Celebrity gossip is not the usual subject for blogging here. But it is the weekend, and I am feeling frisky.

It is heartening to see that Brooke Shields is defending herself against the criticism Tom Cruise has made of her use of psychoactive pharmaceuticals, following postpartum depression. In general, I am not in favor of anti—depressant use, especially not on children. Sometimes, however, they may be an appropriate response to chemical imbalances. I find it appalling that Cruise said what he did of Miss Shields, with no knowledge, medical or otherwise, of her particular circumstances.

Many years ago, I happened to sit across the aisle from Brooke Shields on a long, long trans—Pacific flight —  Tokyo to Chicago or New York, I think. She was at the beginning of her career. Until someone informed me, I didn't know exactly who she was, only that she was beautiful and attracting a lot of interest. Passengers and crew , especially males, kept coming up to her to engage in conversation. I was highly impressed with her maturity and politeness in dealing with her public. She was still a teenager, if I remember the approximate date correctly, but was polite, properly reserved, and bore herself with intelligence and poise. I was impressed.

She seems to be able to return fire with accuracy, if I do say so. I find Cruise somewhere between repellant and repulsive, among the bigtime movie stars. His charms elude me entirely.

Miss Shields, on the other hand, seems to have kept her senses about her. Good for her. 

Thomas Lifson   6 5 05