An innocent exchange of e-mails with Nicholas of A Gentleman's Domain, turned into a full-fledged rant on my part about my feelings about Tom Cruise.
I admit I drooled in the Top Gun days. I had respect in the Born on the Fourth of July days. I thought he sold out with that racing car movie. But his fate was sealed with me when he made his comments (obviously formed from his many years in medical school and private psychology practice) that Brooke Shields should not have taken anti-depressant medications when she was suffering from post-partum depression.
[Insert not included in original e-mail: If he had called Brooke and offered his support privately, like Tatum O'Neal apparently did with Brittany Spears, although of course the media got hold of it, that would have been a much different scenario. His public admonishment of Shields was uncalled for and inappropriate.]
I like celebrities whose work I admire (Meryl Streep, William Hurt, Joan Allen)...or rather, I like their work. If they happen to give something back to the community and the world at large (a la Audrey Hepburn and her selfless, un-publicity-motivated dedication to UNICEF) then more the better. But when they start thinking that their celebrity status gives them expertise on subjects on which they have no business commenting and the authority to judge others for their choices, I can't help but let that spill over into my feelings about them as artists.
I am torn now because I swore off Tom Cruise movies as a matter of principle (thus, I guess, conradicting myself and applying my personal opinions to him as an artist) and now there is a movie coming out called Lion for Lambs which, in addition to Tom Cruise, stars Meryl Streep, Robert Redford and Peter Berg...all of whose work I respect and enjoy. What ever to do!!!
Does Freedom of Speech apply to blog? Or am I going to have to defend myself, due of course to my incredibly large readership, in Tom Cruise libel suit funded by the deep pockets of Scientology?
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