E.T. Has Apparently Gone Gangsta

So...is it me or is Tom Cruise having some sort of mid-life identity crisis?

First off, he's dating Katie Holmes. Whats up with that? I know Tom Cruise isn't the sexiest man on earth, but he can do much better. His last girlfriend, whom I can't believe he managed to pull, was Penelope Cruz. Penelope Cruz dammit! How can you go from a beautiful, sexy, latina, big screen star to an average, girl-next-door, ohian, TV series actor? How? And why? I mean, I realize that Katie Holmes is about 16 years younger than Tom Cruise and it probably boosts his ego to know that he can pull young women, but why her? Whenever I see them together, she looks more like his awkward, adolescent, little sister than his fiancé. Why, Tom, why? But his unusual relationship with Katie Holmes is not the only reason I think Tom Cruise is having a identity crisis.

A few days ago, he visited 106 & Park to promote War of the Worlds. That may not sound very strange, but let's think about this. When has anyone that is not a well known African-American or somehow affiliated with the hip-hop, rap, or R&B music industries ever been on 106 & Park? Exactly. Granted, Tom Cruise a pretty universally likeable guy and a big enough star that he revceived a warm welcome from the audience, but still...it was weird. And the weirdness was compounded by the fact that Tom was behaving very strangely. To be precise, he was acting like a white guy who has just realized that black culture is cool. For example, he called a basket of CDs and movies that Jada Pinket Smith gave him a "ghetto pack." Also, he commented that War of the Worlds was "like E.T. gone gangsta." I'm gonna blame it all on Jamie Foxx. (If you don't get it the connection, think about it. Hint: Collateral)

Don't get me wrong, I don't have a problem with white people thinking black culture is cool. In fact, I'm glad they recognize and appreciate it. But, he was obviously not being himself. And that is what I don't like. I mean, it's a big enough gesture for him to even bother coming on 106 & Park and directly speaking to an African-American audience. Tom, be yourself. People like you. Even Black people. I swear. But saying shit like "It's like E.T. gone gansta" is not the way to show your appreciation. In fact, that's just insulting. In the words of the great Chappelle, "Shake my hand like a man!" If you don't know that reference, get out from under your rock and watch some TV.