Fox News’ Roger Friedman Manages To Slam Tom Cruise AND Jann Wenner In One Fell Swoop
Love the sinner, hate the sin is the philosophy I apply to Fox News’ Roger Friedman. I hate Fox News and their over-the-top conservative slant, but I love Roger Friedman’s take-no-prisoners attitude towards celeb Scientologists, and his outright hatred toward Rolling Stone Magazine publisher Jann Wenner.
So today’s article was especially awesome, as he does BOTH.
Tom Cruise = FAIL
Apparently, Tom Cruise, second alien in charge at the Church of Scientology is under the faulty impression he’s still a major star, commanding a major paycheck. Unfortunately for Tom, movie studios aren’t under the same impression and Tom’s having trouble making his once typical $20 million per film. In fact, studios don’t want the liability related to negative press surrounding Tom and the creepy cult he shills for. Here’s more from Roger:
It looks like there’s a snag in Tom Cruise’s big career comeback film. According to sources, Cruise is probably not going to be playing the role of Edwin A. Salt, a fictional CIA officer who is outed as a spy.
“Edwin A. Salt,” which is set at Columbia Pictures, has had a rocky road. First Terry George was set to direct. He left and was replaced by Philip Noyce.
But now Cruise is out, and I’m told it’s because of money. Apparently, Tom is unaware of the change in his status in the Hollywood community. Where once he was the top-paid star, Cruise now is in a position where a $20 million salary is not possible. I’m told an internal memo went around among the film’s producers and top creators in which the Cruise situation was discussed and names were gathered for a replacement.
The reasons for Cruise’s departure are not just his diminished popularity, negative public opinion and Scientology.
This can not be good news for Cruise, who seems to be on the receiving end of this kind of misfortune a lot lately. His most recently completed film, Valkyrie, about real-life German hero Claus von Stauffenberg, has been plagued with problems, ranging from outrage from Germany, to footage being destroyed in fires, to general lackluster interest. The film’s release which was scheduled to open this summer, has been pushed back twice and is now set to release in Feb. 2009. Cruise’s efforts to revamp his career have not worked out so well either, and even a special show with Oprah celebrating his 25 year career did little to help.
Roger also points out one other major PR snafu — Tom’s handling of ex-wife Nicole Kidman’s blessed birth and visitation with her two adopted children from their ten-year marriage. Despite reports of Tom sending a “room full of flowers” to Nicole after the birth of her first biological child, Sunday Rose, Cruise is still keeping her children, Isabella and Connor away. More from Friedman’s article:
Meantime, Cruise remains at the center of the mystery concerning his kids Isabella and Connor’s continued absence from their mother, Nicole Kidman. The kids, I’m told, still have not visited Kidman in Tennessee nor met their new half-sister, Sunday Rose. This kind of thing, Cruise doesn’t seem to comprehend, only adds to his career predicament.
What Roger kindly left off, is that Cruise’s Church of Scientology, also has an nasty habit of separating parents from their kids. They call it “disconnection,” I call it the most despicable policy of the Church.
Rolling Stone Mag’s Jann Wenner Continues To Suck Out Loud
I have railed about Jann Wenner before on Glosslip. His choke-hold on the Rock Hall Inductees reeks of cronism, and those who DO vote, have major blinders on to some of the greatest talents in rock’s history. Oversights such as Roxy Music, The Cure, Rush, Graham Parker, Depeche Mode, Iggy Pop/Stooges, New Order/Joy Division, Moody Blues, Go-Go’s, Run DMC, Duran Duran and many, many more deserving artists proves the inductee list is all about WHO Wenner thinks should be in, not who DESERVES to be in. Well, apparently, this blindness extends to all aspects of Wenner’s misguided attempts to direct music history.
What Roger says:
Leave it to Rolling Stone, the magazine we boycott because of Jann Wenner’s tragic mishandling of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame every year.
In November, Rolling Stone is going to publish a list of the all-time best singers. It doesn’t matter if they’re dead or alive, active or retired, in their prime or over the hill. It’s just a free-for-all of names listed on a ballot and sent to Wenner’s friends.
Voters are asked to select “20 top singers, in order of preference. Among the criteria to take into account: originality, stage presence, influence and, most important, vocal ability.”
That last one must be why Justin Timberlake, Aaliyah and Perry Ferrell are on the same ballot as Whitney Houston, Paul Rodgers and James Taylor.
But it’s a list, you say, and these lists are simply marketing tools designed to infuriate readers and stimulate sales. Right you are. But if they’re going to do a list, regardless of their so-called winner, maybe “the Bible” (ho ho) of rock ‘n’ roll should try not to forget significant names.
