1 Tom Cruise

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Why All the Hate?

Scientology is one of the most hated "religions" in the world. Tom Cruise, even if it's unofficially, is the face of Scientology. It's really that simple. Until Will Smith finally caves to pressure from Doug E. Fresh and books his own cruise aboard the Sea Org, Tom Cruise is the biggest star Scientology has in their stable. Unsurprisingly, people hate that.

To make matters worse, the dude is just kind of strange, and he only seems to be getting stranger as the years go by. Being way into any religion will give anyone a patina of crazy that the common folk just don't have. Tom Cruise isn't immune to that just because he has a successful acting career and the whitest teeth in the game.

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Or not.

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Basically, in the eyes of a lot of people, Tom Cruise is your garden variety religious wacko and not much else.

Why He Doesn't Deserve It

Man, is Tom Cruise the only Scientologist? I guess I just don't see what the man's Thetan count has to do with his role in my life, which is to entertain me in movies. He's fucking great at that. Have you seen Magnolia? Scientology be damned, that's a good flick. And Tom Cruise is a good actor. A great actor, even. When I see his name in the credits, I feel a little bit better about that movie. He's like the Tom Hanks of guys I'd never want to hang out with.

And see, that's the thing. I don't have to want to hang out with him, I just have to want to see his movies. That's all Tom Cruise really owes me in life. If he's a shitty boyfriend and/or husband, maybe chicks should stop marrying him. It's really none of my concern. I doubt anyone would encourage Katie Holmes to hitch herself to my e-meter either. If he talks too much about Scientology, fight back by not being a Scientologist.

But for my money, nobody plays a World War II Nazi with an American accent or a Caucasian samurai quite like Tom Cruise. No couch-jumping meme is ever going to change that.

Adam hosts a podcast called Unpopular Opinion that you should check out right here. You should also be his friend on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr.