George Clooney covers the new issue of Esquire UK, I guess this is the January issue. Again, he’s promoting The Monuments Men, which comes out in February (just in time with Gravity’s Oscar push?). I have to say, George’s recent spate of interviews (American Esquire, W Mag) has been enormously pleasurable for me. George is usually a good interview, but this is the first time in years that he’s doing a big publicity roll-out without a girlfriend/rent-a-date by his side. I feel like Single Clooney talks more smack than usual. Maybe he’s just morphing into a crotchety old dude, or maybe he just doesn’t give a crap. Whatever is happening, it’s making for some good quotes. Some highlights from the Esquire piece:
He’s surprised to be single again: “I am surprised, yeah. But I’m surprised by almost everything that’s happened in my life. I’m surprised I don’t live in Kentucky and sell insurance, too. I mean, I really am.”
On marriage: “I haven’t had aspirations in that way, ever. I was married in 1989. I wasn’t very good at it. I was quoted as saying I’ll never get married again pretty much right after I got divorced and then I’ve never talked about it since.”
On fatherhood: “’What do you do? Should I go, ‘I got to get me some kids right now!’ and rush out and impregnate someone? Look, what I do know is that I was raised in a loving, happy family. I don’t have any dislike or distrust of that.”
Fame, self-promotion: “Not that I’m comparing myself to Clark Gable or whoever but they couldn’t survive in this environment. They’d punch the s–t out of some people. It requires a kind of Zen quality. There’s a funny thing about fame. The truth is you run as fast as you can towards it because it’s everything you want. Not just the fame but what it represents, meaning work, meaning opportunity. And then you get there and it’s shocking how immediately you become enveloped in this world that is incredibly restricting.”
On Twitter: “I think anyone who is famous is a moron if they’re on Twitter. It’s just stupid.”
[From Esquire UK & The Daily Mail]
“Anyone who is famous” is an important caveat, I suppose. George isn’t saying all Twitter users are stupid, I guess, just the famous people on Twitter. In all honesty though, I’ve grown to love celebrity Twitter feeds. They’re a wonderful insight into what celebrities are really like and what they find important. Celebrity Twitter feeds get a bad rap when they’re abused by people like Rosanne Barr and Ashton Kutcher, but many celebrities seem to use them appropriately, to interact with fans, directly confirm or deny rumors and to promote their work. I would imagine George, as a master of pith, would actually be good at Twitter. He would be the kind of person who would tweet lots of photos of his dog and re-tweet political news feeds. Just my take.
Photos courtesy of Getty
Been loving his interviews lately, they’re a great read and very entertaining. Although I’m with you on the celebrity Twitter matter. Many times this is a great way for celebs to interact with fans & give us a glimpse of their lives.
And yes, Clooney would be great at tweeting. I’d definitely follow. 🙂
“Been loving his interviews lately”
Oh my god…me too. So many gems in there.
I really loved what he had to say about having kids-it’s pretty much EXACTLY how I feel, especially this:
“Look, what I do know is that I was raised in a loving, happy family. I don’t have any dislike or distrust of that.”
I think there’s sometimes an assumption that people who don’t rush into marriage and kids are somehow rejecting the idea of a spouse and family, when so often it’s quite the opposite. I value and respect the institution of marriage and motherhood so much, that I know I need to be 100% sure that it’s perfect for me, or at least as perfect as I’m gonna get.
yeah, I’m just going to + 1 all this..
Same here, and for a while I was off Clooney because of his rather…interesting taste in women. But when I read these interviews I remember why I became a fan; he’s a smart man and he’s not afraid to speak his mind.
I even agree with him about Twitter, because a lot of the times celebs just come off like total morons and it ruins a bit of the mystique. “Better to be silent and be thought a fool…” and etc.
I agree! Twitter exposes idiots where before it was unknown just how petty and immature and stupid the person was. Mystery is in that case a very good thing. I really don’t want to know how awful some people are in real life.
i agree, where would be LeAnn now if she woulnd use twitter? people woulndt hate her that much. because now everybody knows shes a moron.
LOL!
The problem is, first they give a detailed glimpse of their banal lives, THEN they complain about privacy. When George says ‘famous,’ he is holding accountable exactly those people – the ones who already have plenty of public attention, dont actually need it for career/ money/ opportunity, but then complain about the intrusions via paparazzi or interview questions about their personal lives.
Me too. Especially when George talks about his crush on Audrey Hepburn : “When I was a kid, I was in love with Audrey Hepburn. I watched Roman Holiday when I was 11, and I thought she was as elegant as anything I’d ever seen.” Very eye opening.
I think he has to say something controversial now to keep him in the news since he hasn’t found a new paid PR girlfriend piece yet. Sorry, but to me he is an idiot!
