George Clooney’s latest directorial effort, Suburbicon, was a massive failure. It opened two weekends ago and it massively bombed. The second weekend box office had a steep drop-off too, coming in tenth place. The first ten days of its release have netted $5.1 million in receipts. Terrible. I think the film bombed for a variety of reasons: one, the film wasn’t really the politically charged satire Clooney claimed it was; two, it came out in the midst of the Harvey Weinstein scandal, and Matt in particular didn’t have the right answers to any Weinstein questions; three, it wasn’t a great movie? The reviews were meh, which is increasingly common with Clooney’s directorial efforts. Still, George is leaning hard into directing now, because he doesn’t want to act much from here on out. That’s what he told The Sunday Times (UK). Some highlights:
He won’t act much anymore: “Look, I acted for a long time and, you know, I’m 56. I’m not the guy that gets the girl anymore,” he said, before adding that at least he “shouldn’t be the guy that gets the girl. But, look, if somebody’s got Paul Newman in The Verdict, I’d jump. But there aren’t that many like that.”
He’s rich now: “Acting used to be how I paid the rent, but I sold a tequila company for a billion f— dollars. I don’t need money. I have money. So I can fight to make movies I want to make. If you look at what I’ve been in over the past 15 years, for the most part they weren’t going to get made if I didn’t do them. Nobody was going to make Good Night, and Good Luck, Michael Clayton or Up in the Air, and I fought to get those out there.”
He’s not going to run for president: “So many people since Trump was elected have really been pushing on me to get more involved in actual politics, specifically at the highest office. I don’t have political aspirations. I have always been involved in politics. My father ran for Congress. It’s been in our family for ever. But, mostly, I can help in ways I actually know very well, like messaging [voters].”
Democrats need more charismatic politicians: He says the Democratic party needs is a candidate “who lights up a room… Trump, for all his terrible instincts, is very charismatic. A TV star. People didn’t vote for him because he accomplished anything. They knew him. And they were, like, he’s exciting/ Democrats in general are very passive. In debates, the Republican will go, ‘That guy’s bad, and that guy’s good.’ And the Democrat will say, ‘Well, I understand what you’re saying, because your parents were alcoholics …’ And the reality is that you need people who go, ‘That’s good. That’s bad.’ ”
Whenever George tries to give political advice to his party, I’m always struck by how politically naive he is. Trump is not charismatic and people weren’t drawn to Trump because he “pops” on camera or whatever. Trump is an unhinged lunatic and he comes across as wooden, surly, stupid, crazy, petty and juvenile on the public stage and on camera. People voted for him IN SPITE OF THAT. They voted for him because he spoke their language, he spoke to their racism and sexism and pettiness. Democrats don’t need to look at Trump and think “we need our own version of that.”
As for George’s money and his plan to fight to get certain movies made… my problem with that is that he made it clear that he’s going to continue to “fight” to make movies with all-white casts, about white people drama. And it just feels like maybe he should broaden his horizons or else his next films will fail too.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
No we don’t. We got spoiled with Obama but we don’t need a reality show contestant as a candidate
In what word is Trump charismatic???
Thank you.
Again, even unconsciously white privilege asserts itself. George thinks Americans find Trump charismatic because…. Tv star. Wtf?!! So using that logic we’d elect Kim Kardashian, Ryan Seacrest or Bethany (all of which would be my preference over Trump- but then so would a ham sandwich).
Dear George, let me clue you in to what everyone else knows: Trump is a moron who got elected because of racist xenophobic white America, with a heavy assist from Putin. Period.
He went on a five year birther tour saying the 1st Black President was a foreign Muslim manchurian candidate with bad Harvard grades (because black ppl are stupid he was implying). Mainstream media gave him airtime to do it, and no high profile white people (for example…Clooney) spoke out and called him a racist Pos. That wasn’t charisma that was the excitement Republicans and racists felt when anyone would attack the black man. Trump parlayed his racist bullying into successful campaign tactics, bullying the rest of the Republicans into submission to the glee of bullies everywhere. Those same people had felt emasculated by a Black President, he exacerbated that insecurity positioned himself as the white felt delete key for all things Obama.
If it took just being a TV personality, his Dad Nick Clooney who’s been on TV in Ohio and KY, for 50 years and has a movie star son, wouldn’t have lost
I dont think he does either. He has no way with people at all to me. But its not a requirement for someone to have charisma to be a good legislator or voice of the people. You have to understand people, fight for people and represent the country with honor. But charisma is not needed
George Clooney must be drunk again. So, being a bully and calling people mean names, cannot take criticism is considered charismatic? George, please just 🛑 or go away with your drunken babble.
