Talk:Tom Cruise debates psychiatry on NBC's Today show

Can someone please explain to me how this is newsworthy? NGerda 16:24, Jun 25, 2005 (UTC)
 * NGerda, see 5 news stories in the sources section. -Edbrown05 16:26, 25 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * That doesn't necessarily mean it's newsworthy. I'm referring to the actual story's content.  NGerda 16:28, Jun 25, 2005 (UTC)
 * The story's content is under development. Why the dispute tag?-Edbrown05 16:31, 25 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * It's the Notnews tag --NGerda 16:32, Jun 25, 2005 (UTC)

I think this is absolutely news. Tom Cruise is a highly popular actor, and his recent behavior has been in the news a lot. When famous people say strange things &mdash; the public tends to want to know. -- IlyaHaykinson 17:11, 25 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * OK, then it should go under Wackynews. NGerda 17:12, Jun 25, 2005 (UTC)

I think the article should mention scientology -- his opposition to psychiatry is most likely rooted there. --Chiacomo (talk) 17:24, 25 Jun 2005 (UTC)

How is "who dropped out of high school" important to the story? Tdempsey 04:52, 26 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * Considering he's claiming to have read and understood the complete history of psychiatric medicine, nature of chemical imbalance, and development of anti-depressive medication, it seems that his lack of education might be noteworthy. - McCart42 (talk) 04:55, 2005 Jun 26 (UTC)


 * A POV pusher would argue that lack of education led to his strange susceptibility to the scientology stuff. I don't think it's relevant, personally. By the way, see Citizens Commission on Human Rights for some interesting reading. Be Bold!!!!--Chiacomo (talk) 04:57, 26 Jun 2005 (UTC)


 * I probably should have phrased it like the wikipedia article did: "Cruise also claimed to have a scientific understanding of the way antidepressants work, despite the fact that he only has a high school education." This is what I was going for.  That sentence was added 13:41, 2005 Jun 25, after I wrote my phrasing of his education. - McCart42 (talk) 05:22, 2005 Jun 26 (UTC)


 * I think its interesting how the parameters of freedom of speech have narrowed in America over the past 40 years (except for rap; I can't figure that dichotomy out at all...Janet's breast vs. woman demeaning rap...any ideas?)..I guess it might simply be the lawmakers and media pundits don't listen to rap. But...

"Hey,yo,what's that got to do with Cruise? well,listen up ho,about as much as Cruise.. has got to do with news." Paulrevere2005 28 June 2005 04:35 (UTC)

Newsworthiness
When a prominent individual makes a controversial public statement, it is usually newsworthy. Additionally, the more prominent the person and/or the more outrageous the statement, the more newsworthy the event becomes. Please do not confuse incomplete or inadequate writing by a WN contributor with lack of newsworth of the topic covered. -- Davodd | Talk 18:56, 25 Jun 2005 (UTC)


 * I've added a bit more detail and quotations from the interview. Apologies for the brief summary I put up earlier; I feel this is newsworthy because it's a high-profile example of Scientology's views being presented to the media, and many other news agencies are covering it.  It's partly Wackynews, I suppose, but there are quite a few people out there who are actually going to listen to what Cruise had to say and believe he knows something about the field of medicine, when in fact, as Brooke Shields said, his words are probably "dangerous and irresponsible".  Whether or not you believe that Ritalin is overprescribed, there is no denying that what Cruise and the Church of Scientology advocate is complete removal of the field of psychiatric medicine, and replacement with Dianetics.  See the end of the Washington Post article for more information. - McCart42 (talk) 22:24, 2005 Jun 25 (UTC)


 * Here's the rub; the average life expectancy in the USA is the same as in the Czech Republic. The average lifetime health care cost per American is 48 times as much as the average lifetime health care cost per Czech and in Cz; everyone's covered. My conclusion is that the US system is so dysfunctional,any criticsm is good criticism if it gets people talking about health care in the US as a product rather than a burdon.Paulrevere2005 28 June 2005 04:35 (UTC)

Scientology
I don't know why I maintain an interest in this Tom Cruise character. The definition of "glib" according to Microsoft's Encarta is: fluent in a superficial or insincere way and shallow and lacking thought or preparation.

