I’ll be the first to admit that I have no experience and very little knowledge about the world of celebrity publicity and PR. However, I do know that celebrities are brands. In order to keep making money, PR professionals must make sure that the
public, who support "brand name" products, have a positive impression
of the brand they represent. Britney Spears is a brand. Michael Jordan is a brand.
Tom Cruise is a brand, and his "brand-name" continues to take lumps of as-yet unknown importance due to bad publicity that should be controllable.
In what has become a joke amongst the media and fellow Hollywood stars, Cruise appeared on an episode of the "Oprah Winfrey Show" and over-enthusiastically proclaimed his love for his new flame, actress Katie Holmes. He jumped on the couch and got on his knees before dragging a frightened-looking Holmes out on stage. The charade was so odd and seemingly out-of-character for Cruise, who is normally fairly reserved, that the public is having a hard time believing it was genuine.
Cruise has also made headlines for his vocal proselytization of Scientology, a "religious philosophy" founded by science-fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard. A Scientology tent could be found on the set of Cruise’s upcoming sure-to-be-blockbuster film "War of the Worlds." Recently, Cruise vehemently and publicly attacked actress Brooke Shields for her use of Paxil in treating her postpartum depression. Cruise, who has denounced psychiatric medicine as a "pseudo-science," takes Scientology’s position against drug use.
Why is the usually-loved and fairly reserved Cruise receiving such damaging press? The obvious answer is a change in publicists that occurred earlier this year. Cruise fired his longtime publicist Pat Kinglsey, who counts a number of elite Hollywood stars as clients, and replaced her with his sister, Lee Anne Devette. Devette is also a Scientologist, and thus supports her brother’s active promotion of the group.
Cruise has built up so much Hollywood capital that he will continue to be a legitimate star and a major cinema draw for a long time to come. However, his increasingly bizarre behavior is taking a toll, and is in essence damaging his brand. It would do Cruise some good if his publicist reigned him in a bit after the media blitz for War Of The Worlds dies down. If his bizarre behavior continues to result in negative exposure, Cruise may find that his star has dimmed.
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