Anybody see Tom Cruises interview on the today show? Crazy!

[mayfly]

XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX FRI JUNE 24, 2005 10:51:08 ET XXXXX
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CRUISE 'WAR OF WORLDS' INTERVIEW TURNS INTO SHOWDOWN ON PSYCHIATRY, SCIENTOLOGY

NBC 'TODAY SHOW' host Matt Lauer was lectured by star Tom Cruise on the dangers of psychiatry and antidepressant during a promotional interview for WAR OF THE WORLDS.

The exchange aired Friday morning.

LAUER: TOM CRUISE CREATED A FIRESTORM WHEN HE CRITICIZED BROOKE SHIELDS FOR REVEALING THAT SHE WENT INTO THERAPY AND TOOK ANTIDEPRESSANTS TO DEAL WITH HER POST PARTUM DEPRESSION. AS A SCIENTOLGIST, HE DOESN'T BELIEVE IN PSYCHIATRIC MEDICINE. I ASKED HIM ABOUT HIS COMMENTS.

CRUISE: i've never agreed with psychiatry, ever. Before I was a Scientologist I never agreed with psychiatry. and when i started studying the history of psychiatry, i understood more and more why i didn't believe in psychology.

//And as far as the Brooke Shields thing is, look. You gotta understand, I really care about Brooke Shields. I-- I think here's a-- a-- a wonderful and talented woman. And-- I wanna see her do well. And I know that-- psychiatry is-- is a pseudo science.

MATT LAUER: But-- but Tom, if she said that this particular thing helped her feel better, whether it was the antidepressant or going to a counselor or psychiatrist, isn't that enough? //

TOM CRUISE: Matt, you have to understand this. Here we are today where I talk out against drugs and psychiatric abuses of electric shocking people (PH), okay, against their will, of drugging children with them not knowing the effects of these drugs. Do you know what Aderol (PH) is? Do you know Ritalin? Do you know now that Ritalin is a street drug? Do you understand that?

MATT LAUER:

The difference is--

(OVERTALK)

TOM CRUISE:

No, no, Matt.

MATT LAUER:

This wasn't against her will, though.

TOM CRUISE:

Matt-- Matt, Matt, Matt--

MATT LAUER:

But this wasn't against her will.

TOM CRUISE:

Matt, I'm-- Matt, I'm asking you a question.

MATT LAUER:

I understand there's abuse of all of these things.

TOM CRUISE:

No, you see. Here's the problem. You don't know the history of psychiatry. I do.//

MATT LAUER:

//aren't there examples, and might not Brooke Shields be an example, of someone who benefited from one of those drugs? TOM CRUISE:

all it does is mask the problem, Matt. And if you understand the history of it, it masks the problem. That's what it does. That's all it does. You're not getting to the reason why. There is no such thing as a chemical imbalance.

(OVERTALK)

MATT LAUER:

So, postpartum depression to you is--

TOM CRUISE:

Matt--

MATT LAUER:

--kind of a--

TOM CRUISE:

--don't--

MATT LAUER:

--little psychological gook--

TOM CRUISE:

That--

MATT LAUER:

--googley-gook?

TOM CRUISE:

--no. No. I did not say that.

MATT LAUER:

I'm just asking what you-- what would you call it?

TOM CRUISE:

No. No. Abs-- Matt, that is-- the-- post-- now-- now, you're talking about two different things.

MATT LAUER:

But that's what she went on the--

TOM CRUISE:

No. MATT LAUER:

--antidepressant for.

TOM CRUISE: But what happens, the antidepressant, all it does is mask the problem. There's ways of vitamins and through exercise and various things. I'm not saying that that isn't real. That's not what I'm saying. That's an alteration of what-- what I'm saying. I'm saying that drugs aren't the answer, these drugs are very dangerous. They're mind-altering, anti-psychotic drugs. And there are ways of doing it without that so that we don't end up in a brave new world. // the thing that I'm saying about Brooke is that there's misinformation, okay. And she doesn't understand the history of psychiatry. She-- she doesn't understand in the same way that you don't understand it, Matt.

// MATT LAUER: But a little bit what you're saying Tom is, you say you want people to do well. But you want them do to well by taking the road that you approve of, as opposed to a road that may work for them.

