Riding the Cruise Ship

i would like to first say that i am not usually one for celebrity gossip. i don't read any of those US Weekly-type magazines, i don't watch E! or Access Hollywood, and i'm usually one of the last to hear about the latest news (i didn't even know there was a Bennifer 2 til last night). Frankly, i don't usually obsess about the lives of the famous because there's enough in my daily life and the broader world around us to keep me intrigued.

But one thing has strangely taken on the form of a mini-obsession for me as of late: WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH TOM CRUISE??!!

Yesterday, I spent at least an hour reading about his crazy antics over the last two months and another hour talking to people about it. It clearly does not deserve this much of my mindspace, but it totally draws me in. A great blog writes an interesting commentary on the whole thing, including the TomKat thing (don't you know? that's what the couple is called - now i know), his crazy scientology/anti-drug talk and all other things weird Tom: http://www.fametracker.com/blue_moons/mediator_2005_06_14.shtml

Yes, i spent time today reading that too.

But the thing that bothers me the most is I can't really put my finger on why i'm so intrigued by this whole thing. I think part of it is that he just seemed so normal to me for so long (his squeaky clean image, marriage to nicole) and for him to come out now, after 20 years of a career and show that he's actually been crazy all this time makes me rethink how easy/hard it is for people to hide their true selves from everyone and how long it takes for it to come out.

Another piece of it, i think, is that i used to do PR and realizing the power that Pat Kingsley had on keeping him under wraps is really quite remarkable. I am constantly reminded, from my few years in the industry and at times like these, that what the public sees is often so far from the truth of what really is. it's partly why i left the field - you start to forget what's reality and what is of your own shaping and what becomes both.

The other thoughts that keep crossing my mind is 1: how brilliant Ron Hubbard was and 2: the power that celebrities have is freaking scary. For Hubbard to say that it is the artists who ultimately will own/shape the future is brilliant. Who has the most power to wield over the masses? It's not Bush - it's the Britneys, Madonnas and Toms of the world. Look at Tom's ability to convert thousands of people to his crackpot religion, with Katie as his latest victim. Look at how he gets major hollywood executives to take 4 hour tours of the Scientology centers. It's scary!

Ultimately too, i really do believe that it's not a publicity stunt anymore - that he is legitimately kookoo and it makes me wonder how that happened to him, what causes one's mind to turn to fizz. it makes me uncomfortable to see someone i semi-like turn nutso in front of millions of people - it's the trainwreck that i can't stop watching and i can't help but hop on for the ride.