Everyone's buzzing about the Tom Cruise/Oprah Winfrey two part interview on "The Oprah Winfrey Show." So why shouldn't we at BlogHer do the same?
I'm kind of neutral when it comes to Tom Cruise. I've always thought he was a very good movie star who can act a little. Don't get me wrong, I don't mean that as a bad thing, it's just that Tom's a movie star first and an actor second. I've seen maybe a total of five of his movies and three of those were "Mission Impossibles."
When he had his public relations meltdown a couple of years ago, I watched with a detached fascination as a guy with a pretty good reputation and relationship with the public turned into a nut job of the kind that only Hollywood can produce.
For me, the worst part of it was the couch jumping. No, I'm serious. The reason is, here Tom Cruise was on national television proclaiming in a wacky and slightly obnoxious way his love for the new woman in his life, Katie Holmes. At the time I couldn't help wondering what the kids he had with Nicole Kidman thought about Tom saying he'd never loved anyone before Katie. What was Nicole? Chopped liver?
Anyway, this two part interview was Tom's first sit down with Oprah since that momentous day in TV couch jumping history. The first part took place at his home in Colorado and the second part was a tribute to Tom's 25 years in movies, taped at Oprah's Chicago studio. Oprah said one of the reasons she wanted to do part of the interview in Tom's home was because, "It's difficult to have a real, real conversation in front of an audience." At the beginning of that interview, Katie made a cameo appearance before leaving Tom and Oprah to chat.
The first part of the interview was also the meatier part where Oprah asked Tom about all the Tom Cruise incidents that made him come across as a wacko. You've heard them all. Here are Tom's responses:
The Couch Jumping: "It was a moment. And it was real. I just felt that way. And I feel that way about her." Then he jokingly accused Oprah of egging him on.
The Matt Lauer/"Today Show" interview where he implied post partum depression didn't exist and that no one should be taking anti-depressants: "It came out wrong. I was feeling pressed in the interview with Matt Lauer." He said he meant anti-depressants are being prescribed too often to children. He apologized to Brooke and they are closer friends than ever.
The Sonogram Machine Purchase As A Way To Control Katie: Not true. He and Katie wanted a way to keep the sonogram pictures private. Missy at Celebrity Baby Blog explains:
Within 12-hours of Katie's first positive pregnancy test, Tom said, news of the pregnancy began circulating when medical personnel leaked the results. The identity of Katie's doctors and the name of the hospital she would ultimately deliver Suri at were being openly discussed in the press. The lack of privacy afforded to the couple left them feeling stunned.
On Whether Or Not Scientology Means Their Way Is The Only Way: "No. It's actually the exact opposite of that."
Mompaca who once dreamed "If I Had Married Tom Cruise" wasn't impressed:
The whole time Oprah is asking him questions, I can read the thoughts in his little brain. He is saying to himself….”I must sell more DVDs, movie tickets, merchandise. I can’t sell, sell, sell if everyone thinks I am some kind of narcissistic, lunatic, cult member, controlling, identity crisis marrying a woman half my age actor. I have to appear like a normal everyday husband with a million acre spread in Colorado.”
Cee See at Hollywood Offender was amused by Katie's cameo:
But the best--the best--was Tom and Kate's goodbye: Kiss, hug (with lower bodies following the old Catholic school dance guideline of being able to fit a ruler between their bodies), "I love you," heads to door, turns around, repeats "I love you." Sweet Fancy Moses, men going to war have less intense goodbyes than that. Is the road into town that dangerous? Might Kate never return?
I have to admit, that made me laugh out loud.
Also in the comedy category, Jen at Earthnocentric thought "The Best Thing About Tom Cruise's Celebration On The Oprah Winfrey Show," just check out the link, and see for yourself.
At Totally Fabulous, Tom found a bit more sympathy:
It is obvious by taking a glimpse into his home that they are simply a happy family, and is it just me or is he sexier then ever? An excellent husband and father with a beautiful family, and he's still making the movies that we all love to see. What's not to love?
Did I believe Tom's explanations? I suppose so. At least to the extent that I care. But from a public relations standpoint, Tom's decision to return to the scene of his couch jumping crime was a good one.
Megan Smith is a BlogHer Contributing Editor covering TV and YouTube and she hopes Tom Cruise can now put all this unpleasantness behind him. Megan's other blogs are Megan's Minute and Video Runway.
Comments
My favorite line...
By: merlotmom Posted: 1 week 4 days agowas when Oprah was taking her tour of Tom's house and entered the kitchen. Her comment beyond how lovely it was was , "It's so normal". I don't know about you but most of my friends do NOT have kitchens like that. My husband and I laughed out loud.
merlotmom
My Kitchen
By: MSmith Posted: 1 week 3 days agoHi Merlot Mom,
My whole kitchen would fit in Tom's oven.
Megan
BlogHer Contributing Editor, TV/YouTube
Megan's Minute
Video Runway
"It's so normal"
By: skinnygail Posted: 1 week 3 days ago...in Oprahworld!