Last week, we heard about the weird situation involving Connor Cruise and one of representatives, a man named Todd Krim. Connor was a Patriots fan, and when the Pats lost, Krim tweeted Connor, teasing him about his team’s loss. Connor reacted by tweeting back about Krim’s “gay ass” tweets. Krim was offended, and he and Connor have parted professional ways. By the time the story came out, Connor had already issued an apology through another rep.
Many of you thought it was just Connor being a dumb teenager – he’s only 17, after all. But he’s a public figure, and he wants to be a public figure, using his dad’s connections to become a deejay who commands thousands of dollars per gig. Well, Connor is now using his deejaying prowess (??) for good, and to make amends. We were sent a promotional email which I just wanted to post in its entirety:
Recently you posted an article of Connor Cruise, son of Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, and the “gay” twitter incident over Super Bowl sunday. In light of that event, i wanted to bring to your attention that Connor has been set to DJ at the 11th annual oscar viewing party for Aids Project Los Angeles (APLA) since before the twitter reports surfaced. He will be the DJ at The Abbey also know as “The best gay bar in the world”.
[Press release via email]
It’s interesting that this promotional email directly references the “gay ass” tweet story yet at the same time they claim that Connor was signed on for the gig before the thing went down. And I should note – this was likely sent by the organizers or PR firm promoting the event, not by Connor’s people (as far as we know.) The message – to me – seems to be that Connor can’t be a casual homophobe because he had already signed on to DJ an event for the Aids Project Los Angeles event? Sure. I’ll believe that Connor had this gig before the Twitter thing too. It is good that even though he has the language of many dumb teenagers, he’s still taking a gig at “the best gay bar in the world.” Maybe his heart really is in the right place. I just hope he doesn’t accidentally say anything about someone’s “gay ass”.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
oh, please. transparent damage control.
Ditto!
He got it from his papi
He looks like a complete punk. I want to say so much worse, but he is still a kid right? So I shouldn’t. :-\
he is just a teen.
Um, shouldn’t he be at home studying? Or off playing laser tag with his friends?
Don’t gay clubs always have the best music? The most prestigious DJ gigs? Especially in L.A.! What young DJ is going to turn down a chance like that, regardless of his personal feelings? This means nothing.
Team Connor, he has not built up a bad rep for me to make him a permanent douche. One incident like this can be forgiven, I think.
Strike One.
This kid is a punk!
Is Conner in the closet with “daddy”?
Jesus, he used a stupid expression EVERY teenager uses, it does not make him a homophobe. He’s 17 years old, can’t we wait from him to mature before we start ripping his character apart.
word.
I don’t think people have the capacity to do that anymore…even young children/teens are being held up to this standard that most adults do not have.
there is no learning curves or growing pains anymore…one mistake and your lynched forever. scary.
Yes, Nev. I agree. People need to chill a bit. I think the kid has a bit of a temper, but then again, a LOT of sports people go bananas after their team has lost. Utterly bonkers. So I think it’s important to put the incident into perspective.
And I’m not happy about the lynching mentality that’s developed around people who disagree with the mainstream media’s views. If Connor is anti-gay, well, he’s anti-gay. Doesn’t mean I have to like it or agree with him, but doesn’t mean I have to lynch him, either. That’s exactly what happened during McCarthyism. People were vilified and lost jobs because other people thought they were against mainstream America’s views (were commies.) Didn’t matter if the person was or wasn’t, the perception was enough. This mentality is along the same lines, if you ask me. What ever happened to just putting obnoxious people on “ignore?”
Totally, completely agree!
I agree. He used insensitive language, but that doesn’t mean he is a homophobe. Actually, if he were a true homophobe, the last place he’d want to be is deejaying at a gay bar. Phobias trigger feelings of intense fear and dread. People who suffer from a specific phobia will go out of their way to avoid the object/circumstance of their irrational fear. So a true homphobe wouldn’t be hanging out a gay bar anymore than a claustrophobe would be hanging out in a closet or an acrophobe at the top of a skyscraper. Semantics, I know, but I can’t stand how the poor kid is being slighted just because of his nutso father.
Yeah, you’re right. Because teenagers never carry on the hurtful slang they have as kids on to adulthood, right? That’s why there’s no adult homophobes. None.
