How YouTube and Internet Journalism Destroyed Tom Cruise, Our Last Real Movie Star

[AndyLL]

Heh, yeah. I wonder how many people commenting actually went and read it.

 

 

 

I lost interest after the article stated: Except Cruise never jumps on a couch.  when the picture at the top of the article clearly shows he is.  And The Internet told us Tom Cruise killed Oprah. The truth is the Internet tried to kill him.

 

The article is doing the same thing that they accuse 'the internet' of doing.  Dramatizing and exaggerating the 'events' that have happened to Cruise.

 

Cruise is not destroyed. 

He career is not ruined.

No one really believes Oprah was scared of him that day

 

It's a puff piece trying to make us feel sorry for Cruise.

 

The real or imagined events such as what happened on Oprah do not hurt Cruise... it keeps an aging actor in the public eye.  If the author is correct that people still talk/care about it then Cruise succeeded in what he was trying to do... draw attention to himself.

 

If anyone really thinks what Cruise... or any actor... does on shows like Oprah are spontaneous... then I got some land in Arizona I'll sell you that will be valuable once Tele and his state drops into the ocean.

 

Actors (and most public figures) always walk a thin line of doing anything they can to stay in the public eye and relevant while trying to avoid crossing the line where to public will rebel against them.

 

Actors, and more importantly their 'people', love youtube and all the social media.  There is a reason for the saying... any publicity is good publicity. 

[BobbyJohn]

Heh, yeah. I wonder how many people commenting actually went and read it.

I did. And the article itself basically says "he destroyed himself" lol. Youtube had an effect, but it's not like "celebrity meltdown event" didn't exist prior that. Mariah Carey post-Glitter meltdown anyone? If it was just the couch-jumping, he would be fine. Trying to promote Scientology was what did it.

Edited May 22, 2014 by BobbyJohn

[lilmac]

Cruise is well past his peak. We will confirm that with another mediocre OW for EOT. At his peak he could open anything to big numbers.

 

That's not a bad thing.  No one can maintain a hot streak forever.  

[Joel M]

He is a very good actor and an amazing superstar. But he's 52, he should stop playing the action hero. Even if many people question his action skills no one can denie his impressive body of work. Huge hits that became classics, huge hits that time forgot but nothing embarrasing among them, oscar winning movies like Rain Man, he was the star of o KUBRICK movie.I mean his career is really impressive. I hope he doesn't spoils it with a possibly embarassing Top Gun 2.

[Water Bottle]

I lost interest after the article stated: Except Cruise never jumps on a couch. when the picture at the top of the article clearly shows he is. And The Internet told us Tom Cruise killed Oprah. The truth is the Internet tried to kill him.

If you finished the article, he explains what he means when he states Tom Cruise didn't jump on the couch. He did but not in the way we think-which is what this article was getting at.Oh and the article actually points out that his career is actually healthy despite a perception that it isn't. Edited May 22, 2014 by Water Bottle

[John Marston]

Tom Cruise has one of the beset filmographies  of any actor. Just look at it, an amazing body of work. And despite constant hating and saying he how he has lost all his starpower, he has never a flat out bomb, yet people keep going on about how he has to "Save his career". Denzel Washington probably has more flops than Tom Cruise, yet we don't hear the same about him

Edited May 22, 2014 by John Marston

[Cmasterclay]

Very well written and fascinating article, but he would have fallen off very shortly, anyway. He doesn't fit in the world of today, not as the MASSIVE star he once was, at least- the new world of gritty, realistic movies, and the new world of celebrities communicating with their fans on Twitter and through new media platforms that Cruise hasn't accessed. He's not near self-aware enough as an actor to fit in today's movie making landscape, and his leading man, 1980s style doesn't mesh well with the trends of ensemble acting and realism that have dominated the landscape domestically (he's still huge overseas.) He lacked the same self-awareness in his personal life, and he comes off too smary and self-serious in a way that doesn't fit into the Twitter/Fallon video/viral world of today. Nice guy for sure, but not the right celebrity for our time.

 

Also, Scientology. That hurts. I respect what anyone wants to believe personally, but as a religious institution, that shit is a cult. Anyone who's left Scientology has described practices that are inhumane and bug-fuck insane, and that's the whole religion, not just some sects like most faiths.

