I have a pet notion about Tom Cruise that we hear stories about how “weird” he is precisely because we can’t believe that somebody can be what he appears to be: A good-looking, talented, capable guy who’s super-nice, easy to work with, enjoys his work, and is dedicated to his craft. The only place I’ve ever heard bad Cruise stories is in the tabloid media. Almost everybody who has encountered or worked with him personally has nothing but nice things to say. Occasionally goofy? Maybe, but who isn’t?

I mean, I wouldn’t be shocked if he unmasked himself as a carefully constructed alien android. But until then, I think he’s just what he looks like, and somehow we (collectively) can’t cope with that being natural. There must be some catch. He must be gay, or some kind of freak, underneath that movie star surface.

Incidentally I believe his family in Kentucky is pretty large and well established. I think his family (last name Mapother) has a multi-generational law firm near Louisville somewhere.