When Tom Cruise broke from publicist Pat Kingsley in March 2004, few predicted that it would lead to Cruise becoming an outspoken anti-psychiatry zealot — who appears to be in need of a psychiatrist.

But Slate did post a fascinating post-mortem on the Tom-Pat relationship in April 2004. Lots of good background, although the writer, Adam Sternbergh, comes to a conclusion he probably now regrets:

Kingsley elevated the flack from media caddie to professional storyteller — she was, in effect, narrating the story of Tom Cruise, highlighting certain plot lines while burying unflattering details. But flacks can no longer control the story line — nor is it, in our far more permissive age, as important for them to.

Celebrities like (Colin) Farrell or Britney Spears can only hope to keep their heads above water while body-surfing from scandal to scandal. They may even realize that it’s important to give us things to talk about.

Well, maybe in MOST cases, Adam…but not this one.