South Park-ed.

Tom Cruise has entered a War of the Worlds with media corporation Viacom over the Trapped in the Closet episode of Comedy Central’s South Park.

The man who spent the last year making a fool of himself by jumping over couches and gushing over a woman half his age apparently can’t see the humor in the now-infamous Scientology spoof that features the likenesses of himself, fellow Scientologist John Travolta and accused sexual predator, singer R. Kelly. The episode was scheduled to rerun on this past Wednesday night, already amidst the controversy about Isaac Hayes’ recent decision to quit, but was inexplicably pulled from the line up at the last minute. A story on
http://www.hollywoodinterrupted.com/cblog/ reveals that Tom threatened to cancel all publicity and promotions for Paramount’s upcoming Mission Impossible 3 should Trapped in the Closet air. And while this may not seem like a significant threat, it is when you realize that both Comedy Central and Paramount are owned by the same parent corporation – Viacom, who clearly buckled under the pressure to ensure MI3 becomes a blockbuster.

Aren’t we a little too old for these games, Tom? Seems like you’re good dishing it out, but not so great taking it. First, you called Matt Lauer "glib;" then, there was the incident with the reporter and the squirting microphone on the red carpet; now, you’ve lost your perspective on a cable channel cartoon. After all, the aim of Scientology, as stated on http://www.scientology.org, is to achieve "a civilization without insanity, without criminals and without war, where the able can prosper and honest beings can have rights, and where man is free to rise to greater heights." I suppose Tom thinks that’s all true, unless you live in South Park…or the closet.