Sumner Redstone, the CEO of Viacom, the company that owns Paramount, said Paramount was ending its 14-year relationship with Tom "Jump the Couch" Cruise because "as much as we like him personally, we thought it was wrong to renew his deal. His recent conduct has not been acceptable to Paramount." As much as I hate Tom Cruise, he deserves a bit more than a personal attack from a company he helped save.
I should start at the beginning. I hate Tom Cruise and always have. I only like a character actor if I enjoy their character and Tom Cruise is an annoying character actor. Oh, I know people love to go on about what a great actor he is, but think about his roles and it becomes clear he is not a great actor, he is a performer with one trick. He is the “cocky, arrogant, best at what he does but doesn’t care about anyone but himself until he learns a valuable lesson about self-sacrifice and single handedly saves the day with a smile and great hair” guy. Every movie he makes is some version of Top Gun and I really did not like Top Gun.
Tom Cruise has recently become a freak show. He and Katie are six months from their own reality show, I guarantee it. Too bad P.T. Barnum missed out on this craze; he would have loved reality television. Tom Cruise could even have a second career. He would be a great addition to P.T. Barnum’s act: 
Come see the handsome man who looks normal, but looks are not what they seem! Come shiver in fear as he explains reality to you! Come worship his inner alien and bow before his powers of psychiatry! Gaze in Terror as he leaps from couch to couch in orgasmic glee! He is the Cruise!
This does not change the fact his freak show status has nothing to do with Paramount's decision to dump him in my opinion and, after 14 years, they owe it to him to not join the daisy chain of pain. They dumped him because his movies are not making the money they thought they would. Mission Impossible 3's $47 million opening weekend was a disappointment. It is a business decision and they have to make it personal, why?
.jpg?t=20120527181101)
Article comments
1 - Bryan
Tom Cruise is definitely more the leading man type than a "character actor." Though perhaps if he can continue to fuel his wackjob reputation he can turn a complete 180 on his filmography and become the next Nick Nolte.
2 - brad schader
He has the illusion of a leading man, I agree on that. The character he plays is a leading man type character, but he always plays the same character in every movie.
3 - Meretrixie
Naturally! People's decision not to watch a Cruise movie has everything to do with their liking (or disliking) Cruise. It is hard not to forget during an action sequence that this guy forbade his wife to make a sound during the delivery. If he is a one act pony, then he's revealed himself outside the theatres to be a donkey and a crazed one at that, who's gonna go and watch MI4???
4 - brad schader
I actually look at actors second when deciding if I want to see a movie. Yes, Tom Cruise or Keanu Reeves makes it hard to go, but if it looks like it will be a good movie I will see it anyway. Collateral was great inspite of Tom Cruise and Matrix was fun inspite of Keanu.
5 - Harry
I am not a Cruise fan and I do not like his acting and his show, either.
6 - Victor Plenty
Thanks for clearing that up, Harry. Everyone's been wondering when you would take a stand on this issue.
Care to elaborate on your reasons?
7 - Heloise
Cuba Gooding carried him in "Show me the Money" which I did like. And when one's most memorable line goes like "you complete me." And he bangs his chest (?) you have to wonder about building a career on this sound byte. Yet, stranger things have happened. His career took off.
What about "Rain Man?" No one has mentioned that movie. I did watch it and Hoffman won the Academy award and the music was great. But Tom was again in the shadows with his confusion over his brother's behavior.
Tom must have been a bag in his last life, because everyone still keeps carrying him around...
Heloise