[Blankments]

Fascinating read; great article

[Spidey Freak]

Our Last Real Movie Star? What is this bullshit? Why is "Our" pretending this awesomeness doesn't exist

 

 

Also, as others have stated, he was his own undoing. Whether it was being obnoxious on the Batman Begins red carpet or stirring up unnecessary shit about Brooke Shields and psychiatric treatment, he went out of his way to destroy his public image. I couldn't care less what he preached or did behind closed doors. He was doing enough damage to himself in front of everyone.

[Joel M]

Bullock is the biggest star of the last 5 years but she isn't even close to Tom Cruise's status from late 80s to early 00s.

[Spidey Freak]

Bullock is the biggest star of the last 5 years but she isn't even close to Tom Cruise's status from late 80s to early 00s.

 

I dunno. Her strong pull in every genre makes her seem more than qualified to be called "Real Movie Star".

[darkelf]

But, but, Bullock's a girl

 

[Ozymandias]

wow, this thread is an amazing proof of that article

 

No its not.  Youtube and the internet has changed a lot about Hollywood and celebrities, but to say thats what caused Tom Cruise's image to get hurt is ludicrous.  His image still would've been hurt due to his Cult of Scientology shenanigans.... maybe not us much without the 24/7 internet/youtube/social media, but he still would've taken a hit because he was so fervent about it.  You could always fall from grace as a Hollywood superstar, its just a lot easier and quicker now.  Even though I think Tom Cruise is a loon in RL, I still like him as an actor(even though he plays Tom Cruise half the time) and he still makes good movies most of the time.

[Jawa]

[EscObAR123]

Tom Cruise destroyed himself. Scientology and pretending to love a girl when he is in fact the most obvious closet case in Hollywood history was his undoing.

 

His time at the top was going to end anyway, just like Tom Hanks. Will Smith and Johnny Depp were there to replace them.

 

No. Where do you think South Park got it from? Tom is gay. We've known for years. Scientology is a cult, their bullshit is public record and ex members have confirmed it as well.

 

I'm gay, I'm not saying it's a bad thing. He could help a *lot* of people in the community if he came out, as well as help himself.

 

[Jessie]

Tom Cruise destroyed Tom Cruise, cant blame anyone else. Its like a man raping a women and getting caught on camera doing so then blaming the camera man for ruining his life.

[Dark Jedi Master 007]

Tom Cruise destroyed Tom Cruise, cant blame anyone else. Its like a man raping a women and getting caught on camera doing so then blaming the camera man for ruining his life.

It's not even remotely close to that. Tom Cruise has never done or said anything that is even close to being as horrific as the example that you have given. Don't get me wrong, he has had his low points in life, but so have we. I'm sure if a camera followed me around at every given moment of my life and documented every little thing I did and said, I would easily be thought of as crazy, inhumane, and the worst person alive. Now, I haven't fully read the article, and I am unsure exactly how I feel about Cruise. However, to argue that he ruined his life by himself and that the media had no influence what-so-ever is just ignorant of how people act and how the media functions in our society. Do I think Tom deserves some of the blame? Yes. Do I think that he is the only one to blame? Absolutely not.

[Dark Jedi Master 007]

Just finished the article. It's a solid piece that deals with many issues that are relevant to our time. To be honest, I do feel a little for Cruise. Granted, he is rich, and his problems are far inferior to the problems that other people face; however, it is sad to see how we took a simple, perhaps awkward moment, and blew it completely out of proportion just so that we would have someone to vilify and something to talk about. Also, I love how the article even stops to consider the negative impact it had for us as an audience by talking about how Cruise takes less risks these days. 

[Jandrew]

Why does everyone think Tom Cruise is gay? I dont see it. And I dont think he conceived a child just to protect his public image either. I keep hearing this, but I dont see. I think if Emily Blunt was single, he wouldve tried to hit it after the wrap party.And I agree the Scientology is too much and I was he and Travolta and Preston and everyone else would get out of it, but I think hes still a good actor, and hes falling into that dwindling category of actors that you can tell truly cares about their work. And i was only like 11 during the couch fiasco, why was that a huge deal? We've all jumped on a couch or two in our days.PR has taken some bullets to the chest, but I think his character is still armored enough.

[Jack Nevada]

TC needs to do a non-action role for once.