@Casey I agree with everything you said, but a couple things I think you left out. Too many people believed the media hype that Hillary was going to win, and they just didn’t go vote. Now we know how crazy things can be, they are coming out to vote and even run.
Also, Trump is a showboat not charismatic, and I think the non-core Trump voters thought his show wasn’t real it was just to garner press, which it did. I can somewhat understand, as this whole thing seems like we fell out of an SNL skit and can’t be real. They were wrong, and I think some know now. Hopefully, it will be enough to change the congress in 2018 and get rid of Trump by 2020 or earlier if possible.
George is just a few steps behind with his movies and his political acumen. Unfortunately, I hate to say it, but I think Hillary being a woman right after the first African American was too much for our country. We couldn’t muster the excitement for another historical milestone. Plus for whatever reason, women just don’t get excited about other women succeeding and we didn’t come out and support her. Yes Hillary had her issues, but to think she was worse than Trump is ridiculous.
I’ll take character over charisma any day, thanks. Adolf Hitler had charisma, as did Osama bin Laden, Fidel Castro, and Jim Jones.
Trump has neither character nor charisma. Neither does George Clooney, imho, and I’m underwhelmed by his acting.
Charismatic is not the word I would use for Trump. Racist and unhinged are better descriptions for Trump.
By that same metric Snookie was “charismatic”, and more of a car crash kind of “can’t look away” pain allure. What’s the proper word?
*by ‘charismatic’ he meant ‘insane’
Nah Kaiser you’re wrong. Trump is charismatic to the Republican base. Clearly, not to Dems or liberals, but yes Trump is charismatic. He would not have had the support he did if he wasn’t. Trump can light up a crowd. He can get his base excited, which leads to them voting.
Dems do need charisma. They need someone who can do similar. They need a candidate who will light up a crowd and get voters out there voting.
I hear what you’re saying but I agree with Kaiser. I don’t think it was Trump himself that got him elected (with help from the Russians) but his message. That’s what resonated with people more than Trump himself. That’s why so many people hid their true intentions to vote for him, because they knew he was abhorrent and unqualified — and decidedly uncharismatic to anyone but the deplorables — but they couldn’t resist his message.
I don’t find him to be an idiot but Clooney’s way off base here.
I think you need to realize is that there have been plenty of Republican candidates saying the exact same thing the problem is they weren’t as charismatic that they didn’t get past the primaries. Trump was. He said the message in a way that was charismatic too them. It’s hard for liberals to grasp because they don’t understand the message. But to Republicans this guy was magic. I think right now they’re realizing it more that he’s a fraud but during the election they were super in love with the guy.
The Dems. need someone who they can unite behind, same love and enthusiasm.
The MAGA, was stolen from President Reagan’s campaign slogan, “Lets Make America Great Again”. As usual the dotard stole something and pretends he thought it up all by himself. I agree with DiligentDiva that some of us do not understand the message because in our experience America is the best it is now not what it was fifty, sixty, seventy years ago, and #45 is trying to take us back to the slavery days.
DiligentDiva, I fully realize his message was not new. It was delivered in a new way, I guess, with Trump. I think Trump got lucky with timing and the perfect storm of other factors that got him into the White House. I still don’t think it was his “charisma” that people responded to. Other than the delusional deplorables. As someone said below, he may draw people to him with his scumbag brand of showmanship. But he’s also been repelling people for decades. Agree to disagree.
Maybe a better word is magnetic? For better or worse (obvs it’s worse in this case), he definitely draws people in and compels them to pay attention. It was definitely a combination of message/messenger that attracted people to him. Same goes for lots of other unsavoury characters 🙁
Magnetic is a great word for Trump. He draws people in, and to he got people to vote. Which is the most important part of an election, getting people to vote. Dems didn’t vote because they weren’t inspired to vote. Voting against something isn’t a reason to vote. We need someone to vote for, that’s why Obama won in unprecedented margins. He gave the Dems something to believe in.
Charismatic and magnetic are such complimentary terms that I just can’t go there with Trump. But you’re right, I get what you’re saying and I actually agree with your comment. I wholeheartedly hope this message/strategy takes hold when the next Democratic nominee is chosen.
My impression is that he’s a great showman. His rallies really get the Trumpsters riled up and excited. They love to proudly chant “Lock her up” and sport “Clinton Crime Family” t-shirts. It’s a big spectacle of hate for the so-called “elites” His anti-immigrant and anti-PC messages were also important but I think his showmanship played a major role in his “success” too.
No Trump is not charismatic. He just speaks their language…Racist. Let’s not forget the help he got from the Russian propaganda machine and republicans suppressing the minority vote.
Thank you island girl. Let’s not forget Hillary received three million more votes than the dotard and he got help from the Russians ect.
I think people underestimate Trump.
Yes he is an idiot and he got help.
