Looking for Cruise Control

At worst Tom Cruise's recent 'exuberance' is perceived as his bid to get back into the spotlight; at best he is seen as a baby chimp in puppy love. Is it a crime to be a 42-year old lovelorn man making sheep eyes at a nubile babe half his age, asks JC.

Tom Cruise is in love and he's lovin' it. He is shouting from rooftops and going jumpity-jump on Oprah's couch! So why does the world and it's mother have a problem? Ranging from Brooke Shields to Oprah Winfrey to Time magazine---everyone's got their pet hatchet in Tommy's back. 

Brooke has been quoted as saying, "If he wants to see Chicago, I've left him two tickets --- one adult, one child." The child here refers to 26-year-old Katie Holmes who's Cruise's latest pet squeeze. Of course, Brooke has reason to be bitchy. Cruise who is a big fan of scientology and is apparently helping people fight drug addiction recently attacked Shields for becoming dependant on anti-depressants.

But what about Time and the other mags? It seems that the baby-faced actor has fallen in everyone's estimation ever since he started wearing his heart on his sleeve. If reports are to be believed then Mission Impossible 3 is in jeopardy because of that Oprah performance and his arm twisting over his scientology fetish. His saleability has plummeted; everyone thought his bubbly act on Oprah's show to be bleuch. But hey, give the guy a break!! Why should a man who is forty behave as though he is testosterone-challenged? Who says only young bucks can go around being soppy? Why can't a forty year old have some fun?

I mean, when Michael Douglas marries Catherine Zeta Jones (who is also half his age), no one's got a problem. Because Douglas fits the stereotype of the worldly-wise, blase man found in most romantic novels who routinely falls in love with young babes barely out of their nappies. Now, I doubt Douglas can look very young and foolish even if he wants to. But, Tom Cruise is a baby face to start with! And if shouting from rooftops makes him happy, I think we should let him!

Although, many feel this is all a publicity gimmick to stay in the news. After all, no one has done anything but talk about his antics ever since.