User talk:Jenny Aaron

''Tom Cruise's mental state was a main topic of discussion in Sociology 125: Perceptions of Mental Illness at Brown University on 4/18/2006. Below are my thoughts.''

After watching two markedly different interviews with Tom Cruise, many of my classmates jumped to the conclusion that "he's crazy" or some variation thereof. Laughter was a constant as Mr. Cruise argued fervently with Matt Lauer about psychiatry and anti-depressants as well as during his couch-jumping extravaganza on Oprah. I would contend that the labeling and ridicule of Mr. Cruise is a simple and easy reaction and as he told Matt Lauer, my classmates and perhaps many others, "Just aren't listening."

First of all, given the lack of a clear cut diagnostic criteria (never mind the fact that no one in the class is a mental health professional) who is to say that Mr. Cruise is crazy? Mental illnesses are tricky to diagnose due to the fact that there are not exact biological markers from which one can go on to make a precise diagnosis. Diagnosing physical diseases, for example, is much easier: either you have strep-throat or you don't. Additionally, the mentally ill often exhibit symptoms that are indicative of more than one mental illness (co-morbidity) which makes diagnoses even more difficult to pin down. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV (DSM-IV) attempts to reconcile these issues by providing specific diagnostic criteria for diagnosing mental illnesses, but it fails to take into account the varying cultural factors which tend to have a strong influence on the ways in which an individual is diagnosed.

Furthermore, how can we differentiate Mr. Cruise's behavior from that of someone suffering from a mental illness to a normal reaction to a stressful situation? This task is made even more difficult by that fact that no one in the class actually knows Mr. Cruise or is privy to his private actions on a regular basis. The interviews viewed show two life moments of Mr. Cruise where he is in a highly “commodified” environment which is to say that he is partaking in these interviews to promote a major motion picture. He is on television to create a buzz about his film even if it is “Hey, Tom Cruise was pretty wild on T.V. this morning- I wonder how that movie of his is going to turn out.” Just as many televisions shows (drama, comedy, reality, or otherwise) use mental illness to create shock value for a rating surge, so does Mr. Cruise to promote his film. Therefore, it is feasible that Mr. Cruise is acting (he is, after all, an ACTOR!) a bit out of the ordinary, one might even say crazy, on purpose.

A large part of our semester focused on the potency and implications of negatively labeling those who are mentally ill as well as the stigmas associated with the mentally ill. Therefore, I find it quite surprising that so many of my fellow classmates jumped to the conclusion that Mr. Cruise was bi-polar or "nuts". Labeling theory explicates the ways in which society creates standards for normality. Those who are mentally ill are seen as perpetually abnormal in their thoughts, feelings and actions versus mentally healthy individuals who only occasionally deviate from the norm.

With this framework in mind, it is easy to see why we are confused by Mr. Cruise's actions. Most celebrities conduct interviews in a happy, bubbly manner and share a cutesy story. Rarely do they make the sort of fuss exhibited by Mr. Cruise during his promotional tour for War of the Worlds. His actions were seen as a major deviation from the norm and without any explanation for Mr. Cruise's actions (other than perhaps Scientology and aliens), we jump to the conclusion that he is mentally unfit. One could argue that he was passionately arguing for a socially redeemable cause in the Lauer interview and was sharing his utter ebullience about being in love on Oprah. After all, what is Oprah known for? Making people emotional. Everyone cries on Oprah! Nonetheless, my classmates deemed the interview a clear-cut sign of Mr. Cruise's madness. Did he seem manic as many of my classmates suggested? Yes. Can this mania be compared to that of one suffering from bi-polar, as my classmates also suggested? No way. This was more or less a one time deal (the time leading up to the release of his film), and is in no way comparable to the mania, for example, described by Kay Jamison in her personal account of her struggle with bi-polar disorder in An Unquiet Mind. That being said, who are we to judge and label him as mentally ill simply based on two interviews which were undoubtedly high pressure situations? Having to promote a multi-million dollar movie with the whole world watching is not something that most people are accustomed to even if you are Tom Cruise.

What is truly unfortunate, however, is that Mr. Cruise does make an important point about psychiatry and anti-depressants, but it is lost due to his demeanor. More often than not, our society looks quick fixes for our problems- particularly when mental health is concerned. We should pay more attention to the reasons for and the consequences of taking mind altering medications. Furthermore, (in my lay opinion) these medications should be administered under the careful supervision of a psychiatrist in conjunction with therapy and other lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise. Mr. Cruise also is correct to say that it is inappropriate for celebrities to endorse medications such as was done by Brooke Shields. I would say that Ms. Shields writing a book describing her experience with post-partum depression is a useful tool for our society by raising awareness about a fairly common female experience and thereby reducing the stigma associated with it. I don't think this is what has gotten Mr. Cruise fired up, rather it is her promotion of the drugs she took which is inappropriate. So on the whole, I think that Mr. Cruise makes several valid points, but they are lost due to his presentation which causes the viewer to focus more on his possible mental state rather than on his argument.

Moreover, society's labeling of Mr. Cruise as mentally ill puts forth an inaccurate representation of what it is truly like to have a mental illness and trivializes the serious nature of the issue. Changing this imprecision is no simple task as it calls forth many of our cultural norms and personal values. Given the notoriety of Mr. Cruise this can serve as a commanding example of how society defines and labels mental illness and how we, as individuals, can re-evaluate the ways in which we react towards the mentally ill. And, as the old saying goes, "Don't believe everything you see on T.V."