Tom Cruise & Jerry O'Connell talk Scientology

[Rico]

Celebrities are always targets of comedy routines, etc.  Tom Cruise has become an easy one.  By discussing things you believe in publicly you are setting yourself up as a target, to a degree.  Frankly, to me he seems quite sincere in what he believes in.  I don't necessarily see that as meaning he is ill.  As long as he doesn't show up at my door and tell me I have to think the way he does I have no problem with him.  He could believe little pink bunnies are taking over the world.  I can't do much about what he chooses to think.

Oh, I still think Jerry's video is funny.

[KingIsaacLinksr]

That video was hilarious.  I was laughing sooo hard!

King

[markinro]

Tom & Jerry - haha.   The laugh was perfect.   He should go on Oprah and jump up-and-down on the couch

[X]

Here are a couple video that document only a few of the thousands of cases of people abused, hurt and dead from this cult and it's Nazi like organization. More can be be documented but I really don't want to get into a protracted debate. You be the judge!

While tradgic, the things that have happened to these people seem to happen to any religion in it's beginnings. I'm pretty sure that there are less than a handful  of religions that don't have the blood of someone on their hands that died for their beliefs or their idea of what those beliefs were. I would even be willing to say that hundreds of thousands if not millions have died for their beliefs with in the major religions of the world.

[Ktrek]

You know it kind of disturbs me that so many Star Trek fans would find this kind of humor acceptable or even funny! I wonder if you would find it so funny if you were being attacked in such an open way? Making fun of people, whether they are celebrities or not is unacceptable IMHO. I think it's fine to disagree with someone's religious viewpoints or to even question that they may need help. I do not understand people who find this kind of humor as funny. To me it is hateful and unkind and I think perhaps you need to re-evaluate what kind of a Star Trek fan you really are because I have a very hard time seeing Jean Luc Picard making some of the statements that have been made in this thread!

Kevin

[Rico]

KTrek......

First, I laugh at myself all the time.  I think many of us here have taken some form of ridicule or abuse for our love of Star Trek and Sci-Fi over the years.  For me personally, that is the same as anything else that you may hold dear or believe in.  Do I let it bother me?  When I was much younger I will admit it did hurt at times.  But I am much older (and hopefully wiser now) and it doesn't bother me at all anymore.  In fact, I am very proud to call myself a geek or even nerd.  I still have a basement full of collectibles that I show off to visitors and all of you.  I still dress up at Halloween like a geek and try and put a smile on a kid's face.  It only bothers you if you let it.

On these videos, I still am fine with them.  To me it is what makes this country strong and the only place I would live.  You can believe in what you want and someone else is completely allowed to call you a nut for it.  Neither person is right and neither is wrong.  But each is allowed their own voice.  The same thing I try to encourage here.  You may not find this funny, but others should be allowed to.

Lastly, if you don't want people to make fun of what you believe in then the answer is to keep it quiet and don't go on TV and talk about it (like I said above).  Sure, you have that right to announce to the world what you think and believe in.  But at least in this country, that same world has a right to respond to what you have said.   

[X]

I think that you should also consider that Jerry was making fun of Tom Cruise and by the very nature of Hollywood, they makes movies solely about making fun of other movies or the beliefs of others. Should they get a pass because they feel their beliefs are special? But that wasn't the case in these two videos. One was clearly an attempt to make fun of Tom cruise and HOW he was acting.

My mother told me growing up that if you don't act like an idot in public, people would have few reason to treat you as such.

We are all targets and subject to be made fun of at a moment's notice. Otherwise there wouldn't be such a thing a the comedy business. I really couldn't tell you what Jean Luc would do, but I can say that judging from the outtakes, Patrick Steward would have been laughing too because he likes a good joke.

[jedijeff]

When people are as passionate about their beliefs as Tom is, I think they leave themselves open to a certain amount of criticism and being made fun of. To a certain degree we all probably are exposed to it one way or other, I know for myself, I am teased from time to time for having a basement full of toys. I know I have coworkers or friends who will tell me it is a waste of money, etc etc etc. I know it is not at the level of Toms Scientology beliefs, but I think he would have to expect there would be a certain level of detractors to his beliefs given his celebrity status. I thought it was funny, but did not find it mean spirited, but I understand where some would take offence to it over others. We all have different tolerance levels to comedy and teasing, and what crosses the line and what doesn't.