Pretty boys can think [Clooney says Bush ran away on 9/11]

The Guardian (UK) ^ | February 15, 2003 | Sally Vincent

[aculeus]

If you're a hugely bankable Hollywood star, there are certain expectations of you. Maintain your profile, toe the line and keep schtum about politics. George Clooney, on the other hand, is hollering his disdain for his government and its dumb war plans, and he's directed his own, somewhat risky, film. Interview by Sally Vincent.

[Fanmag fluff snipped.]

"The question is," he goes on, "do we go on murdering each other, or are we going to take time out to ask ourselves why we're so angry in the first place? I get mad at someone, then I find out more about why they did what they did to make me mad, and the anger disperses. We get angry because we don't have enough information." His mousseline is now neatly stacked on the side of his plate. All tidied away.

"It's the head guys who really tick me off," he says. "You dumb down at the top, so what does that do to the bottom? Who's going to stand up for us now? I just want someone smart to stand up and shout, 'Bullsh**!' They tell us we're going to war and no one's saying 'Bullsh**' loud enough. And the language! Listen to the language! 'Evil.' 'Evil'? 'Nexus of evil'? 'Evil-doer'? That's my favourite, 'Evil-doer'! What's wrong with their vocabulary: couldn't they come up with 'schmuck'?"

This makes me laugh uncontrollably. I wonder if he'll mind if I gobble up his mousseline. "Look at us," he cries, "we're the guys who marched into France and liberated them, handing out stockings and chocolate. And we've slowly become all the things we fought against. How'd it happen?"

I feel the soul of America is at large. The words of Walt Whitman beat in my brain. "O Captain! My Captain!" I bleat. Clooney looks at me sideways. "We're so smart we don't even try to elect a leader. We elect someone to manage our country. Bush was elected, or sort of elected, on the issues of school vouchers and welfare reform. When the big one hit, we found we didn't have a leader at all. What did Bush do on 9/11? He ran away and hid. Even Reagan knew more about leadership than that, and he was as bad a symbol of America as I can think of, off-hand. But at least he's been in enough cowboy movies to know he had to come out and stand on top of the rubble and be seen shaking his fist or something. What has it all come down to? Selling things on television, is what. The three-second soundbite. We don't have any great speakers any more, we don't have great television any more, we don't have great films any more. Everything's knocked out by committee. That's how it is. How we deal with everything. That's politics. You turn on the TV for the news now and what do you get? 'Showdown in Iraq!' it goes, like it's a game. The news is a f***king game show. They're selling us a pre-emptive war and no one says, 'Bullsh**'. It's a conglomerate decision, all rounded off to make it palatable so we'll swallow it, believe it. But it's a lie. Of course it's a lie. We've been lying to ourselves since Vietnam. And if you say that, if you stand up and say no to the war in Iraq, immediately you're being 'unpatriotic'. But if you don't, if it's not you, who the f**k's it going to be?"

O Captain! My Captain! "It's not my place. I'm not a big, like, yogi guy, I'm just a stoopid film star. Stooooopid, goofball film star."

"Big guru guy," I say.

"Big guru guy," he says.

....

[fight_truth_decay]

Found a story on that Obscure Late Night show I mentioned:

NEW YORK -- It's last call at Jimmy Kimmel's new ABC talk show. After a boisterous premiere during which actor George Clooney passed around a bottle of vodka and an audience member vomited, the bar that serves drinks to audience members has been shut down.

Kimmel's late-night talk show, to run regularly on weeknights, premiered early Monday two hours after the end of the Super Bowl and was seen by an average of 4.8 million viewers.

Besides Clooney pouring drinks, rapper Snoop Dogg tested censors by several times making an on-camera obscene gesture. "We were not comfortable with the systems in place for serving wine and beer," ABC spokesman Kevin Brockman said. Daniel Kellison, the show's executive producer, said, "They just said 'let's chill out on it and take it away for now,' and we said fine. We have bigger fish to fry."

ABC is hoping to build a late-night franchise by replacing "Politically Incorrect" with a new show led by Kimmel, former co-host of "The Man Show" on Comedy Central. ABC had resisted letting the show operate a bar in the first place, but Kellison pointed out drinks are served at the Disney-owned California Angels' games.

