On Tuesday, we discussed George Clooney’s interview with a French program, which he did ahead of his trip to Paris this weekend to pick up his honorary Cesar Award. The big headline from the interview was obviously that George personally confirmed that he and Amal are expecting Alamooneybabies and that fatherhood is going to be an “adventure” at the age of 55. But George was also asked about Emperor Baby Fists and how conservative trolls mocked Meryl Streep’s Golden Globes speech for being the voice of “elitist Hollywood.” George made some interesting points:
On elitist Hollywood & Trump: “There’s a really interesting argument, this is the part that makes you a little crazy. When Meryl spoke, everyone on that one side was, ‘Well that’s elitist Hollywood speaking.’ Donald Trump has 22 acting credits in television… He collects $120,000 a year in his Screen Actors Guild pension fund. Uhh? He is a Hollywood elitist.”
Steve Bannon’s history in Hollywood: “Steve Bannon is a failed film writer and director. That’s the truth, that’s what he’s done. He wrote a Shakespearean rap musical about the LA riots that he couldn’t get made. He made a lot of money off of ‘Seinfeld.’ He’s elitist Hollywood, I mean that’s the reality.”
George isn’t wrong. About any of it. The cognitive dissonance of Trump supporters and assorted Deplorables is appalling and hilarious – they voted for a reality-show host and they bitch about “Hollywood elites.” They claim that Hollywood doesn’t matter and yet Emperor Baby Fists has a well-documented history as a starf–king famewhore who was and is obsessed with celebrities and awards shows.
Meanwhile, People Magazine ran an interesting story about how George and Amal are going to stop traveling to war-torn countries now that they’re going to be parents. This whole piece read as anti-Angelina Jolie subtweet to me, but then again, I’m an Angeloonie. George told Paris Match: “We decided to be much more responsible, to avoid the danger. I won’t go to South Sudan any more or the Congo, Amal will no longer go to Iraq and she’ll avoid places where she knows she isn’t welcome.” I have a lot of thoughts about this, but I’ll shut up. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Photos courtesy of WENN and Fame/Flynet.
Damn, call em out George. Call em out good. I didn’t know Steve Bannon was a failed director (L. Ron Hubbard Vibes?). So I guess since he couldn’t be in control in the film industry, he’s trying to treat the country like it’s a film and he’s the director. Except we all die in the end. I don’t see him so much as Hollywood elite, but more like the crypt keeper.
Good call on Hubbard. Next Bannon will start his own religion. He’s already got a bunch of deciples worshipping him, so why not?
Um you should read this: http://www.businessinsider.com/book-steve-bannon-is-obsessed-with-the-fourth-turning-2017-2
Bannon buys into this idea (originally posited by a couple of authors, Strauss and Howe) that history moves through cycles, and we’re on the verge of a change in era right now (the Fourth Turning). These changes are usually marked by war, strife, famine, etc. So Bannon’s goal is to bring about the Fourth Turning (probably by convincing Trump to wage wars against Iran, China, North Korea) because he believes that a new world order will arise after that. It’s fucking terrifying. His beliefs are definitely reminiscent of apocalyptic religious sects.
We are at the end of an era, though. We’re living through the end of the digital revolution on the precipice of the robotic revolution. The last several eras have been: Enlightenment, Industrialization, Digitization, now: robots. What’s interesting is that each suceeding era gets shorter and shorter. There’s a name for that phenomenon but I can’t remember it off the top of my head. Anyway, Bannon is right in that we’re living through a “turning” but his lens is religious-apocalyptic and really, eras are just marked by the natural progression of human ingenuity. Religion really doesn’t have anything to do with this way of looking at time because religion doesn’t change, the value system and beliefs remain the same regardless of era. That’s what makes religion a really terrible way to frame time, because it is designed to “ignore” change.
Plus, let’s not forget that the Alt-Right itself operates like a destructive cult in many ways, so, yeah… (as in: sh*t.)
