If Tom Cruise gets any weirder, he may turn into Michael Jackson.
In an interview taped October 30 that aired Tuesday on Barbara Walters Presents: The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2005, the movie star, Scientologist, scourge of the medicated multitudes, and theoretical impregnator of his fiancee Katy Holmes, said, "I bought a sonogram machine. I am going to donate it to a hospital when we are done."
Taken aback, Walters replied, "Wait, you are going to do your own sonogram?"
"Yes," Cruise cackled in the somewhat unhinged manner to which we have become accustomed. He said he saw "a little baby" when he performed the sonogram on Holmes.
Personally, I love that gooey ultrasound gel. I wonder if you can eat it.
The American College of Radiology responded with a mixture of good sense and the indignant territoriality that is one of the medical community's most endearing traits. "This is a patient safety issue. Untrained people, even if they have the financial means, should not buy, or be allowed to buy and operate, ultrasound machines which are, in fact, medical devices and should not be used without a medical indication," said Carol M. Rumack, MD, FACR, Chair of the ACR Ultrasound Commission.
Ultrasound machines can cost anywhere from $15,000 to $200,000.
"These images should be obtained by certified technologists under the supervision of physicians properly trained in ultrasound. The images should then be interpreted by properly trained physicians," said Dr. Rumack.
For the uninitiated, ultrasound imaging, also known as ultrasound scanning or sonography, is a method of obtaining images from inside the human body through the use of high frequency sound waves. The sound waves' echoes are recorded and displayed as a real-time, visual image, and can also be photographed.
(A pregnant woman is given a sonogram by a medical worker)
Rumack continued, "The ACR is concerned that Tom Cruise has been badly advised regarding the use and potential abuse of ultrasound. There are many abnormalities that may be missed by the untrained eye ... It is disconcerting that a company would sell a medical device to a person not qualified in any way to perform or interpret ultrasound ... If there is no medical supervision for this process, I see no benefit to the patient, which in this case, is Mr. Cruise's unborn child," she sniffed.
Article comments
1 - Grozdan Popov
Vanity cum curiosity, great potion to be carried away. If Tom would like to publish the sonogram on istockphoto.com, he would have to provide their priggish "judges" with a model release which in turn has to be signed by the model and that signature confirmed by an adult witness plus the guardian if the model is not capable to sign. After that, oh, well, after come their even stiffer judges who make a consilium about the quality lighting and the compositionof the sonogram!
But you are right. All sorts of nut-cases in the photo-industry, Eric!
2 - Eric Olsen
if it's possible to get that fetal signature, Cruise will do it!
3 - Eric Berlin
Great stuff, EO, the Fun Factor here pops off the page!
4 - Mark Sahm
The funny thing is that when you listen to him speak, Cruise passionately believes everything he is doing is right and just. He's perfectly wrapped in his delusions like a mini-weiner in bacon.
Brother Maverick needs an intervention--- Iceman, Slider: break out the jetwash! Crash land that bastard back to reality!
5 - Joanie
When I heard Tom Cruise say he had an ultrasound at home and was performing them on Katie, I just about died. There's potential for burns from the transducer, not to mention the radiation exposure.
Money seems to be synonymous with stupidity when it comes to Mr. Cruise.
And, his citing that thousands of people have gone off medication based on HIS ADVICE is appalling.
Garçon, reality check at table Loony, please!
6 - Eric Olsen
thanks!
the many hats of Tom Cruise includes the self-righteous loon
avoid th burn factor: lube that woman up!
7 - Krasimir [FilmDailies.com]
I'd buy me one of those too. Nothing to see yet though.
8 - Eric Olsen
it would be fun to walk down the street with it and ultrasound everything
9 - Mark Sahm
That would require a lot of lube, EO.
10 - Eric Olsen
I say lube everything and play Twister
11 - Bennett
Pajiba!
12 - Mark Sahm
Bennett, does that mean you're going to lube and ultrasound examine the kissing celebrities?
13 - Bennett
Heh! Yeah, somewhat long that line. The current picture and EO's last comment seem so perfect together.
14 - Eric Olsen
the smooching Olsen Twins have bugged out
15 - RDMS RICK
Hey Tom:
I understand that you said all you have to do is read the manual. All that time in ultrasound school was wasted time on my part. Perhaps I should become an actor...all you have to do is memorize some words. Any idiot can do that...As you can imagine, I have seen my last Tom Cruise movie (no big sacrifice there.)
16 - Dave Nalle
Not to be too supportive of that whack-job Cruise, but I really don't see what harm having your own Sonogram machine can really do. The technology is about as harmless as you can get.
Dave
17 - Teresa
I feel so sorry for Katie Holmes. She has to delivery her baby in silence? Bet Tom could not deliver a baby in silence. Some one needs to rescue her from him, he gets more and more weird by the day. And Katie looks like she has been brain washed, does not appear to be happy. And is it true her own family is not allowed to be with her during the birth of her baby. At least her mom should be with her, its not right that no one in her family is not allowed, how can she go along with this and this cult ways of delvering a baby? I use to like Tom now I think he is insane. Sorry but I am entitled to my opinion which is what this is suppose to be for, whether anyone agrees or not.
18 - Melanie
Would it be possible to start "Operation Rescue Katy and Her Baby"? It really upsets me to think this baby is going to be born in silence and then not hear ANY human voices for the first week of his/her little life. Talk about damaging. I think Tom should be arrested for child-abuse if that happens. Because it is abuse. Babies thrive on human voices and touch the first weeks of their lives, proven scientifically. How can this whole wacky plan even be allowed???
19 - Victor Plenty
Moral and ethical standards don't apply to the rich, Melanie. Haven't you been paying attention? Getting enough money to break the law with impunity is the new American dream, according to some.
20 - FECHO
May God spare that child! Such mechanical intrusions are not healthy to start with. Ultrasound serves a medical purpose, it is not a toy, and the more a fetus is exposed to it the higher the probablilty of it causing abnormalities. Please, see: Autism Speaks