Kimmel, speaking earlier this month, said he wanted to make going to the show a more pleasant experience than it normally is for audience members.

"You stand out there for three hours," he said. "They poke you with cattle prods to get in, and then you're forced to laugh and applaud at certain times. I want to make it more of an evening out where people actually enjoy themselves from the beginning of the experience until the end."

Drinks aren't served to audience members at Jay Leno's "Tonight" show and David Letterman's "Late Show." On-air guests at "Tonight" are asked backstage if they want a drink; Letterman's people won't ask, but will get something if it's requested.

Source

[Search4Truth]

I believe at the heart of Looney Clooney's neurosis is the fear that his member is not as big as President Bush's.

[anncoulteriscool]

I know whenever i see someone repeatedly saying "Bull****" i always marvel as their massive intelligence.

[Paul Atreides]

His anger didn't disperse enough to keep him from making fun of Charleton Heston and saying that Heston deserves what people say about him (as long as it is negative stuff that is said).

George Looney comes across as someone trying to appear intelligent by parroting what others say. He's a dimbulb.

Hey George! It's "Axis of Evil," not "Nexus of Evil."

[nomorecameljocks]

>Bush was elected, or sort of elected, on the issues of school vouchers and welfare reform. When the big one hit, we found we didn't have a leader at all. What did Bush do on 9/11? He ran away and hid


And what would Algore have done post 9/11? Surrendered? Shook down the Taliban/Al Quaida for campaign contributions? Maybe just gone to his knees with a "We like you,Why don't you like us?" approach?

[anncoulteriscool]

Really? I never knew that Nick Clooney was George Clooney's dad...I remember as a kid watching that show.

[Dionysius]

There once was a gullible Moony
Who accepted a date with George Clooney
She took it all back
When he fell for Iraq
And said "I'm a dupe, not a loony".

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

but alas he was just a cutout 'bad guy' who went down,

Suffice it to say he was a great Marine...but a lousy human being.

After all, it was only a movie, right?

[WOSG]

Brilliant thought!

You are so correct ... It is wellknown that alot of the these marches and 'anti-war' loons are just Leftists looking for a discreditable 'cause' to latch on to, so they can whine about the Conservative cause of freedom.

Would they protest President Clinton taking on a rogue nation by force of arms? I seem to have not noticed the massive anti-War-in-Kosovo protests.

Think about that last scene in "A Time to Kill" ... where the white jury was told to think about it the other way around. "Imagine a rogue nation with dangerous weapons who threatened neighbors and his own people. Imagine a President saying he must be stopped. ... now imagine that President a democrat."

The fact is, many of us on the conservative side didnt trust Clinton and were wary of his interventions. Vice versa, the left doesnt trust anyone but other leftists using power to change Governments. They surely would give Gore hosannas for taking out 'fascist' dictators, but they will call Bush a cowboy for doing the same. God forbid, we might have a peaceful, Democratic, prosperous, *prowestern* Iraqi Government that reflects non-leftwing values! the horror!

[fight_truth_decay]

George Clooney Letter to Bill O'Reilly

November 6, 2001


Mr. O’Reilly,

On the evening of October 31st you ran a story that has no basis in truth. What is not important is your attack of the performers who gave their time to raise money during the telethon for the September 11th fund. What is important is your accusation that the fund is being mishandled and misused. That sir, as you know, is nothing short of a lie.

The fund is intact and has already handed out some 36 million dollars to victims’ families (fifteen thousand checks), with over $230 million more to be allocated as The United Way sorts through the complicated process of who is in the most need. To have given out all of the money only six weeks after it was raised, would truly be irresponsible. If you were a journalist you would have known that.

If you were doing your job you would have also known that the person put in place to run the September 11 Fund is a man named Frank Thomas. Now that’s not the baseball player Bill, but rather the man who headed the Ford Foundation for several years. The Ford Foundation, Mr. O’Reilly, is one of the greatest charitable organizations in the world….. (Not a car dealership…. but I’m sure you knew that). Mr. Thomas is a man respected worldwide and I would enjoy watching you question his character publicly.

…..No Mr. O’Reilly, even you wouldn’t do that.

So, let’s re-cap.

The fund is not only the most successful single fundraiser ever (over 260 million dollars); it is also doing exactly what it is designed to do. Responsibly. The money is going out to the right people and to make certain of this, the United Way is taking some time.