Bannon just wants the world to burn and to cause as much pain and chaos as he can before he pulls the trigger. It goes beyond being a warmonger. He wants to destroy everything. The Trumptards are equally nihilistic. They refuse to help themselves and are too far gone in their all-consuming hatred to be redeemable. If Bannon told them to drink poisoned koolaid, they’d fight each other to be first in line.
I didn’t see a connection to him with Seinfeld in Wikipedia?
From what I understand, Bannon used to be an investment banker and his firm bought a stake in the company that produced Seinfeld, so he receives royalties from the show.
Yup. His brokerage specialized in Media investments and trades. He’d actually acquired the Seinfeld “shares” for a client who reneged, and Bannon was left owning them. Sheer dumb luck, not brilliant foresight on his part.
Re: the Fourth cycle. Those predictions say a Hero Generation will be led by a Grey Man to rebuild a new and glorious civilization. Guess who fancies himself this Grey Man? Bannon has Messianic delusions, another hallmark of psychotics and dictators and other murderers like that.
George Clooney is grey, let’s hope it’s him. But this sort of apocalyptic crap from someone so influential is very disturbing.
He bought shares in a company that produced Seinfield and that made him a millionaire.
http://www.thewrap.com/steve-bannon-seinfeld/
now I’m gladder than ever that I’ve never watched Seinfeld.
Tell it George!
I wonder how Amal is feeling? She’s so tiny; I can’t imagine what it’s going to be like to see her so pregnant with twins! I hope pregnancy is not too rough on her…
Sorry, George, but I gotta correct you. They aren’t Hollywood elitists. They’re Hollywood wannabes.
Wasnt Mnuchinchinnychinchin a producer on Suicide Squad, among other movies? His whole cabinet is made up of Wall Street and Hollywood people yet the cultist followers refuse to see they’ve been duped.
I have a lot of thoughts on that last paragraph too but it’s pointless. If that’s what he thinks, so be it.
Moron!
I don’t get what’s moronic about it. They have a right to make their own choices as a family. So does Angelina, even though this ain’t about her and the Angeloonies need to chill. I don’t think Clooney is the type to indirect anybody. That’s very conspiracy theory. I think he’s old and wise enough to publicly swerve on his friend’s divorce drama.
Yeah, Trump and Bannon are desperate, hideous, wannabes. If they can’t be accepted, they’ll try to destroy everyone who rejected them. Honestly, I wish this country made mental health more of a priority. Education, removing the stigma and easy, inexpensive access to care need to be top priorities. Clearly this country is in the throes of a mental health crisis and Trump and Bannon are two good examples of mega issues going unchecked and ultimately having a negative impact on others.
I assume the “moron” is directed at Bannon. It would be unfair to aim it at either Clooney, when the vast majority of people haven’t done anything like the work they’ve already done.
George is right. How Trump managed to con millions of people into thinking he’s “one of them” is beyond me. It is interesting though; the American dream is based off of this idea that if you work hard enough, you can “make it.” Yet someone, maybe it was here, pointed out that Americans have no great love for people who have actually achieved the American dream through hard work and innovation (e.g., Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg). But they idolize someone like Trump, who achieved (and I use that term loosely) success thanks to a loan from daddy. I honestly don’t get it.
I’ve seen the quote that Tr*mp is “a poor person’s idea of a rich person”, and I think it’s deadly accurate. Even the tackiness plays into that perfectly.
It’s also amazing how many people genuinely believe he’s self-made. He isn’t, of course, his grandfather made the money and his father loaned him millions, and then later he inherited all of it, but a lot of people really believe he is self-made. That’s a big part of it. People think he’s one of the regular joes who made it, and the fact that he is “a poor person’s idea of a rich person” (I, too, have seen that quote and it’s dead-on) just confirms the bias.
You hit the nail on the head with that quote, teacakes. What he represents is something achievable to them, because he lacks talent, good looks, intelligence, drive, ambition, etc. They get to convince themselves that, even lacking all of those qualities, it’s still possible to become rich (of course ignoring the fact that he inherited his wealth).
