PUT-PUT-PUT-STONER

Consider the rising damp...

Mr. Fields, too, confirmed that Paramount executives came to him with an offer to renew Mr. Cruise’s deal about three weeks ago. He said Mr. Cruise decided not to accept it, but before he could deliver this decision to Paramount, Mr. Redstone made his comment to The Wall Street Journal.

But, but...

According to two executives close to the company, who insisted on anonymity to avoid jeopardizing their relationships in the industry, Mr. Freston and Mr. Grey told top-level Viacom leaders in mid-July that they were not renewing Mr. Cruise’s deal and that they were unhappy with his value as a star.

But, but...

Mr. Redstone, in his own defense, said in an interview that although he liked Mr. Fields, "his opinion is in the minority," and that he had taken congratulatory calls from investors and such Hollywood luminaries as David Geffen and the producer Brian Grazer. “Dominick Dunne called me to say that I behaved like Samuel Goldwyn,” he said, referring to the famed producer and studio mogul.

..."luminaries" and legacies, self-defense, but, but...

And his friend Alan C. Greenberg -- the chairman of the executive committee at Bear Stearns, the Wall Street firm, and a longtime Viacom board member -- spoke out in support of Mr. Redstone.

"Tom Cruise has gone nuts," Mr. Greenberg said. If Hollywood people believe that Mr. Redstone handled Mr. Cruise badly, he added, "They are entitled to their opinion."’

There are a lot of crazy people involved trying very, very hard to "luminate" the crazy person on the other end of their various crazy disconnections.

This isn't about performers costing studios "too much money," it's about crazy people with too much money too impressed with their own craziness. I laughed aloud with the reference to Samuel Goldwyn. And the names involved with that stroke box in the petting zoo. Talent is significant to a successful film but the film industry has risen far out of proportions to what any one person can harm or cause to flourish. It's about groups with certain interests tacking a course around and sometimes upon the course of others. Tom Cruise certainly has his quirks (quirks among often the far more quirkier as to most if not all of these "luminary" names identified in this TomFlap, in my experience), but his quirks are only known so far as they've been made publicly known -- and who has done that? Answer that and you'll find whose course is advancing upon someone else's, and identify the sites, the networks, the media who makes which possible and you can easily see which "luminary" is spinning their wheel.

If I was a stock holder in VIACOM right about now, I would be asking for Sumner Redstone's retirement, and then I'd take a much closer look at underlings in place beneath his vacated position. I wouldn't be supportive of his grandstanding (nor that by various "luminary" supporters) and I'd take a closer look at the books.

More about VIACOM and Redstone:

Even Democrats and the corporations they rule align with oil and those who rule it.

"KIPCO driving digital convergence in the media and telecommunications sectors, says Viacom chairman" -- Kuwait Projects Co. (KIPCO)

Sumner Redstone, chairman and chief executive of Viacom Inc. and KIPCO managing director and chief executive Faisal Al-Ayyar.

Media Reference:

ALLIES START TO ESCALATE DISPUTE BETWEEN CRUISE AND VIACOM (link) (The New York Times)

CRITICISM OF TOM CRUISE STIRS HOLLYWOOD DEBATE (link) Reuters

TOM CRUISE AMBUSHED BY BROKE STUDIO? (link) (FOX News)

Related:

TOPIX News: Tom Cruise

TOM CRUISE CRISES SURPRISED STEVEN SPIELBERG -- that means that Spielberg didn't know!! He did not know that. He just didn't know about it! David Geffen just may know EVERYthing (he's a "luminary"!), but Spielberg just did not know! I think I believe him! (link) (FOX NEWS)

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