Don't Fight With Your Wife About George Clooney
George Clooney. "He's my type."
Then this week we watched two George Clooney movies. First Syriana, about which I blogged below. I think its ideas are appalling in their simplicity and uselessness. Of course my wife loved it.
Two nights ago we watched Good Night and Good Luck. I could just see my wife loving it. After it was over, she said, "It wasn't slick. It was naive in a good way. It got people to care about something they would never care about usually. George Clooney has got all this power in Hollywood now and he's using it for good things."
I really disliked the movie. It was naive and heroic about corporate life. Its manner was pedestrian and earnest. I said to her, "Why is Murrow such a hero? He isn't. The guy was mainstream, and yes a force for good generally. But when he went after Joe McCarthy it was 1954, and McCarthy was already a laughingstock. The only good thing about the movie is they didn't cast McCarthy, they used real footage. He looks like Satan and he's crazy. Other people had already taken the big risks before Murrow."
My wife got upset. She said, "You're like that gospel according to Judas but the other way: You are taking something that's good and heroic and spinning it to be bad and obvious."
I went to two encyclopedias to prove my point. They were inconclusive.
While I am sure I'm right, I don't know that I can win this fight. This morning I heard my wife talking about me on the phone: "He doesn't understand, every woman is in love with George Clooney." Later, I had to drive with her somewhere. I said, "O.K. In two words, What is George Clooney's type?"
"Not you."
I had to wheedle a while before she came out with: "Low key, cool, straightforward and handsome. And a little bit simple."
I'm counting that last adjective as a victory.
Very cute blog. Your wife has excellent taste and opposites do attract (which I guess is the reason she is married to you :-)
I've posted a link to this blog on our site. We'll forgive your terrible taste in movies since you have a good sense of humor.
Chris
http://www.clooneynetwork.com/news.shtml
Every women are in loe with George Clooney, but George loves onlyt one person, as your husband does actually.
And in Fact, you talking about my man. So, thanks to respect our story. And even though my Fiance is the sexiest man in the world, you can be the sexiest man or woman, in your area...
Thanks for the refresh and funny words, espacially Murrow Memoire Issue...But my love will stay my love for ever. My best man.
Love...shuuuu
okay. i'm a woman and i don't get the george clooney thing...at all, really. at the risk of being stoned, i don't find him sexy. you want sexy? harvey keitel. naked..as in 'the piano'. be still my heart...that's sexy.
I liked George Clooney much better when he was just George Clooney and not a poster child for third world charities. While I appreciate his altruistic image, I would respect him and his efforts much more without all the hoopla and media attention. While I believe the world needs to be informed, there are some things that are beyond the scope of his audience, and distracts from issues that the average person can actually do something about. There is nothing sexy about celebrities that engage in pompous self-promotion via philanthropy.
Decrying psychology and medical treatment while bouncing on Oprah's couch is the wrong use of celebrity. What Clooney did was bring further attention to an under-reported travesty, not only by offering himself up to the media, but by putting himself in harm's way to get the facts firsthand. And not a little of his own funds have found there way to those refuge camps.
If you view his efforts as only 'pompous self-promotion via philanthropy', you certainly lack vision and empathy.
My husband doesn't get it either, my obsession with his gorgeousness. Oh come on, George Clooney is THE MOST handsome, gorgeous, and the sexiest man in the world, absolutely bar none,(Harvey Keitel????, where's that come from?) and one with a conscience as well. Keep going George, they're only jealous! It takes guts sometimes for someone in his position to stand up and be counted. Pompous? he's definitely not that. He should be knighted, well if he was British he should be!
Come to the UK George, we appreciate you.
Chris UK
He's got the personality to be the President of the United States. I have this gut feeling he knows he can give it a shot. 'With Good night' and now his active role in Iraq and Darfur, he's slowly moulding himself to be a Politician.
.. remember.. Ron Reagan
To what extent is he naive and to what extent are we naive?
http://www.strategypage.com/onpoint/articles/200653.asp
Interesting commentary in the link posted by atsirk.
My following comments are in response to what was said by the commenter in the link (not what anyone has said in this blog).
I am troubled that despite the much needed media attention that the Security Council votes needed to do something in Darfur will still be blocked.
But the attention to this matter didn't come from the commenter in the link above, they came from the Clooney's involvement by going over there to see for themselves and document what they saw. As much as the commenter derides the "celeb left" for their efforts, it is just those efforts and because of their celebrity that the issue has become much more well-known.
He slams the messenger even though he agrees the message needed to get out there. There is no pleasing him.
I am hesitant to commit military action in that region and the commenter makes a good point about Iraq. I don't think Iraq as the country that stands now, can ever hope to see democracy. The ethnic factions don't want to be united. Just as they did not want to be united in Yugoslavia after WWII. It took an oppressive regime and dictator to keep the warring factions in check. And as soon as he was removed, (or died as in the case of Tito) the violence and ethnic cleansing began again in earnest.
