of his he-she boy-girlfriends!!!! mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm ms.cruises c--k mmmmmmmmmmmmmm I will pay to see a waste product as well as his mentaly challanged so called wife!!!!! Its not hard to be a actor!!!! Which btw he can't!!!!!!Nor has he done anything to help anybody in any way from movies to the homeless...... Just talk about a fellon L-ron

By Amy

whoops-typo-BROOKE SHIELDS

By boz

Cruise is a major supporter of Scientology. Possibly, he is even more important than David Miscavige, who is the totalitarian leader and a intimate 'friend'. Tom is a true believer ala Albert Speer. Miscavige would be a Goebbels. Hubbard is dead and no one with his same game is on the horizon. Cruise has my pity, not my sympathy.

By icdou007

I dislike Tom Cruise, Not hate him, but his movies are old news.

He is always on the motorcycle doing his PR and being the hero. Old news Tom, over you.

By keyingatmach5

Won't see it, won't waste my money

By get over it

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but you will waster your time reading and replying to an articla about him. Really smart move

By Angelmaid

I still don't get it, as to why it bothers anyone that he jumped on a couch. People are kind of silly. Who cares how a person shows exuberance. Maybe people need something to make them jump on a couch! BOO YAH!

By Michael Teniente

The media is crazy. What's wrong with jumping on a couch to show the world you're extremely happy about finding the love of your life?

Heck, I would jump for joy if I got to be with the woman I truly love. What's wrong with that? I bet Katie Holmes loved it. And that's all that matters. In the long run...it's a memory they'll share as special for themselves. Remember when...he'll ask her. She'll say: I'll never forget it.

What will the media say then? Oh, I forget...the cameras won't be there when they reminisce to that moment. Why? Because it was a public declaration of love meant to be remembered forever...by the one you love.

Brilliant play on Tom's part, if you ask me.

There's nothing more important in your personal life than to find the one you truly love. Finding her, getting her and keeping her are 3 different things.

I hope they last the test of time.

I like some of his movies. Some I haven't watched.

The media tries too hard to make or break people based on what a "Hollywood perception" wants.

All that is a false reality.

The media beats him up and so...he did something wrong. Not true. The media beats him up...to sell their product and nothing more.

The guy is a major star. I never liked the guy, personally, but when he jumped on the couch...damn, he stole my idea for expressing how I feel about getting the girl of my dreams and I'm 51!

For that...I can only like the guy.

mike t.