TOM CRUISE: No, no, I'm not.

MATT LAUER: Well, if antidepressants work for Brooke Shields, why isn't that okay?

TOM CRUISE: I-- I disagree with it. And I think that there's a higher and better quality of life. And I think that promoting for me personally, see, you're saying what, I can't discuss what I wanna discuss?

MATT LAUER: No. You absolutely can.

TOM CRUISE: I know. But-- but Matt, you're going in and saying that-- that I can't discuss this.

MATT LAUER: I'm only asking, isn't there a possibility that-- do-- do you examine the possibility that these things do work for some people? That yes, there are abuses. And yes, maybe they've gone too far in certain areas. Maybe there are too many kids on Ritalin. Maybe electric shock--

TOM CRUISE: Too many kids on Ritalin? Matt.

MATT LAUER: I'm just saying. But-- but aren't there--

TOM CRUISE: Matt.

MATT LAUER: --examples where it works?

TOM CRUISE: Matt. Matt, Matt, you don't even-- you're glib. You don't even know what Ritalin is.// //if you start talking about chemical imbalance, you have to evaluate and read the research papers on how they came up with these theories, Matt, okay. That's what I've done. Then you go and you say where's-- where's the medical test? Where's the blood test that says how much Ritalin you're supposed to get?

MATT LAUER: You're-- you're-- it's very impressive to listen to you. Because clearly, you've done the homework. And-- and you know the subject.

TOM CRUISE: And you should.

MATT LAUER: And-- and--

TOM CRUISE: And you should do that also.

MATT LAUER: And--

TOM CRUISE: Because just knowing people who are on Ritalin isn't enough. //you should be a little bit more responsible in knowing really--

MATT LAUER: I'm not prescribing Ritalin, Tom. And I'm not asking--

TOM CRUISE: Well--

MATT LAUER: --anyone else to do it. I'm simply saying--

(OVERTALK)

TOM CRUISE: Well, you are. You're saying--

MATT LAUER: I know some people who seem to have been helped by it.

TOM CRUISE: I-- but you're saying-- but you-- like-- this is a very important issue.

MATT LAUER: I couldn't agree more.

TOM CRUISE: It's very-- and you know what? You're here on the Today Show.

MATT LAUER: Right.

TOM CRUISE: And to talk about it in a way of saying, "Well, isn't it okay," and being reasonable about it when you don't know and I do, I think that you should be a little bit more responsible in knowing what it is.

MATT LAUER: But--

TOM CRUISE: Because you-- you communicate to people.

MATT LAUER: But you're now telling me that your experiences with the people I know, which are zero, are more important than my experiences.

TOM CRUISE: What do you mean by that?

MATT LAUER: You're telling me what's worked for people I know or hasn't worked for people I know. // i'm telling you i've lived with these people and they're better.

TOM CRUISE: So, you're-- you're advocating it.

MATT LAUER: I am not. I'm telling you in their case-- (LAUGHTER)

(OVERTALK)

MATT LAUER: In their individual case, it worked. I am not gonna go out and say--

TOM CRUISE: Matt--

MATT LAUER: --"Get your kids on Ritalin. It's the cure-all--

TOM CRUISE: Matt, Matt.

MATT LAUER: --and the end-all."

TOM CRUISE: Matt, but here's the point. what is the ideal scene for life

TOM CRUISE: Okay. Ideal scene is someone not having to take anti-psychotic drugs.

MATT LAUER: I would agree.

TOM CRUISE: Okay. So, now you look at-- and you go okay. A-- a departure from that ideal scene is someone taking drugs, okay. And then you go, okay. What is the theory and the science behind that, that justifies that?

MATT LAUER: Let me take this more general, 'cause I think you and I can go around in circles on this for awhile. And i respect your opinion ...

MATT LAUER: Do you want more people to understand Scientology? Is that-- would that be a goal of yours?

TOM CRUISE: You know what? I-- absolutely. Of course, you know. And people--

MATT LAUER: How do you go about that?