It took one phone call to find this information. One phone call you did not make. But hey, it’s the first week of sweeps and you need to run a hard-hitting expose’ of irresponsible, pampered performers and try to bait them on your show with inflammatory statements. I’m sure it must have been frustrating for you that not one person took the bait. Hell Bill, even McCarthy got a few people to show up.

Here’s the problem, and why I’m forced to respond: People are coming up to me and asking if it’s true the telethon was a fraud. That means the next time we try to raise money, like when the CD from the telethon comes out this month, fewer people will participate. Because of your unsubstantiated, untrue statements about the September 11 Fund, You, Mr. O’Reilly will be taking money away that from people who need it….and all because it’s the first week of sweeps.

I will say this; you were right about one thing. You accused all of the performers of lying. You named them one by one and read each of their excuses for not responding to you.

Tom Cruise, “Too busy”.
Brad Pitt, “Too busy to respond”.
Tom Hanks…..you get the idea.


You’re right, Mr. O’Reilly, we lied…all of us. Of course we weren’t too busy. And if you were Peter Jennings, or Dan Rather, Tom Brokaw, Charlie Rose, The Washington Post, New York Times, LA Times, or pretty much anybody else, we would have dropped everything and explained what we know. You see Bill, these are journalists. So, yes we lied when we said we were too busy to do your “entertainment show”. We were just trying to not hurt your feelings.

I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the February sweeps.

Your biggest fan,

George


http://www.oreilly-sucks.com/News/clooney.htm

http://www.workingforchange.com/article.cfm?itemid=14417&CFID=5242580&CFTOKEN=32900298

[Polybius]

Who even cares about this piece of garbage anymore?

The guy is an actor. His opinion carries no more weight than your barber's opinion.

[TracyPA]

Hey Clooney! "Better To Remain Silent and be Thought a Fool than to Speak Out and Remove All Doubt."

OOPS! Too Late You Foul-Mouthed Moron!

[faithincowboys]

What I can't wait for is the liberation of the Iraqi people. Then this morally rancid and untalented jackoff will be even further marginalized. These Hollywood dolts are on the wrong side of history. His line about Reagan possessing the worst american traits made me wretch. Reagan
was a liberator of 10's of millions. Clooney needs to get his loafer off the necks of the Iraqi people. The peace movement wants peace for Saddam so he can continue his relentless war on the people of Iraq. These people have allowed themselves to become terrible cowards. They are opponents of freedom. I trust all of them will have to answer for their sympathies for fascism.

[fight_truth_decay]

The guy is an actor. His opinion carries no more weight than your barber's opinion.

Saddam loves to insert "many Americans" are speaking out against Bush and the attack on Iraq. When on foreign soils..a favorite place of the celebs to speak out...lights, cameras..broadcast these stories all over the world, painting a picture of Americans as Anti-Bush and in support of Iraq, which buys Iraq more and more time.

[Wondervixen]

Never mind the effects that mouthing off will have on HIS career, when the new film bombs, objective stars like Cathrine Zeta Jones and other co-stars are going to have to take a step back and think hard when their agents say, "...and you'll be starring OPPOSITE George Clooney, Sean Penn, Alec Baldwin, Julia Roberts, etc, etc, etc..."

Talk about sucking your peers paychecks dry! These goofs won't just be shooting themselves in the foot, they'll be looked on as box office herpes to be involved with!

[ALOHA RONNIE]

.."IS it SAFE?" = HILLARY on Armed Services Committee..

http://www.TheAlamoFILM.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=629

[Publius6961]

Baby clooney is apparently a lot more ignorant than he sounds.
Big surprise?

We're talking about a professional pretender here...

[Polybius]

When on foreign soils..a favorite place of the celebs to speak out...lights, cameras..broadcast these stories all over the world, painting a picture of Americans as Anti-Bush and in support of Iraq, which buys Iraq more and more time.

The only time Saddam has left is the time until the next New Moon which is coming up on March 3. After that, the war begins.

[sofaman]

What's wrong with their vocabulary: couldn't they come up with 'schmuck'?"

Yiddish translation for schmuck is "Clooney". The fellow hit the nail right on the head.

[LaineyDee]

I think he took his role in "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou".... too seriously. Now we reap the consequences.