The worldwide, post-birth, publicity monster that is Tom Cruise and his new film Mission: Impossible III will land on Tuesday in a most logical & obvious place: Aberdeen, Washington.
Yes, not since the excitement of having the umpteenth film crew come to town to make a movie about Kurt Cobain have Aberdonians been in such a state of frenzy (why their practically jumping on their furniture - which reminds me, Tom, Please do something equally whacked-out very soon because these couch allusions are getting strained).
Yes, it seems that local man Kevin McCoy, a guy who works in the photo department at Wal-Mart, won a national trivia contest sponsored by Yahoo! and Paramount. The prize? Tom Cruise is coming to his town to screen his new international blockbuster M:I3. (He must really be in a hurry to get back to that child of his.) Yes, just like a classic MTV contest (win John Cougar's pink house! be a roadie for Van Halen!), Kevin gets to fill a theater at the South Shore Mall with friends and family, as long as he saves one spot for Mr. Tom Terrific.
The Daily World broke the news yesterday and announced the city's plans for Tuesday's visit:
Cruise is scheduled to fly into Bowerman Field at
Hoquiam, then be escorted to the SouthShore Mall
Cinemas to meet McCoy and sign autographs. It’s
unclear if he’ll actually stay for the movie, which
McCoy and a theater-full of his friends will watch.
A spokeswoman from Paramount’s Seattle office
said Cruise has confirmed that he plans to meet
McCoy in Aberdeen, but said none of the details
have been finalized, including what time he’ll he
arrive and whether he’ll stay for the movie.
The city, however, is already planning to roll out
the red carpet for the biggest celebrity to visit
since President Franklin D. Roosevelt was here in
1937. Mayor Pro Tem Bill Simpson said he’d like
to greet Cruise at the airport and present him
with a pamphlet about famous Aberdonians and
a city lapel pin. He also plans to make Cruise an
honorary Aberdonian. Simpson is asking local
businesses to put up messages welcoming Cruise
on their reader boards.
Local police will join Cruise’s security officers in
a convoy to the SouthShore Mall, according to
Simpson.
“As the SUVs pull in, he’s going to step on the red
carpet,” Simpson said.
A fence will be installed to hold back the throngs,
the councilman added.
“They’ll put it back far enough so people can see
him, but not paw him,” said Simpson, who is filling
in for Mayor Dorothy Voege while she recovers
from knee surgery. There’s no word as to whether
Voege plans to be wheeled in to meet Cruise.
The Seattle Times puts the visit in historical perspective:
A decade ago, it was Metallica that caused throngs of
fans to line the quiet streets of Aberdeen.
Tuesday, it will be Tom Cruise.
(...)
"This is the biggest thing since Nirvana," said Simpson,
temporary mayor of the town of 16,000. Kurt Cobain,
the late lead singer of the famed Seattle grunge band,
grew up in the Western Washington logging town.
But this is no one-day story - The Daily News returned this AM with the town a-twitter in a story headlined A Cruise missile is headed our way:
Marie Bledsoe and Kathy Dickman, who were out for
a morning walk at Morrison Riverfront Park, said
they’re considering going to the mall Tuesday to try
to see Cruise. Bledsoe, whose husband is Aberdeen
Public Works Director Larry Bledsoe, is trying to work
her inside connections to find out all the logistics on
Tuesday’s activities.
“How exciting is this?” Bledsoe said. “I’m a fan, not a
big fan, but I think it’s cool. Everybody showed up for
the Home Depot opening, I think they should all come
out for this.”
Hm... That's not exactly a ringing endorsement. I mean, there's been talk that people are growing more tired of Cruise's offscreen personality, but a town like Aberdeen's still gotta be over the freaking moon, right?
According to The Daily World’s online poll posted
Thursday, 44 percent of readers say they “couldn’t
care less” about Cruise’s Aberdeen trip and 23
percent said there was “not a chance” that they’d go
to the mall Tuesday.
Still, you gotta think a few folks are gonna show up for what is likely to be a quick in and out for the movie star.
Frankly, it's not like Tom's gonna be hanging out in Aberdeen overnight (or even for 15 minutes longer than absolutely necessary). Which is too bad - cause he's not gonna have a Blackberry milkshake at Clarks, he won't be able to take the mic at the Pourhouse, he won't take a stroll down Wishkah Blvd.
Darien Potter, who just finished shopping at Safeway
with Rabecka Watkins and 2-year-old Tesha Watkins,
is probably in the “couldn’t care less” category. He said
it’s kind of surprising that Cruise will be in town.
“I’d tell him to go to Crowley Marines (in downtown
Aberdeen) and come buy a boat from us,” Potter said.
“We have a Bayliner Cabin Cruiser he’d like. The more
boats we sell, the more time I can take off to see his
movies.”
Buy a boat, Tom. Bring up the wife and child. Cruise (no pun intended) down the Chehalis. Put your feet up. Play with your baby. Stick around. The world can wait.
I stumbled across your blog while I was in the process of doing some online research. I just wonder if the people who turn out to see him are coming because they're fans or because they hope to see another example of his recent bizarre behavior.
Posted by: thebizofknowledge | August 21, 2006 at 09:25 AM