So smart, so witty, so sexy. I’ll love him forever.
+10000
I wouldn’t turn him away if he knocked on the door.
I love celebrity Twitter accounts but I get what Clooney is saying. Twitter feeds the beast. It erodes the public-private line. It creates the illusion that fans can just approach actors at any time and expect to be welcomed. The fame-junkies want that of course — right up until the minute it’s too much.
I agree-it also shows what insecure famewhores many actors/celebrities are. They feed off the need to be adored, talked about, seen. For a long time acting was one level above being a prostitute, so it’s not that long in our human history that they have been put on such pedestals. Very few seem to retain humility & levity.
You hit it on the head.
Ditto, Ellen. I think most celebs start out on Twitter with the best of intentions. But they can quickly spiral out of control because fans expect (and in some cases, demand) interaction from the celeb and it all becomes a bit overwhelming.
My thought reading this is “he’s right”. I am constantly amazed at “so and so is under fire for tweet” . It seems like twitter is a good place to ruin a career to me.
My only problem with celebrities on Twitter are when certain celebs complain about privacy but then tell and show the world what they’re doing everyday. It’s like Internet reality TV. I think most celebs on Twitter are harmless though, so I wouldn’t call “all” of them morons.
I agree, but I guess that there’s am argument that it changed the expectations for those who choose not to participate. We assume unrestricted access these days, and that’s incredibly intrusive for someone who doesn’t want to surrender their entire life.
Very true T.Fanty, Twitter can make a celeb relevant in ways they otherwise wouldn’t get talked about.
All of my top 3 men Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hardy, and Charlie Hunnam don’t have Twitter accounts and I kinda like that about them. When Tom Hardy tried twice to have a Twitter account for a week he almost killed all those special lady feels I have for him faster than TommyAnnE can recite Shakespeare.
I’m kind of on board with everything he said. There are people who just don’t desire marriage or kids. It doesn’t make them selfish. What is selfish is society forcing that age old belief that the American Dream is marriage and the house with the white picket fence and two and a half kids.
But I’m sure looking forward to the day when Clooney has to work with one of those famous morons on twitter such as Hiddeston. (Wow, is my Hiddles becoming a famewhore)?
Can you imagine George coming face to face with Vin Diesel and that raspy voice of his saying “hey Clooney, let me hollar at you for a sec, who you calling a moron.”
Better yet The Rock saying hey George who you calling stupid you candy ass pretty boy.
Oh, Tom Hardy’s twitter made me sad. He should have just used it like an instagram and tweeted pictures of his dog. It was smart of him to realize that it was a terrible idea and go away. I would love Cumby on twitter, but someone would have to be ON IT, because he’d forever be making the bitchiest of tweets, immediately regretting them and taking them off.
Hiddles wouldn’t call George on his comments. He’d just wait and tell the press how they debated it for hours, then did robot dancing together to flashdance at a disco which was amazingly fun. Or something.
I get that Hiddles is toning down his twitter, but I do miss the little “dancer, prancer, loon.”
Kanye West the best example. He’s complaining about the paparazzi and media,but him and his baby mama are tweeting everything they do, eat and wear.
Prime example: Kim K. She’s okay with Instagramming or Tweeting a picture of almost-bare behind, but then cries that the paparazzi won’t leave her alone. If you want privacy boundaries, show that you have them to begin with.
I agree with him on some level, but at the same time, I really do like reading celebrity Twitter feeds and like seeing their pics on Instagram. It’s nice to get a glimpse into their world every now and again, and I think that it also lets people know that they are just like everyone else (minus the fame and money, of course).
I hate it though when celebs don’t think before they tweet. When you live a public life and a lot of your career depends on your public image, you must be cognizant of what you put out there (looking at you Ashton Kutcher, Chris Brown and other fellow idiots). I don’t understand why more of them don’t do this. And kudos to the ones that do.
Not the first time he’s said this. I don’t completely disagree with him. I’m not on Twitter but have pretty much zero famous people on my Facebook. I have some of my fave bands, mostly so I know when they have new music coming out. I read People and I go on this site, I don’t need to get to know a celebrity anymore than that. And really so many just say completely annoying things that make me dislike them more anyways!
Okay, Grandpa.
So, Tom Hanks, Kevin Spacey, Stephen Colbert (to name but a few) are morons?
You know, Arianna Huffington said a few years ago that George doesn’t unterstand the internet (after they had a bit of a tiff up over a blog George wrote for HuffPo). I think she might be right. Twitter is like everything else. You can be a moron on it, or you can do something funny, smart, exciting with it.
Agree with you 100%. I have some fantastic comedians on my twitter and the one liners they come up with can brighten some seriously bad days. I think twitter certainly has a place in the Social media world, but as with most things people use it with very different agendas.
He’s annoying.