Hateful words are hateful words, I don’t care if your 17 or 71. Maybe if parents paid a little more attention to what came out of their teenager’s mouths, so many teenagers wouldn’t have this problem.
ok, what if he did mean it in a homophobic nature? (I don’t believe this myself)
then he thought of it and decided to do this party to redeem his actions and open his mind.
we wouldnt know because he has already been labelled and lynched.
he is a teen. supposed to be learning in these years and growing into a man.
isn’t he?
@Nev
I’m sorry, lynched? That’s what’s happening? Or did he just get heat about saying something hurtful and stupid and now he realizes that its not acceptable? Call me crazy, but isn’t that what we’re supposed to do with teenagers that say stupid things? Call them on it so they know what effect their words have? Isn’t that where the learning comes from?
I get so sick of people using the excuse of “They’re just kids, they don’t know any better. All the kids do it (can we not teach children conformity to the ignorant masses, please?).” Because yeah, they don’t know any better. That’s why adults have to tell them when they hurt people. That’s what keeps them going from idiotic teenagers to idiotic and bigoted adults.
@msshuffleupagus,
ITA with all your comments. People treat adolescents as if they have no brains and will suddenly learn to be adult without guidance or standards. Puhleese. No wonder adults become hooligans and riot over sports, for example. So many apolologists in the world now for bad and violent behaviour.
Connor’s behaviour shows how he has been raised and reflects upon the parents. This is pure damage control. His parents have not changed nor has he.
You are right…but it’s his parents who should sit him down and teach him that he was insensitive…not the media, not you and not me…
I’m sorry, this is ridiculous. Stupid to say it and to say it in a public forum but I don’t think he is that far outside the norm in being a teenager saying something insensitive. I know I was guilty of saying things I would never say now, I just wasn’t a celebrity’s kid and there was no twitter when I was 17. Settle down, people, and stop casting stones
I didn’t think he was homophobic from those texts he sent. Immature? Yes. But that’s about it.
I love how his people constantly negate Nicole as his mother until they need damage control and a positive association with a decent, non-homophobic parent.
Secondly, in that McDonald’s pic he reminds me of Chris Brown.
When have his people (or Tom for that matter) said anything bad about Nicole or negated her role as his mother?
Re:Connor, sure it could be damage control, but I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. What teenage boy hasn’t used the word “gay” in that context? Hopefully, he learned his lesson and won’t do it again.
Okay, is it just me or does Connor look A LOT like Tom Cruise? Every time I see his face, I’m startled by the resemblance. Either it’s just a happy coincidence (and that’s possible) or else he’s related to Tom? Is that possible? Am I alone in seeing this resemblance?
I agree with you!!! I think the exact same thing every time I see him!!
He looks more and more like Tom with every picture I see of him.
He looks just like Tom and Isabella looks just like Nicole’s sister.
He’s just a typical teen male, thinking he’s all cool and street. He’s bound to do dumb things like this, nearly all teens do. Notice the FU (Fame University) hat? That’s a subtle way of getting his coolness vibe out there without seeming really offensive. Kids.
I can get past the “gay” comment. I don’t like it, but if it isn’t a normal thing for hom o.k. But I’m sorry, I know he is young, but it is obvious he is a punk and he is only going to get worse. Don’t tell me he has the normal teen look. Bull. He has anything he wanta and he can’t even fake look appreciative? That is crap. My son is almost 16 and trust me, he can have that look, but not ALL THE TIME.
The A**HOLE radar is now on high for this one. I get it that he’s a dumbass teenager. So he gets a pass on this, one.
ONE. PASS. ONLY.
No, “the best gay bar in the world” would be the one in his daddy’s basement.
Yes, one pass. Teenagers do say (and do) amazingly stupid things. “Gay ass” is probably some stupid buddy slang or teasing in very bad taste (don’t know much about the recipient). It’s a testimony to just what a stupid teen Conner is that he tweeted it.
Twitter must be hard on teens. A whole electronic record of your stupidity during those pre-frontal development years (the part of the brain that controls higher judgment). Even bad pics, sometimes nudity. Yikes!
In any case, he’d better pull out the stops at this gay bar gig, and put up with any taunting like a trooper. This is his chance to redeem himself. I don’t think he’s a bad kid. He’s just not the sharpest knife in the drawer judgement-wise, like his dad Tom “I’ve read the studies!” Cruise. Picking on Brooke Shields about her PPD was NOT cool.
Let’s see. At 17 I was only allowed to work weekends so that it would interfere with my education and sleep. Oh have times have change. I really need to be upset at my Mother for not being a cool millionaire and being a parent. Thanks for ruining my life Mom!!!!!