How incredibly arrogant of Cruise to speak to Lauer that way.

Here's a POV comment: Scientology is the refuge of persons who believe in nothing but themselves. -Edbrown05 26 June 2005 14:11 (UTC)
 * yeah, themselves and Xenu. ;) (my POV for the day) --CGW 27 June 2005 16:11 (UTC)
 * Xenu <-- flabbergasted! -Edbrown05 28 June 2005 02:23 (UTC)

Boycott War of the Worlds
I have long been a Tom Cruise fan....he just remedied that!! I think all of us offended by what he 'claims' to know, should boycott any future films or works of his. I have long suffered depression and worked many years in nursing....7 years in mental health nursing. We DO help people both with drugs and and other treatments. Unfortunately, a lot of us suffer severe enough depression that drugs help but don't cure us. We must continue to follow our treatment regimines set up by our doctors and the last thing a depressed person needs is feeling doubt or being put down by someone who has no idea what he's talking about. It took me years to accept that I suffer Major depression...afterall, what have I got to be depressed about....but I did come to terms with it...the chemical imbalance that Mr. Cruise says doesn't exist. He needs to stick to acting!! I will NEVER watch another Tom Cruise movie!! What a jerk!!! I hope other persons suffering depression can see that he's just an uneducated high school drop~out trying to throw his weight around talking about something he knows nothing about. And please, never be ashamed or embarrassed to get and receive help!! There's no shame in having an illness; the shame is in not accepting the diagnosis and following a treatment plan. The shame is that idiots that haven't a clue what they're talking about have access to giving their opinion on national tv shows...the shame is that too many believe just because they're able to to be heard on national tv means they know what they're talking about and it sure as h**l doesn't and this proves it!!

Nancy Brown R.N. Newton, Iowa

I don't get why anybody cares
When I was a kid I had a barber everybody called "Preacher". He would preach about Jesus while he cut hair. My friend was Jewish. He didn't seem to care as long as Preacher could give a good haircut. What difference does it make what Cruise or Penn or Sheen or Fonda or John Wayne or the Dixie Chicks or my dentist or a carpenter or a garbage man or Barry Bonds or a nobel prize winning chemist thinks about politics or psychiatry?

I think it just shows how utterly stupid we are to give any famous person's opinion(about anything other than their craft) any more attention than we would give some stranger on the sidewalk with a "the end is near" sign....give me a break. It makes no sense at all, to me; I just don't get it. The more important point to me is if we collectively apply some kind of "shunning" to people who express unpopular opinions. Wasn't it Disraeli(or Gladstone) that said "I disagree vehemently with my friend's opinion but I will fight to the death for his right to express it." Paulrevere2005 30 June 2005 18:26 (UTC)

sorry; "I disagree with what you have to say but will fight to the death to protect your right to say it." Voltaire Paulrevere2005 30 June 2005 18:31 (UTC)


 * Simply because he's a celebrity. Sure your barber had his opinion but did he have fans following him around, a few million dollars and media who watches his every move? The man has money and influence over some people (though not always the most intelligent). He could literally pay to establish scientology churches all over the place. And I'm sure if these churches spread the world that "psychiatry is a psuedoscience", it would be a great disservice to many people who actually need medical attention. The bottom line is that he's someone in the public light and that his irresponsible statement can actually adversely affect people who end up leaning towards his scientology views if they need actual medical help. And for once I can say, I know about psychiatry and the brain. I'm a med student and sorry Tom but until you've gone through med school and gained a deeper understanding of how the body works, you don't know jack about psychiatry. Hitokirishinji 22:14, 13 July 2005 (UTC)

Scientologists - why are these people dead?
http://www.whyaretheydead.net/room174.html

Lisa McPherson a woman suffering from a psychotic break was removed from a hospital by scientologists, denied medical and psychiatric help, and given vitamins. She died.

And she isn't the only one:

http://www.whyaretheydead.net/

other good sources of real information much from ex-scientologists:

http://www.xenu.net/

http://www.xenutv.com/

http://www.lermanet.com/