WORD.
And the complaining is not happening. I think he’s coming down with the Jon Hamm-itis. Grumps.
Lol! I used to fancy George something rotten during E.R.
When did he become so holier-than-thou?!
Am I the only one that found these pictures horrifyingly harsh? I mean, George Clooney is a good looking man but he looks like Han Solo in carbonite here.
Yeah, not flattering at all.
Wow, that’s an excellent comparison! Heh.
Damn that was funny!
Awesome burn.
I’m not active on Twitter but I follow some people and I hate such generalizations. If he doesn’t use Twitter, he also doesn’t know what certain people use it for but he still calls an entire, very large group of people morons and that’s not very smart. Many celebrities tend to overshare but some of them are on Twitter and still don’t lose their privacy because they never write about their private lives. Two of the most secretive people in show-business – Jonny Greenwood and Thom Yorke are on Twitter. Jonny posted a picture of his dog once, so I guess he lost his privacy and people have a right to stalk him now? Stephen Fry is on Twitter. Ian McKellen too. Are they all morons? Patrick Stewart likes to post his private pictures but is he a moron? Still no, he just does it for fun and at this point of his life he probably couldn’t care less that George Clooney might call him a moron.
Agreed! I get what he’s saying, sort of, but I think he’s wrong to say *everyone* who’s famous and on Twitter is a moron. There are a lot of exceptions, like the people you mentioned. Many celebrities, especially a lot of comedians, are actually talented writers and are able to use Twitter in an effective, interesting way, without gratuitous over-sharing. What George says only really applies to idiots like the Kardashians, Miley Cyrus, and that whole genre of young spoiled Hollywood types.
He’s so sanctimonious.
I don’t follow celebrities on Twitter because any major news I would need to know will be reported by the news outlets I already have in my feed. But I have enjoyed Alyssa Milano and Steve Martin when I check them, they’re like a nice treat I have once and a while but refuse to indulge. They create a great balance and feel genuine.
I find that celebrity twitters are either TMI or too promotion heavy for my taste.
George would be a great celeb*tchy commenter…
He would be great on twitter too. Can you imagine the context of the drunk George tweets?
But I disagree with him. Some celebs use twitter quite well.
ps: Is he calling all his exes morons? or he doesn’t considered them famous?
Adore him. He is definitely putting it out there that marriage and kids are not completely off the table by saying it just hasn’t happened for him. Perhaps to give his next lady some hope or something for us all to chew on?
I had no idea he was actually smart, good on ya.
He’s right, and he’s right because most celebrities didn’t even graduate from high school and/or aren’t living in reality. Now, Bill Mahar should (and does) have Twitter. I wouldn’t have a Facebook account for anything.
MOST celebrities didn’t graduate high school? Bull.
I follow Bill Maher on Facebook and he is just awesome (I’m guessing it must be pretty similar to how his Twitter account is).
AMEN to him for saying that. It’s sad his is a lone voice in the wilderness on what is completely common sense (for celebrities and non-celebrities alike). Twitter is nothing more than a megaphone for morons.
I’m lol’ing all over at “megaphone for morons”.
“Megaphone for morons.” I love that too. Though, everyone saying that twitter is merely the tool by which you prove your worth or dearth is right too. Obviously, there are people, celebrity and non, who use twitter in interesting productive ways. I have a twitter account but only succeeded in having it hacked. I still have no idea if it’s still spamming my twitter friends. Somehow, i can’t make myself pay attention to it.
I agree. Most of them use Twitter as a marketing tool. Some share TMI.
I’m sorry Mr Clooney but Twitter has become a 100000x better place since Jack Coleman joined it.
I think he’s right, assuming that “famous” means “famous in the same way that George Clooney is.” If you’re an established, respected movie star with a wide fanbase like George Clooney, social media gives you a lot of opportunities to make an idiot out of yourself and make far too much of yourself available to fans.
What I think Clooney misses is that there are also famous people whose fame is cultivated by social media. I don’t just mean reality stars, either. People like Wil Wheaton and George Takei started in standard acting roles, but they’ve maintained some degree of fame through their interactions with their fans. There’s also an in between group of famous people, who face a difficult choice. They’d like to be more like Clooney someday, but they’re still building their careers and would generally benefit from being more accessible. The risk of that is that once they engage, it will be hard for them to pull back if they reach a level of fame where they can get away with being above it all. For those entertainers, I think it’s a difficult choice, and that Clooney’s comments are a little out of touch with the reality of that decision.
There are also the celebrities who use their fame and twitter accounts to promote worthwhile causes or disseminate useful links to their followers.
I follow John Cusack on twitter and he is always retweeting really interesting links that are actually relevant to everyday people (i.e. digital privacy rights). I think any celebrity that uses their fame to act like a moron via social media or any other form of media is a just a moron to begin with.