Roger’s article includes a long list of names excluded from Wenner’s ballot, many of which I don’t agree with, but the point being, Jann clearly thinks that simply because HE created a list of names deserving of honor, that some how this makes the list definitive. It only means Jann think way too much of himself. Maybe he and Tommy should “hook-up” — if you know what I mean 
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feeling sorry for Tom Cruise
don’t like him but wished he would wake up and get out
he would be seen as brave and courageous like Jason Beghe
Comment by tuffyt — July 18, 2008 @ 11:43 am
It’s interesting the way that the Scientology syndicate is attempting to rebuild Tom Cruise’s image out in the real world among those of us who don’t believe we’re infested with invisible murdered space aliens called “Body Thetans.”
There is a shark-jumping aspect to falling in to the evil clutches of the Scientology crime syndicate and being so gullible, so stupid as to get caught ranting and drooling about how the insane corporation some how turns actors in to real-life super heros who can save accident victims because nobody else can.
The guy’s career is over, and it’s not because he’s a friggen idiot. It’s because he’s a spokesclam for a major sinister, historically crimnial, some times DEADLY crime syndicate.
Comment by Fredric L. Rice — July 18, 2008 @ 12:28 pm
I heard a rumor that Tom has clout with Jann. In any event, Scientology is L. Ron Hubbard, and L. Ron Hubbard’s writings are the rules that Tom follows. Hubbard’s rules, some of them, are truly foul and NOT acceptable in society. Ideas, it’s all about ideas driving people to behave various ways. Scientology’s/Hubbard’s rules invading the world, the foul Hubbard rules need to be contested and rejected.
People use each other and people operate based on ideas and principles. There is so much bad in Scientology, those in Scientology need to wise up to that badness, and stop enforcing Hubbard’s luny badness on the rest of us. Chuck Beatty, ex Scientology staffer, 1975-2003.
Comment by Chuck Beatty — July 18, 2008 @ 12:30 pm
Wenner’s been at the helm of that boring (IMNSHO) magazine for way too long. On the other hand, I guess if you’ve pwned the head spot for that long, you can use it however you wish. To me, Rolling Stone hasn’t been a rock magazine for a decade or so…it’s just another corporate rag of no worth, and I used to subscribe to it when it was the original, newsprint, oversized, 1/4-fold publication. I did not know that he controls the HOF as much as he does, that explains a lot, and I agree with your oversight list.
Still praying for Tom Cruise to see the light. I think that if he let go of the heavy roles (Nazis, spies, cybercops, etc.) and tried to do something light and fluffy once in a while, people might give him another chance. Those ominous characters are too close to the heaviness of his personal baggage now and it’s no fun seeing him anymore.
Comment by Jannah — July 18, 2008 @ 12:31 pm
I don’t feel sorry for Tom Cruise. Tom is very well aware of his cult’s gulag-like prison called the Rehabilitation Project Force. Tom doesn’t care that all the niceties that he enjoys at Celebrity Centre and out at Gold Base near Hemet, California are all because of the slave labor.
The national offices of Amnesty International are looking into the fact that the cult is enslaving poor third-world country teenagers at Flag in Clearwater, Florida.
Today Tonight, an Australian t.v. program just did a blistering expose’ about the cult working teenagers within their orgs down under.
Wake up, people. This cult is deadly and it’s guilty of the largest espionage infiltration EVER in the history of the United States! It was called Operation Snow White and when the cult infiltrated our government, they gleaned top-secret information about these countries and organizations as well: Algeria; Australia; Austria; Belgium; Denmark; France; Germany; Greece; Holland; Interpol; Italy; Morocco; Portugal; Spain; Sweden; Tunisia; United Kingdom; and the United Nations.
Educate yourself about this cult and what Tom Cruise and his fellow celebritologists KNOW.
Now. Onto Jann Werner and his stranglehold on the Rock Hall. Werner has certainly been screwing it up. However, go try to find out how they nominate and induct artists into the Country Music Hall of Fame. You can’t even find out the names of the people involved in that whole convoluted process. At least with the Rock Hall and Werner, we know who to be pissed off at.
Comment by AnonMomAnon — July 18, 2008 @ 1:19 pm
I saw Friedman’s column this morning. He writes about Cruise and his Stepford wife frequently and is one of my faves. Here is what he had to say on Katie Holmes yesterday:
Katie Holmes Seeks Career Suicide
Big news: Katie Holmes will appear on an episode of ABC’s “Eli Stone” this fall.
“Eli Stone”? Emmy-nominated? No. A hit? No. A cult hit? No.
Left over because of the writers’ strike last winter? Yes.
So this is what Katie Holmes’ career has become. She’s also taken a minor role in an Arthur Miller play on Broadway.
Earlier this year, she appeared in one of the more dreadful comedies of all time, “Mad Money.”
Is this savvy Hollywood career planning or suicide?
Before Holmes met Tom Cruise, she made a highly praised performance in the indie movie “Pieces of April.” She had a nice part in the blockbuster film “Batman Begins.” She was in the much-praised comedy, “Thank You for Smoking.”