Well to each his own. I have a lot of aid worker friends who stopped going to dangerous zones when they became parents for that exact reason, while others continued precisely because they were parents.
YES!! Make me like you again, George!!!
I see, so charity work with the poor and vounerable in this world and bringing attention to their struggles with your power and influence is only important enough to do if you’re not a parent…I see.
classy clooneys.
(PS – I see their point but why bother explaining it that way? just keep it to yourself.)
He never said that he was going to stop helping the poor and the vulnerable nor stop all travels at all times. And Amal is pregnant with twins at the age of 39, considered high risk, and she has created enemies doing the kind of work she is doing. They should do what is best for their family at this time.
He seems more committed than ever to humanitarian works. George has always been dedicated to philanthropy. It is part of who he is and has been for way over a decade. George and Amal’s organization they set up, and really got some great companies like Google on board, will help Syrian refugees as far as resettling in the U.S.(one of their projects) and bringing in education to Syrian refugee camps, where children are getting none (another project). They seem very project oriented. He’s not just giving speeches on it. They are trying to be proactive. They were just at a conference and talked about their goals with their foundation that was just set up last year.
Their foundation.
https://cfj.org/
And one of their projects;
“With Google’s help, the Clooneys want to help the more than 250,000 children — about half of the school-age children in Lebanon — who are not in school. Some have never seen the inside of a classroom.
“That leads to a horrible outcome a decade from now, a generation from now,” George Clooney told USA TODAY. “Let’s not lose an entire generation of people because they happened to be born in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
The Clooneys’ goal: By next September to enroll 10,000 refugee children in pop-up schools that teach them everything from math to human rights to computer coding — all in English. By 2018, they want to enroll 50,000 more.”
Thanks so much for all this information. I’m going to check out their foundation. I have a lot of respect for Amal and George’s commitment. It’s heartbreaking to see Trump demonize refugees, who have been through hell and are just looking for a safe place for their families. He doesn’t care about them, they’re just convienent scapegoats in his war on immigrants and muslims and to keep his base fearful and angry. A terrible man who is dragging America down everyday.
For all their charity work, they still aspire to project an image of the very elitism he’s criticising. Private jets, million-dollar weddings, outrageously costly designer wardrobes (though gifted probably), constant holiday lifestyle, etc. There are people like Keanu, Reeves Meryl Streep, and probably the majority of HW, who either don’t live like that or are much more reticent projecting this crass kind of ’80s celebrity glamour, and there are the Kloondashians. I think his PR is totally off and he’s no one to be lecturing about elitism, even if one agrees with his general message.
I’m not a massive fan of theirs Jayna but I agree with you. Who the hell wouldn’t put their family first? Saints perhaps. I don’t think they’ve ever claimed to be that.
This comment makes no sense. You make an easily refutable blanket statement but then say you get their point and acknowledge that you’re just not trying to hear it? Whut??
You definitely don’t have to physically go to a dangerous place to bring attention to the struggle and support the cause. That line of thinking is an insult to everyone who donates to charity, or holds fundraisers, or protests, or signal boosts via raising awareness online. In the Clooney’s case, they have the ability to command attention via the press. There’s lots of ways to help. You can’t be angry at someone trying to make prudent choices based on what they think is best for their family. If you would do it differently, more power to you. But the irrational snark is unnecessary. Damn.
Wait, what?
@MissMerry yes keep it to yourself!!! I know it is smart and responsible, but it doesn’t sound good from a lot of stand points. He should just organize and give, and he doesn’t have to justify why they don’t go to dangerous places, not sure why he did in advance.
Trump has a pension through SAG?? Well isn’t that a nice little nugget of info that, of course, would be explained away by the Deplorables even though it’s a total contradiction of his anti-Hollywood “I’m one of you” stance. Ugh..how can people be so blind to what’s right in front of them, and has been for years? I just….it’s beyond me.
