Tom Cruise Star Image by 201410381 https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v A critical analysis of the star image/persona of American actor Tom Cruise en-us 2022-11-10 12:44:23 UTC 2022-11-11 01:43:20 UTC hello@padlet.com ID201410381 https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378544326 Cruise demonstrated a talent for dramatic acting initally in Rain Man (1988) alongside veteran Dustin Hoffman]]> 2022-11-10 12:44:23 UTC https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378544326 ID201410381 https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378544327 2022-11-10 12:44:23 UTC https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378544327 Cruise in the 1980s ID201410381 https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378544328 Cruise's career began in the 1980s, with Top Gun (1986) being the film that launched him into stardom. He went on to acheive critical acclaim during the rest of the 1980s.]]> 2022-11-10 12:44:23 UTC https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378544328 ID201410381 https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378547398 For his performance in Born on the Fourth of July (1989), Cruise was nominated for an Academy Award and won the Golden Globe award, demonstrating that he was becoming a well-known name in Hollywood]]> 2022-11-10 12:46:45 UTC https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378547398 Cruise in the 1990s ID201410381 https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378555051 The 1990s is when Cruise's career reached a peak. This period is interesting because Cruise had a variety of acclaimed dramatic roles, most notably a defining performance in Paul Thomas Anderson's Magnolia (1999), as well as a breakthrough into action films with Mission Impossible (1996).]]> 2022-11-10 12:52:27 UTC https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378555051 ID201410381 https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378563352 A commercially successful film, grossing over $230 million worldwide, A Few Good Men (1992) demonstrated Cruise's ability to lead a film as a commercially viable star]]> 2022-11-10 12:58:43 UTC https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378563352 ID201410381 https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378568835 Cruise plays a romantic lead, demonstrating yet another style of role he is able to perform.]]> 2022-11-10 13:03:00 UTC https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378568835 ID201410381 https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378574630 Also made in 1996, Mission Impossible launched Cruise as a true action star, a perception of him that is strong to this day due to the series still running, and being expected to run until at least 2024. He has played Ethan Hunt in every film of the series and is well known for performing his own stunts.]]> 2022-11-10 13:07:11 UTC https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378574630 ID201410381 https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378585063 Cruise's response to the questioning of him doing his own stunts demonstrates how he considers it a part of the job; it is a natural and vital part of his status as a performer]]> 2022-11-10 13:14:02 UTC https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378585063 ID201410381 https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378597206 Cruise's performance in Magnolia (1999) was widely acclaimed and considered the defining performance of the ensemble cast. He plays a hyper-masculine motivational speaker who is misogynistic and sex-obsessed. This scene deconstructs that hyper-masculine image, and Cruise is effectively able to juggle the two very different sides to the role.]]> 2022-11-10 13:21:18 UTC https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378597206 Peberdy, D. (2010) 'From Wimps to Wild Men: Bipolar Masculinity and the Paradoxical Performances of Tom Cruise' ID201410381 https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378612645 "The softness of male characters in Magnolia is amplified through their juxtaposition with men’s seminar leader, Frank T. J. Mackey (Cruise), Bly’s Wild Man taken to the extreme. In his ‘‘Seduce and Destroy’’ seminars, he vents his anger against women and tells his audience members that to ‘‘prove’’ their male identity, they need to put women back in their place. Mackey’s mission is to reeducate men, to guide them into fulfilling their potential as men, to teach them how to become ‘‘masters of the muff,’’ and to bed the women that would ordinarily turn them down. Like the spiritual leaders of the mythopoetic movement, Frank adopts the role of initiator, leading men through the ‘‘bucketing out process’’ where they must reject their softer, more feminine side, toward a manhood defined by virility, potency, heterosexuality, power, and domination over women" (242)]]> 2022-11-10 13:30:41 UTC https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378612645 ID201410381 https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378619046 2022-11-10 13:34:33 UTC https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378619046 Personal Controversies ID201410381 https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378629242 There have been numerous instances of real life events that have threatened to tarnish Cruise's star image]]> 2022-11-10 13:40:44 UTC https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378629242 ID201410381 https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378634596 Cruise acted bizzarely on an episode of Oprah in 2005 whilst promoting War of the Worlds (2005). He gave what some considered to be a massively over enthusiastic declaration of love for Katie Holmes]]> 2022-11-10 13:44:02 UTC https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378634596 Scientology ID201410381 https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378636350 He has been criticised for his involvement in Scientology, especially this video in which he was considered to talk around the subject and explain very little]]> 2022-11-10 13:45:08 UTC https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378636350 ID201410381 https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378644292 Cruise's performance of hyper-masculinity directly relates to his career as an action star. Cruise excels in Magnolia at performing the subtleties of an insecure, hyper-masculine male. Ironically, his career since Magnolia has predominantly been him performing as hyper-masculine action heroes]]> 2022-11-10 13:49:43 UTC https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378644292 Matt Lauer interview from 2005 ID201410381 https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378656003 A now very famous interview, in which a number of issues related to Cruise's star image come out.
- His demeanor and attitude can be seen to change the moment that Lauer brings up Scientology and Cruise's aggression is foreshadowed. 