But he draws people in. Whether it’s charisma or magnetism, for nearly the entire 2016 election cycle people couldn’t stop talking about Trump. Whether people supported him or vilified him,he was the topic of conversation everywhere. His antics got headlines at the expense of other more traditional and perhaps better qualified candidates. I remember endless coverage of some woman ruffling his hair on the same day Bernie was giving a speech. Guess who got coverage? Wall to wall. Barely a mention of Bernie that day. Even with all the stumbling and fumbling going on in Trump’s campaign he was forgiven all. That also speaks to his supporters and what they were prepared to overlook or endorse.
So yeah. For all Trump’s shortcomings he gives his base what they want, a brash, antiestablishment, anti-intellectual, anti-immigrant (cause he wants to restrict legal immigration as well), anti-globalization, anti- civil rights thug. He speaks their language just as loud and obnoxious and irreverent as they are. To hell with everyone else.
To liberals he is the worst of all things and certainly not charismatic but he appeals to his base. And republicans are right to fear his base because his supporters vote. General, local and state elections they vote.
Dems voters are unreliable. Unfortunately.
I suppose liberals need someone to electrify the base who speaks for liberal ideals and passion.
I am not sure i ageee with Clooney but i frequently see posts about boring dem candidates and not being excited about an election. So i guess there is some truth to his comment.
Agree. And people worship celebrity. That’s why the Terminator and Reagan got in as well. Dems DO need to liven up and find some younger candidates
The weird part, is gilded trump doesn’t seem like someone the base would like in the slightest. I was just mocked in a public part by a guy in a “guns r us” sweatshirt for being “the F’ing affluent”. Like, the guy literally loathed me for what he perceived to be wealthy? Why would they think of a rip off fat cat as “charismatic”. It’s all surreal.
Donald isn’t charismatic at all. He just appeals to a certain segment and they voted while many of sat on our butts and thought the Dems had it in a bag. He appeals to the mean, bigoted, narcissistic, bitter angry person. Out for vengeance and the reshaping of current America, it has little to do with charisma and more do with the people he appealed to on purpose. He went for the Nationalists and the angry and won because he spoke their language.
Charismatic is not the word I would use for Trump, but he has a certain fascination on stage. he has the certain someting that can lead a crowd into cheers at best, into violence and riot at worst.
Sad to say, comparable to Hitler.
I don’t think he’s wrong about needing charisma. I’ve concluded that most people are stupid and easily distracted. We need a charming scrapper that will, like Bill Maher says, quit showing up to a gun fight with a knife. Not how it should be, but how it is.
Obama and Bernie were both charismatic and they garnered alot of passion so I see his point. However, Ralph Northam is pretty devoid of charisma and he won so maybe our anger toward Trump and what is happening in Washington now outweighs our need to “fall in love” with a candidate.
I think he’s confusing charisma with fame. I maybe completely wrong (given that I’m not American) but it seems really hard for American politicians who are:
– not related to or married to a former president
– have never been speaker, secretary of state or vice president
– have never previously run for president
– have never been involved with a big scandal
to get well known with public and so those that are already famous e.g. Michelle Obama, Clooney, Trump have a natural advantage at the start of a presidential race because everybody already knows who they are.
Please absolutely correct me if I’m wrong (because again I know nothing) but generally the system seems to be so focused on the President that even members of the Cabinet are not household names?
My opinion is that Trump did succeed on the weight of his celebrity appeal. He was on TV for many years, and in that role he played a character that audiences loved. Hence his obsession with ratings. Many other celebrities lined up to join his show–competing for and submitting to his approval in the “boardroom.” Ivanka and Don Jr. were at the table judging them on that show as well.
I believe many viewers thought they were seeing the real Donald Trump, and so they believe he is actually a good businessman who is friends with everyone from Joan Rivers to Arsenio Hall to Piers Morgan. The best indication to me that people bought this constructed image is that you often still hear people say, “oh, Trump isn’t racist, just tells it like it is, he has all kinds of friends from all backgrounds, etc.”.
Americans have been talking about “telegenic” appeal since Nixon couldn’t beat the Kennedy sparkle. But our candidate will need to know how to govern as well. Trump is going to leave us with a pile of problems to clean up—as most GOP presidents do.
Charisma: compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others.
What trump has is not charisma. Obama has charisma, Trudeau has it, that innate “thing” people want to be around, that light that shines on you just being around them.
It’s subjective too, I would think, to a degree. That “it” factor.
What trump has is a dangerous mental illness that enables him to manipulate people into believing him and thinking he cares, and is devoted to them.
People with real charisma, don’t need to manipulate, they just lead by example.
it’s very foolhardy of Clooney to be saying these things, to be normalizing trump’s behaviours in any way.