The Oscars are over the weekend…..
Not to mention the fact that Connor is home schooled and probably doesn’t have the same schedule as other kids.
He is just a kid,every teenager makes one form of mistake. This boy is so beautiful.
Connor does seem like a huge jerk, but using “gay” in that context is something almost all young people do these days. It’s come to mean to same thing as “lame” or dumb”. Before it became a common slang term, “lame” USED to mean people who were physically disabled. “Dumb” USED to refer to people who were unable to speak.
I’m sure plenty of you who wouldn’t consider yourselves prejudiced toward the disabled have used BOTH of these terms at several points in your life.
Language changes. The meanings and connotations of words change.
Recent conversation amongst gay (meaning “homosexual” in this context) friends, one of whom just moved to my town:
“So, are there any good gay bars in this town?”
“Not really… There’s one downtown but they’re technically a club so they charge 7 dollars to get in.”
“7 dollars? Are you serious?”
“Yeah, that’s totally gay.”
“Seriously.”
EDIT: In case you couldn’t tell, the word “gay” is being used with two different meanings in the conversation. Whether you like it or not, it’s become part of the modern vernacular, to the extent that even some gay people use it (often ironically).
Unfortunately, referring to things/situations as ‘gay’ is quite common in teen vernacular. I don’t think he meant it as a slur, or even considered it as such.
This seems to be a good opportunity to educate the kid. If he uses it again, then I’ll be on board and front of the line with the bashing.
Why are people trying to make more out of this than it is. It wasn’t meant as a gay slur like many on here say.
read some of the comments on here…asking if he is in the closet with daddy!!!?…calling him a punk and some saying he looks like Chris Brown…hahahahaha…scary.
well he won’t use that term again right?
I am gay…and even I don’t think he meant it as a hateful slur.
the word he used has many connotations…even amongsts gays.
How is it that a 17 yr old can even be in any bar?
They tag him so he can’t buy drinks and he would have to be out before 10 unless supervised by a parent/guardian.
The Abbey is the best gay bar in the world?
For men perhaps…
I think it’s interesting that every day on this site we label women and men as sluts, whores, skanks, slores, bitches, douches, camels and other offensive things about people we don’t know mind you, and yet we are harsh on their kids.
Like Pinky’s mother-in-law says: children are a map of their parents.
And in this case our children are a map of our culture. We rudely insult strangers every day and then get offended if someone says something offensive that we don’t like. It doesn’t work that way.
I personally, cannot be this judgmental because I’ve used all those phrases in the aforementioned and have no problem saying them and will continue to say them.
I don’t think Connor is a homophobe. Everyone who says offensive things are not always anti- and even if people are anti that doesn’t mean they would ever be disrespectful or bring others down for their beliefs.
You consistently write the most amazingly thoughtful posts on this website. Can’t say I always agree with you, but I always “listen.”
On this post, however, I concur.
when we know better, we should try to do better.
it looks like that is what Connor is trying to do.
If that message had been sent by a professional PR person, wouldn’t ‘i’ be written with a capital I?
I don’t think everybody who says “gay ass” is necissarily homophobic, I’m 23 and to most kids it’s just a way of saying crap and has nothing to do anybody with actually being gay.
My brother who just turned 20 the other day says it and he doesn’t have anything against gays (I’m gay) and he likes his GF’s gay friends, he does try not to say it but sometimes it just slips out when he’s talking about something that annoys him lol
using “gay” as in “that’s so gay” is a slur, everyone knows it, kids know it, that’s why they say it, and it’s wrong and yes, it still happens all the time.
After he got called out on it, if he had just said, you know, I was stupid for saying that, I’m sorry. That would have been the end of it. Notice that he did the opposite and his PR team did the opposite. Very telling in that town. Plus it’s very interesting that his team said oh he cut ties with Krim weeks ago not because of the tweet and now the PR team is saying oh he had this dj gig weeks ago not because of the tweet.
yeah. totes believable. *roll eyes*
He’s Tom Cruise’s adopted son?
He’s a dj?
You r not as popular as David Guetta, so shut the f*ck up!
Everyone who’s pretending to be offended by Connor’s email (which was intended to be for one person’s eyes only) is really baffling me. Gay has more than one (even more than TWO) meanings. And in case any of you are wondering, my whole family have been equal rights advocates for GLBT since we became aware that there was an issue. To close, let me just say that I find the comments of outrage over Connor’s email to be SO GAY!