TOM CRUISE: You just communicate about it. And the important thing is, like you and I talk about it, whether it's-- okay, if I wanna know something, I go and find out. /Because I don't talk about things that I don't understand. I'll say, you know what? I'm not so sure about that. I'll go find more information about it so I can-- I can come to an opinion based on-- on the information that I have.

MATT LAUER: You-- you're so passionate about it. And I'm--

TOM CRUISE: I'm passionate about learning. I'm passionate about life, Matt.

[mayfly]

What the heck has been going on with Tom lately. I hadn't heard anything about him for a long while, now he is in the news and on TV acting sooo strange!

Perhaps he should go on something. I have always thought he was a bit of a fruit loop. Apparently he enjoys judging others.

[telos2000]

He knows and no one else does (sarcasm)! He has read the research and is now a self-proclaimed expert (sarcasm ladened.) You should not berate him for being the smartest man on Earth (dripping with sarcasm.) L. Ron Hubbard was the smartest man on Earth(even more sarcasm), and yet he still died. What can you expect from a religion founded on sciene fiction?

[telos2000]

Oh, can guess where this thread is heading?

[Jaxxie]

Yes I saw that interview too. How pompous of him. I lost a lot of respect for him in the last few months. Shame.

He's a big egotistical jerk who doesn't really know what he's talking about. He's easily persuaded, which is obvious.

[Here2Earn]

I made an observation about ole Tom Cruise the other day when he was in the news having been just squirted with water from that fake microphone. If you get a chance to watch that event again, watch Tom's right hand. He laid it on top of the dudes hand he is verbally confronting. It sure appeared to me that he was pressing down on the trigger point on that reporters left hand. I swear I could see him pressing in harder and harder for the time that I could see his hand. I think Nicole is probably real glad not to be married to him any longer and he has sure injured his reputation lately with all his wacko babbling.

[1stgradeteacher]

I do think too many kids are on ritalin.

[mayfly]

1stgradeteacher, I do agree with you. But I don't think that Toms stance came across very intellegent. His whole personality seems to have changed negatively the last few months.

[Mouse7088]

1stgradeteacher, I do agree with you. But I don't think that Toms stance came across very intellegent. His whole personality seems to have changed negatively the last few months.

I agree with this also.

[Brenda2000]

A child on Ritalin and someone on an antidepressant for post partum depression are two completely different things.
I had an extremely difficult birth with my first daughter, long hospital stay, complications, blood transfusions, etc. When we did get home, I found that I would burst into tears for no reason, and just like a snap of the fingers, it would be gone. Then like another snap of the fingers, back, then gone. It was VERY weird.
My doctor said it was a form of post partum depression, due to the extremely difficult delivery, and if it continued, we would have to consider putting me on medication for it. It may have been caused by extreme hormonal changes. Fortunately, (again like the snap of fingers), it disappeared. And luckily with my second daughter's birth, I didn't experience that again....perhaps because it was a much easier delivery.
So I can relate to Brooke Shields....if I had continued on with my uncontrollable bursts of tears, it would have been very difficult to handle.....it really did make you feel like you were going nuts. In fact, I remember standing in the living room, bursting into tears, DH and my mother came over and hugged me....suddenly the sadness was gone....and I said "Ummm...OK, you guys can let me go now, I'm over it."
Tom Cruise talks about people being uneducated. He sounds uneducated to me. Obviously he's never gone through something tramatic enough to nessitate the need for help, wether through psychiatry or medication.

[Mouse7088]

I suffered from PPD after the birth of my last son....I mean, it didn't "appear" after we returned home...this was RIGHT after his birth. His delivery was difficult, but not as bad as the birth of my first. My second son was born with a severe kidney blockage (required surgery when he was a bit older). I didn't seek treatment after my third sons birth, but I can tell ya now that it would have been a smart thing to do...LUCKILY it didn't last long.

[mayfly]

I agree! When he said that there was no such thing as chemical imbalance I was just shocked. Chemical imbalances often are the root of heart problems, metabolism disorders, and diabetes, why on earth would the brain be excluded?

[Pipanella]

I saw that, and he was just rude. I have to hand it to Matt Lauer for keeping his cool. I've always thought Tom Cruise was a little different. He can't complete a sentence most of the time without breaking into laughter. It's annoying.