I really agree with Archie and Kaiser. I’d be ashamed to link ANY positive characteristic to 45 Shades of Orange.
Charismatic is the wrong word, but Trump does suck up all the oxygen in a room. He’s unhinged and idiotic and disgraceful and all of that, but he completely dominates the news cycle. Yes, it’s all bad, but it’s still all him, all the time. He turns his opponents into afterthoughts.
The Democrats desperately need some people capable of cutting through that and presenting themselves as more than just adversaries of Trump. Obama did it in 08 with Palin. This time it’s going to take even more, and so far, no one’s standing out as having that kind of personality.
I’m worried the Dems are going to repeat their mistakes and assume Trump couldn’t possibly win again, and that anyone qualified and sane will easily beat him. It’s always been the Democrats major weakness. They assume since their candidate is the safer, smarter choice that it’ll work out in their favour, even if their candidate puts the population to sleep. They need to pay attention to what’s actually worked for them recently (Bill Clinton, Obama) and what hasn’t (Gore, Kerry, Hillary Clinton).
Well yesterday Dems went to the pollsband kicked ass. So how’s that for charisma George?
“So many people since Trump was elected have really been pushing on me to get more involved in actual politics, specifically at the highest office.”
Ugh, the ego on this clown. This guy isn’t half as important or popular as he thinks he is. He’s only considered a “movie star” because magazines like People have been pushing that narrative for years. He’s never been popular with audiences; he’s never made a movie a hit on his own. Nobody’s pushing for him to get into politics. Hell, nobody’s even pushing for him to make more movies (hello, SuburbiBOMB). This guy sucks.
Totally agree, he just doesnt get that his days are over, and he has such a huge ego ‘I sold a tequila company for a billion dollars, ha ha I am so rich who cares if my movies all suck, ugh just go far away and take your fake poser wife with you, smug git.
I’m ready for George Clooney to go away. And he can take Matt Damon with him.
Far, far away and dont come back.
George is now dead to me
Ha, your comment made me snort. Go home George you’re drunk!
Cant stand him either, and how old does he look in that photo on the top, looks like he has false teeth in too, yuk.
By charisma I think he means populist appeal, resonating with the “common folk”. Trump may have racist followers but that wasn’t enough to win on its own. I think Bernie Sanders was the flip side of the coin in terms of having that same relatability, minus the racism and substituting some socialism.
This is not a dis of Hillary Clinton. I liked her as much as Sanders. I just remember the media comments about how she seemed to be forcing the relatability.
While I get what he’s trying to say, I’m tired of the oversimplification of this process. The making of a real presidential candidate starts long before the PR and the marketing starts. You can’t gloss over the years of schooling, public service and self-development that is necessary for someone to run something as mammoth as the USA. It’s not all ‘personality’ it’s all the hard work that’s done when no one’s looking. While the ‘it’ factor is there, it’s only one of the factors that make a good candidate.
You also can’t gloss over the fact that one of the founding fathers (I forget which) said that you have to have informed well educated citizens to be able to make good decisions and for democracy to work. If you can’t think critically you can’t make good decisions. We can’t ignore the systematic erosion of public education all over the US, and the gerrymandering of districts has had a disastrous effect. It’s not just about charisma.
Thank you HK9 I agree with your comment. The reason the dotard is stuck in the 30’s % is because he’s unqualified for the job the Russians help secure for him. He’s a failure in this job like how he was a failure in so many of his other endeavors. He screwed up the Trump University by stealing from the people who signed up for that. He had to pay 💰 $25m to settle that scam. He screwed up the Trump gambling casino, he screwed up the football team he bought, he screwed up he screwed up the steaks, the vodka, ect, ect, ect. He stole from the people who worked on his building by not paying a fair wage that was agreed on then he told the workers to take him to court knowing they did not have the money to fight him in court. Btw, anyone remember when he took his casino into bankruptcy? when he’s finished with us we will all be screwed. #45 and his family are devils children. Oh, don’t want to forget he was taken to court and loss, had to pay a fine for discrimination keeping people with black skin from renting in his buildings.
Before Trump won the primary, a lot of people found him entertaining, funny, etc. (See Owen Wilson interview)
So glad he’s not going into politics because he’s quite clueless. Very superficial analysis as usual. Trump isn’t charismatic per se but knows how to play to controversy and use sound bites. And he tapped into the parts of the us left behind by nafta as well as the fear of immigrants and antiestablishment sentiments. George will never criticise Obama as he has him on speed dial and is shallow when it comes to understanding politics. Will he says anything about Obama’s leaving the DNC saddled with debt?
Make more shit movies like money monster, Clooney.
George just looks completely washed out now. I just feel like I’ve been hearing the same stories over and over again from him for to many years now.
He also won because he’s a very good liar…