- His relationship with Katie Holmes is pushed by Lauer and Cruise is reluctant to give him any personal details, suggesting a desire to keep a private life
- His dismissal of psychiatry and anti-depressants was criticised as a belittling of people's mental health struggles]]> 2022-11-10 13:56:40 UTC https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378656003 Personal life and relationships ID201410381 https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378738382 2022-11-10 14:41:29 UTC https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378738382 ID201410381 https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378744586 We see a glimpse of the "real" Tom Cruise or a "different" Tom Cruise. Prodding into his private life provokes an irritable reaction from him.]]> 2022-11-10 14:44:58 UTC https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378744586 Commercial Value ID201410381 https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378755051 Cruise's films have consistently earned profit at the box office

]]> 2022-11-10 14:51:03 UTC https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378755051 ID201410381 https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378759435 Ranked most powerful actor in the world in 2006]]> 2022-11-10 14:53:46 UTC https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378759435 ID201410381 https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378765397 2022-11-10 14:55:31 UTC https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378765397 ID201410381 https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378769533 Cruise's highest grossing film and the highest grossing of 2022 so far. Cruise is now 60 years old, and still dominating the box office]]> 2022-11-10 14:57:30 UTC https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378769533 Authenticity ID201410381 https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378774788 2022-11-10 15:00:36 UTC https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378774788 ID201410381 https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378778311 2022-11-10 15:02:47 UTC https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378778311 ID201410381 https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378833196 Cruise often speaks of how he feels privileged to be in his position, signifying an appreciation for his fans and an understanding that he has a responsibility to please the fans who consistently pay to see him ]]> 2022-11-10 15:35:15 UTC https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378833196 ID201410381 https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378836487 Cruise's speech at the 2002 Oscars has him talk of his love for cinema from a young age and his insistence that cinema and the joy of movie-going needs to be even more prevalent in the wake of 9/11.]]> 2022-11-10 15:37:13 UTC https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378836487 Meme/Pop culture ID201410381 https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378841606 Cruise's instantly recognisable persona has become the target of some satirical humour, but also a staple of online meme culture. This demonstrates the idea of the 'celebrity metronome' and how Cruise is one of those stars that is able to permeate multiple aspects of people's lives.]]> 2022-11-10 15:39:59 UTC https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378841606 ID201410381 https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378844752 Cruise has been satirised in Family Guy as "Tiny Tom Cruise". His short stature is wildly exaggerated and the character is an adrenaline junkie, riffing on Cruise being his own stunt performer and seemingly going to new extremes with each subsequent release]]> 2022-11-10 15:41:56 UTC https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378844752 ID201410381 https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378852539 Cruise's distinctive smile has become a meme in itself, demonstrating his ability to permeate all types of popular culture besides cinema.]]> 2022-11-10 15:46:17 UTC https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378852539 ID201410381 https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378854673 This famous scene from Jerry Maguire has become instantly recognisable and widely quoted, even outside the context of referring to the film]]> 2022-11-10 15:47:27 UTC https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378854673 ID201410381 https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378876906 Dyer, R. (1986) Heavenly Bodies: Film Stars & Society. 2nd edn. Oxon: Routledge
“Stars are obviously a case of appearance – all we know 
of them is what we see and hear before us.
Yet the whole media construction of stars encourages us 
to think in terms of "really?" (2)
]]> 2022-11-10 16:01:14 UTC https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378876906 ID201410381 https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378880672 We are made to ask is this "really" Tom Cruise, breaking his personable façade and becoming noticeably irritated.]]> 2022-11-10 16:03:36 UTC https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378880672 ID201410381 https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378967351 2022-11-10 16:58:17 UTC https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2378967351 ID201410381 https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2379532755  
Redmond, S. (2013) Celebrity and the Media. London: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.
"For the most part, in answering these questions, you will Houston encapsualtes what celebrity involves, and how it functions like a mechanical metronome moving in and between media platforms, social interactions, and ritualised events, with similar stories, representations, reactions, and emotions being aligned and activated." (2)

]]> 2022-11-11 01:40:41 UTC https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2379532755 ID201410381 https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2379534917 O’Donnell, R. (2012) Performing Masculinity: The Star Persona of Tom Cruise. PhD Thesis. University of London.
Related to the industrial context of the star, and demonstrated by the box office success of Cruise‘s films, is the popularity of the actor. People pay to see his films, many of which are overt star vehicles, because they want to see him. The high earnings of Tom Cruise‘s films are associated with the specific characteristics of his image and its relation to social issues in modern America, especially those that coincided with his rise to fame in the 1980s. His films‘ great appeal suggest that, more than any other star at the time, Cruise was able to articulate the anxieties of American society. The thesis proposes that Cruise is an exceptional star; functioning in a manner perhaps unrivalled by any of his contemporaries, his persona gives expression to the era‘s social concerns while simultaneously articulating the psychodynamic preoccupations of the viewer. ]]> 2022-11-11 01:42:27 UTC https://padlet.com/ID201410381/g3g9evk9vs4m693v/wish/2379534917