Interesting about the pension. Trump’s greedy little fingers also apparently did not hesitate to take money after 911 for damages his businesses did not incur. This so-called billionaire was cheap enough to grasp at funds intended for smaller businesses struggling in the aftermath of 911. He never disappoints when it comes to being a total and complete jerk.
But it’s only $120,000 a year! Small change! Hardly enough for one gold toilet seat.
He’s right, of course. The word “elite” is thrown around hypocritically by the similarly elite. Them vs us “common folk” is just another tool Trump uses to divide and conquer.
As for staying away from dangerous places … heck, if I were pregnant, I would feel the same way. He also will be an older dad and the older you get the more conscious of the dangers and, therefore, the more cautious. Also, Amal in her professional role has accumulated a lot of haters that seem deranged in some cases when you read the comments.
No one is commenting on the “Shakespearean rap musical about the LA riots”??
I know. I was aware of the other stuff, but the Bannon rap musical is a strange nugget in this very weird world we are in. Anyone else feel like they landed in Willy Wonka’s factory, but without the candy and fun for that matter.
I am amazed people didn’t realize the SAG-AFTRA pension. Yet he wants to fight unions for the regular folks. Yes SAG is a union, and very powerful at that. They also give health insurance for life too. I know Americans aren’t that smart, but how could so many fall for this. I am totally dumbfounded.
I think the idea of a “Shakespearean rap musical about the LA riots” isn’t so bad itself but the idea of Steve Bannon writing it is what makes it sound all wrong. No way that wouldn’t be the racist film of the century.
“Romeo Romeo, where’s your ass at Romeo?”
I was like WHATTTTTTTTTTT ….
It’s worded a little callously, but I think what he was trying to get across with the last paragraph is that parenting makes you more aware of the danger in the world. It’s not a bunch of independent adults affected by your choices now – a dependent child is involved.
His comments make on Bannon and Trump just support my theory that the Nazi movement in America is primarily driven by white men who feel they haven’t gotten a large enough piece of the pie to which they feel entitled.
It still boggles my mind that Bannon, from Breitbart News, has the ear of the president and is in the White House. I can’t believe how backwards our country is going. It saddens me so much. The fact that Trump only came out against anti-semitism when pushed to do it, not in real time and on his own accord, shows where this Administration is in their mindset and the how much they have and continue to embolden the low-life bigots in our country.
Wait. What??? Bannon has Seinfeld connections?? WHAT
He invested very early and owns like 1% and has enjoyed the syndication profits etc for years and years and years.
Thank you George!
Variety article on Bannon’s Hollywood history. He got his money working at Goldman Sachs in the 1980s. Kind of funny that SO MANY Goldman Sachs men are at Tru*mp’s side in this administration right now.
http://variety.com/2016/biz/news/steve-bannon-hollywood-seinfeld-donald-trump-1201934317/
I agree with him but seriously, he flies around in private jets and his wife has a literally multimillion-dollar wardrobe (probably free from designers though). And Hillary, whom the Kloondashians avidly support, is centre-left and has been cosying up to wall st, etc, and didn’t ‘t really have policies to support the return of the middle class. George is also a Hollywood elitist who happily flaunts an extravagant lifestyle with his wife, and he doesn’t have the legitimacy to lecture people about refugees. It’s actually better for lefties if the Kloons didn’t speak out politically at all unless it’s to do with an actual legal case she’s working on or a charity he’s working with – all they do is make the right-wing voters more angry.
oh Wow, Banon is a HW wannabe too?
No wonder they are so against HW speaking up. Because they wanted to be them and could not be them and now they are trying to destroy them. it would be funny if it was a movie or a fiction brcause there are tons of them with this theme, but its extremely frightening that it is real life.
On last para, its not like George or Amal ever travelled, like an average Joe aid worker or just average joe, in economy and stayed in shitty places. They probably would stay in the best places, travel in private jets with their posse of private security. if however they choose to cut down on their active humanitarian work and focus on family, so be it. To each his own. I hope he was not shading Angelina. It takes a lot of courage and strength to be Her.