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But becoming the robotic Mrs. Cruise has pretty much derailed her. Certainly actors use TV appearances to boost careers. Britney Spears just did it in “How I Met Your Mother.” But that’s an established hit, and considered “smart TV.”
Of course, the argument might be that “Eli Stone” creator Greg Berlanti worked on “Dawson’s Creek.” But wouldn’t Holmes have been better off on Berlanti’s hit show, “Brothers & Sisters”? Indeed.
By now, Holmes must be wondering where things have gone wrong. Nicole Kidman managed to get a terrific career out of her marriage to Tom Cruise. Penelope Cruz’s stock only rose after her brief association with him. But Katie? From “Eli Stone” it’s hard to imagine where she can go next. “Mad Money 2?”
Comment by Rachel — July 18, 2008 @ 1:39 pm
What I find interesting is how you all “heard”. It seems no one “knows”. I doubt very much Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise are worried about what people have to write or say about them. They seem pretty happy in every photograph I see.
Comment by Jeannie — July 18, 2008 @ 6:07 pm
It’s called “smile for the camera”.
I can’t believe those kids haven’t been taken to visit their newborn sibling.
That totally sucks.
Comment by stivbator — July 18, 2008 @ 6:26 pm
They do not seem happy in any pictures I’ve seen. Has anyone ever seen Suri smile?
SAVE KATIE
Comment by LAnon — July 19, 2008 @ 2:01 am
Smile or get sent to a labor camp… I know what I’d choose.
Copy/paste “rehabilitation project force” into google and give it a spin.
Comment by David — July 19, 2008 @ 5:25 am
“I doubt very much Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise are worried about what people have to write or say about them.”
Cruise is plenty worried about what people say, and he should be. From former “world’s biggest movie star” to bad Hollywood joke in record time. Why do you think he made the awful “Valkyrie”? To try to salvage his rep. Why did he go on Oprah for a 2 part interview? Same thing. Why was the laughably lame “25th anniversary of Risjy Business” webiste created? Same thing.
“They do not seem happy in any pictures I’ve seen. Has anyone ever seen Suri smile?”
I noticed that as well. I’ve never seen a photo of her smiling.
Comment by Rachel — July 19, 2008 @ 12:58 pm
lets fried this man so evil and vicious, this fox news reported had always somthing falsely about the cruise family, from suri katie and tom. karma fried man .
Comment by mitch — July 20, 2008 @ 4:52 pm
lets fried this man so evil and vicious, this fox news reporter had always something falsely said about the cruise family, from suri katie and tom. karma fried man . this is corrected version
Comment by mitch — July 20, 2008 @ 4:53 pm
Hey readers wake up. You’re on a gossip site ergo one can assume you wish for a life you don’t yourself have. Tom and Katie are well and happy. You needn’t be concerned. Perhaps you should invest some of your scrutiny to yourself.
Look bach on all the nonsense that has been printed about the tomcat from the begining. Has anyone apologized for the slander and unfounded statements.
No that would take integrity which doesn’t seem to come up much in this medium.
Comment by pat luefan — July 21, 2008 @ 11:44 pm
Let’s address the negative commentators, shall we?
Jeannie: you wouldn’t happen to be JeanneB, the infamous Scientology shill, would you?
Also, the OT VIII, Pat Luefan:
http://www.truthaboutscientology.com/stats/by-name/p/pat-luefan.html
Then, there’s the inevitable broken English typing cheerleader that shows up just in time to make the home team (CoS) look like uneducated hot heads. There’s a thing we value here in America, Mitch, called freedom of speech. Of course, I’m sure you’re aware of that since your org has likely been protested month after month.
Anywho, what gives? Is their a LEAF-like campaign to flood comment sections of negative Tom Cruise stories? Sure reads like one. Isn’t supposed to go something like: Team A makes positive comments about Tom and Scientology and Team B makes negative comments about the author/publication/etc? Yeah, sure it is. Learn some new tricks.
By the way, do you all lack the confront it takes to comment on the story about one of your members making some little girls cry by illegally blocking them from a Subway restaurant? Or, how about the disabled elderly woman (using a walker) one of your tough guys wouldn’t let past a barricade to get to her home. For the authorities on everything, you should know, when you close a street, it’s still open to residents.
Or, lets talk about the fake FDNY Medal of Valor you gave yourselves?
No? Probably not.
Comment by Anon, Anon, My Boyfriend's Back! — July 22, 2008 @ 2:38 pm
Yes, Roxy Music is the most glaring omission from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, despite having four albums listed in the Rolling Stone mag’s top 500, and being considered by the Guardian to be arguably the most influential British band except for the Beatles. Jann and Lester Bangs just did not get along w/ Bryan Ferry. It is personal. The big kick in Jann’s teeth was U2’s induction ceremony, when they said that Roxy, Velvet Undergound and Television were their Hall of Fame.
Comment by Jeff OBrien — July 25, 2008 @ 5:38 am