I am not advocating dictatorship. But it seems that we continue to try to artificially create countries that don't want to be united. Our example doesn't seem to work in other parts of the world because they have centuries of hatred and past deeds from which the hatred stems.
Sometimes it makes you want to throw up your hands in disgust.
But then you look again and you see countless people, woman, men and children suffering because of these long held hatreds. How can you NOT respond and try to do something?
I suppose we could all just sit and wring out hands or make commentary on blogs that "I've been telling you about this since 2003." So what? Nobody was reading you, but they showed up to see George.
So let him use his international recognition to bring much needed attention to atrocities. Then the blog commenter and others who think celebs don't know what they are talking about can continue to make their smug comments.
Me, I don't care who brings the attention to this. I'm more interested in who is going to do something about it.
As I said before, I am hesitant to take military action, but perhaps the army logistics and air force capability, can be used to bring much needed relief. But I think this needs to be done by a coalition of forces to protect those who bring in the aide.
In the case of Sudan, I think the government and the rebels want someone to intercede. It's obvious neither has gotten the upper-hand.
But what is most important is that right now, the refugees need help. Let's help them. But let's not go in trying to make another democracy.
We all know this conflict is about resources. Oil and billions of dollars worth of it. The Chinese and Russians need it and want it. That's why they keep blocking the UN Security council votes. Just like the French needed and wanted the Iraqi oil. They will (and have) sold their mother's souls to get it.
And we are just as bad as everyone else. Anyone in an industrial nation. We want oil, we need oil and we're going to keep going into those regions trying to set up democracies so that we can get first dibs on that oil.
We all are part of what has happened in Iraq and Darfur.
Every time you fill up your gas tank, think about it. Blood was in one way or another, spilled to get that oil. So remember, it's not just oil that spills on your hand when you overfill, it's also blood. And we won't even get into all the things we use on a daily basis that are made from oil-by-products.
Our part in this could be simpler. We could make more fuel efficient cars, we choose not to by our buying trends.
We could use fewer natural resources, we choose not to by our consumption patterns.
Life shouldn't be about what we have or own, it should be about what we experience.
Beyond the basics for comfortable and adequate shelter, good quality clothes that last for years (not sitting in our closest with the tags still on them) or tossed aside for the latest trend, good healthy food (not the garbage that is advertised to us and which we consume in excess to our own detriment) and the experiences we have with our family and friends, should be what life is about.
What I found interesting about Nick Clooney's articles on his trip to Darfur is that he just didn't talk about the atrocities, he spoke about the people. Despite their lack of basic necessities, like food, shelter and clothing (and their own feelings about the loss of their jobs and livelihood) he spoke of them singing and laughing in the camps late into the evening. The children playing at night because it is too hot to do so during the day.
Despite not having the basics, they still had each other and they reveled in the experiences they had with their friends and family.
When they were asked what they lost, they didn't speak so much about their homes and possessions, they spoke of the family they lost.
These people have nothing but they understand what is important. Life is the experience of it with family and friends, not just the gathering of possessions.
I hope we can help these people. No one gains by wasting time with "I told you so" we only gain by doing what is right. And helping these people is what is right.
I have an issue with celebrities that support charities that are nothing else but cash cows and lobbyists. Take a very close look at the charities that Jolie and Clooney are promoting. I don't agree with their ideas, and I don't agree on charitable dollars being used to
"pressure the united states" on policy and budget. It is such a flagrant misuse of power. In regard to Jolie's charities, the kids that run it don't even know what to do with the money. I'll post a charming interview on that charity later.
We all know that the situation in Darfur is atrocious. Bush called it a genocide years ago. The US was not ignoring the situation, but moreover, working within the structure of the UN.
The Sudanese Government does not want UN or US interference and have refused visas to the UN. The Sudan government created the Janjaweed, and refuses to protect their people. The government is corrupt, and the UN is rendered useless.
Sending troops is not the answer, and would only result in greater violence. But, that is what these "charitable organizations" and Clooney and Jolie want.
I am offended by their attempts to bilk our dollars and attempt to influence government policy. By attacking our government, and ignoring the rest of the world they are worsening the problem. Where is the out cry against France? Where is the support for the efforts that are being made by the US?
No, they seem to think that you just throw money at problems to make them go away when in fact is that all the money they request and more won't fix the problem. Throwing money at it only feeds the beast that is the cash cow of human misfortune otherwise known as charitable organizations and celebs that are hungry for attention.
BTW- do you think Darfur is the only country where this is happening?
Other than calling for world support of decisive action from the UN, the "RALLIES" are a waste of time and resources. How about just supporting the US for once, and letting our government do their job.
In the interim, there are many legitimate causes that need America's attention such as domestic abuse, drunk driving, child abuse, homelessness, and disease- all of amount to hundreds of thousands of death in the US each year.
There are hungry people starving in our country and there are children that are being raped, beaten, and killed.
What are we doing about the real, tangible problems in our own neighborhood?