Personally I can’t stand twitter. I use it for a blog that I co-write, but it is such an inane waste of time. I hate how the feeds are flooded with crap from everyone.
Clooney is right, if you are famous and you wish to keep some level of privacy or mystique, then it is best to avoid twitter. It is full of horrible people that throw about hateful diatribes left right and centre. It allows people to act like morons, be they famous or non-famous.
+1, I have the impression that Twiiter is THE palce for narcissics and morons
I am not on Twitter and have no desire to be but I remember when Kutcher tweeted a picture of the poo he had just made. I really can’t stand that idiot.
uh does he not know how social media works? It’s like free marketing!
Oh no he didn’t! I agree he’s an intelligent man but he just crossed over into grumpy old man territory with that all encompassing diss of famous people on Twitter. It’s just another means of communication.
Agreed. I wish people would simply give opinions without dissing others. For example, George could have said something like, “I feel Twitter is risky if you’re a celebrity because…” and it would have been a lot more personal, authentic and interesting.
For me he’s the moron.. just my two cents.
What George said. 🙂
I have to say, I agree wholeheartedly.
I am not even his fan, but I agree totally regarding Twitter.
And no, I don’t think it goes just for famous people. The snob that I am (no, not really : )), I must admit my opinion of someone – anyone – plummets instantly as soon as I discover they have a Twitter or Facebook account.
Sue me. 🙂
George’s comment is certainly a slam against his ex.
Stacy Keibler had one of the most annoying celebrity twitter feeds out there. Ha ha ha! I always wondered what he thought of her inane tweets. Now I do! If Keibler’s tweets are one of Clooney’s few frames of reference, then no wonder he has a negative opinion.
Myself, I’ve found that your twitter experience all depends on who you follow. I follow an astronaut (Chris Hatfield), an evolutionary biologist (Richard Dawkins) and a comedian (Ricky Gervais). Their twitter feeds are anything but banal.
I like Clooney. i do. But these comments on famous folks using Twitter irk me. first of all George your best friend Cindy Crawford is on Twitter. she a moron too? lol lil awkward explanation coming if she reads/ hears about this. second, while i am all for actors callin out other actors on their bs ( loved the story about leo n crowe) i feel like if u keep goin on and on about it interview after interview you’re just as bad and douchey as they are. after a while it just sounds like he thinks his sh*t doesnt stink and hes above us all. third like its said already above some celebs are great on, and for, Twitter. no harm in bein on it George relax. celebs dont have to reveal everything just because they tweet.
I -still- don’t understand twitter. What happened to mystery and suspense? I want to imagine larger than life stars sitting by a pool with a martini and an affected accent. I don’t want to know they spend their time in front of a computer (like me) hating on miley cyrus or amanda bynes…whatever. Is nothing sacred? I need some Gods and Goddesses of the Acropolis, not an overpaid melee of drunken strippers and narcissists. I so agree with GC; keep it to yourself, let us stay mesmerized by whatever shred of glamour is left in tinsel town!!
I think you’re following the wrong people … Not all celebs use Twitter in the way that you describe. In fact none of the ones I follow do. I don’t follow anyone who tweets about Miley Cyrus or Amanda Bynes. I follow people like Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Ricky Gervais, Russell Brand, Stephen Merchant, Idris Elba, Eddie Izzard … they all tweet interesting and intelligent things. Hmm, looking at that list, I guess the type of people I like are not really the “larger than life stars who sit by a pool with a martini” types anyway though, as they’re pretty much all Brit comedians, so maybe that doesn’t help at all! 🙂
I understand your point, but to me it’s the opposite: I like to know that celebs can be as ordinary as anybody, it takes off their fake godly halo, what I personally think no one should have. Glamour is a cheap illusion, in my opinion.
So if this was a woman saying she still wanted a family at 50? So if he waits and has babies at 70 it’s exciting but if a female waits until 45 she’s to old. What a sick world we live in.
I am tired of him taking others celebrities down. How about another celebrity stating that he thinks that fifty plus year old men dating much younger women and getting new ones faster the most people change socks. Think that’s stupid? This man is a pompous ass. There are many celebrities who use twitter to cause awareness for great causes and promote their work. This statement just shows how out of touch he really is. Getting old George?
So now I guess it’s official why he needs to pay for his women…he’s a judgemental little bitch. It’s a good thing he keeps to himself most of time, if he talked more often his charm would fade away as soon as you said Clowny.
I agree with him, why would any celebrity want to read all the negative things people say about their looks, weight, clothes, etc. That definitely has to affect anyone’s self confidence.
I have to agree with George re: famous people on Twitter. Eg. I used to like Ricky Gervais but now that I know he’s an ***hole in real life I’m no longer a fan