It's quite sad that the article has to make repeated disclaimers about Cruise's sexuality in case they get sued. Why the hell should anyone be sued for calling you gay whether you are or not? It's as if calling someone gay is regarded in the same libellous, utterly negative way as calling someone a crook and a thief in public. This is bad and pathetic. It perpetuates the antediluvian notion that being gay is wrong or even criminal.
I'm left-handed. If someone calls me right-handed, can I sue?
Being accused of being so when you are not has countless reverberations and ramifications for the duration of your life. Disruptive through to seriously psychologically damaging.
Nobody is surprised to hear him get all giggly over cutting someone's O-two?
Well that's because most can tell nothing bad happened here. He is obviously laughing at how it all sounds. They cut the back oxygen so they, the pilots, had enough oxygen to remain awake and fly the plane. But upon hearing himself say "if we cut the oxygen to the guy in back we can make it" it hit him just how bad that sounded. To me his laughter indicates just how clearly there was no danger to the passenger in back.
Agree with storyteller. He was cracking up recounting a story that sounds really bad in hindsight. I've done this myself many times, while telling a story or joke, sometimes you're just laughing at the memory of the thing (seen many of my mates do it too). Looks like he had an attack of the giggles...that makes you gay now...?
I agree with Storyteller and Kev. His tale is not that different from some any of us could share about some prank we pulled on a friend when we were young that could’ve gotten them seriously hurt. We often laugh at it in retrospect (maybe to cover the “Oh, crap how stupid were we?”) aspect of it. And honestly, it is pretty critical for the pilot to have enough O2. And you know about the instructions you get about the use of the masks when flying commercial. The main thing that bugged me about this video is how he could hardly say three words without the audience applauding like someone was sharing the divine secrets. Jeez, do they worship their stars or what?
It's quite sad that the article has to make repeated disclaimers about Cruise's sexuality in case they get sued. Why the hell should anyone be sued for calling you gay whether you are or not? It's as if calling someone gay is regarded in the same libellous, utterly negative way as calling someone a crook and a thief in public. This is bad and pathetic. It perpetuates the antediluvian notion that being gay is wrong or even criminal.
I'm left-handed. If someone calls me right-handed, can I sue?
Being accused of being so when you are not has countless reverberations and ramifications for the duration of your life. Disruptive through to seriously psychologically damaging.
I remember a case in the UK in the 90's when singer/actor Jason Donovan sued 'The Face' magazine for claiming he was a homosexual. He won the case and was awarded damages, but he said after that the whole episode had a negative effect on his career.
I don't care much for Cruise as a person (particularly after proclaiming himself an expert on post-partum depression and psychiatry in general), but the Letterman thing cracks me up. When someone with as carefully constructed a facade as Cruise gets the giggles and allows a bit of their own "flawed humanity" to show, then I think that it might not be too late for him.
The gay thing? Par for the course when yer a celeb, I think. Gay gents, do you even want him?
And honestly, it is pretty critical for the pilot to have enough O2. And you know about the instructions you get about the use of the masks when flying commercial.
If I remember the story correctly, the pilots had the choice of taking the slower route and keeping oxygen, or taking the faster route, but having limited oxygen.
That they chose the route that was expedient to them and dangerous for the (unaware) passenger doesn't speak well for the 2 piloting the plane, TC included.
That he laughed about it in front of about a zillion people speaks even more poorly of him.
If I remember the story correctly, the pilots had the choice of taking the slower route and keeping oxygen, or taking the faster route, but having limited oxygen. That they chose the route that was expedient to them and dangerous for the (unaware) passenger doesn't speak well for the 2 piloting the plane, TC included. That he laughed about it in front of about a zillion people speaks even more poorly of him.
Dee-In-Bee's post VERY importantly points out to me that I need to make it clear that I do not find the plane incident funny in and of itself. The significant (to me, anyway) part of it was that Cruise thought it was funny and revealed the "flawed humanity" to which I referred to earlier.
I remember a case in the UK in the 90's when singer/actor Jason Donovan sued 'The Face' magazine for claiming he was a homosexual. He won the case and was awarded damages, but he said after that the whole episode had a negative effect on his career.
Very poor judgement call. It just reinforces the notion that the term homosexual = derogatory. Oh, and the only thing that hurt Donovan's career was the natural passage of time.
