Producer Judd Aptow wrote a pretty interesting piece/journal for Slate last week. If you don't know who he is or why we should listen, keep in mind he was the producer/writer for Anchor Man, 40 Year Old Virgin and Heavy Weights.
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I have opinions about all sorts of things I shouldn't share. For instance, what is going on with Tom Cruise? Is he really in love, or was his relationship with Katie Holmes orchestrated to promote Batman Begins and War of the Worlds? Sometimes I think that if Tom Cruise is not in love with Katie Holmes, then he is doing all this because the celebrity media are out of control. If tabloids are going to hunt celebrities down and bother them 24 hours a day waiting for them to get laid, or do coke, or fall down in the mall, then why shouldn't celebrities manipulate them to promote their movies? If tabloids can make millions taking pictures of celebrities dropping their kids off at preschool, then why not orchestrate a fascinating relationship that helps their film get seen by more people and keeps them in the news?
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I think he's absolutely right. Though its fairly obvious that Tom Cruise went insane, it wasn't near the degree that the media made it out to be. The real reason that he got flogged on a nightly basis by television and newspapers is because he tried to cross them. He made a pretty blatant attempt to use the media to his advantage and they didn't appreciate that.
Do you really think the media was always in strong support of pychaitry or its medication? NO! They only crucified him on the topic because they needed to get him on something, anything. The tabloids hadn't covered Brooke Shields in months, but they made her his challenging nemises so they could put Tom back in his place. Sheilds filmed a movie in my neighborhood about two years ago and guess what kind of press that go? ONE LOCAL NEWSCAMERA. But when she had the ability to make Cruise look crazy? Then she was a start again.
Article comments
1 - ryan
hey i bought something from amazon off a blog critic link a while ago... does blogcritics make money off tha1t?
2 - WTF
Great opinions, all.
And the focal point of your bait and switch held on to the last. The REAL intent wasn't about Tom Cruise, it was about Bush.
Just as Tom Cruise tried to manipulate the press for PR.
You just tried to manipulate the reader for YA (Your Agenda).
Later.
3 - alienboy
Ryan - yes
4 - ryan
good stuff. how much?
5 - David Judge
Really interesting article, and truly engaging, I must add. I've subscribed to your RSS so I can look forward to more good posts from you.