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Oscar winner George Clooney may make politically provocative films like "Syriana." But he doesn't write politically provocative blogs.
So imagine his ire when Arianna Huffington used some of his recent answers to political questions in a way that makes it look as if he wrote one for her Huffington Post blog site.
"He doesn't object to the quotes," says Stan Rosenfield, Clooney's rep. "He said those things and those are his views. Arianna asked for permission to use the quotes and he gave it to her. What he didn't give permission for was the use of his quotes without source attributions to make it appear that he wrote a blog for her site. Which he did not. When he saw the posting Monday, we called and asked her to make the change, to simply attribute the quotes and make it clear that he did not write a blog. But she refused. And it's now Wednesday."
Rather than keep waiting, Clooney got proactive and issued this statement:
"Miss Huffington's blog is purposefully misleading and I have asked her to clarify the facts. I stand by my statements but I did not write this blog. With my permission Miss Huffington compiled it from interviews with Larry King and The Guardian. What she most certainly did not get my permission to do is to combine only my answers in a blog that misleads the reader into thinking that I wrote this piece. These are not my writings — they are answers to questions and there is a huge difference."
In the pulled-from-interviews quotes, Clooney criticizes the Democrats' failure to speak out about the Iraq invasion for fear of being criticized for being unpatriotic.
And the "Good Night, and Good Luck" writer-director-star also invokes Edward R. Murrow: “When you hear Murrow say, ‘We mustn’t confuse dissent with disloyalty’ ... it’s like he’s commenting on today’s headlines.”
Or today's blogs.
UPDATE: George is wrong, sez Arianna, and here’s her side of the story just emailed to "The Envelope" via publicist Ken Sunshine’s office.
“When I first invited George Clooney to blog after a screening of "Good Night, and Good Luck" in New York a few months ago, he said he wasn't sure how a blog worked. So we put together a sample blog from answers he had given on 'Larry King Live' and an interview with the Guardian in London, and sent it to him to rework in any way he wanted.
"A publicist working with George on the promotion of 'Good Night, and Good Luck,' emailed back saying, “I will get it to him and get back to you as soon as I hear anything.” Three days later, she emailed again, approving, without any changes, what we had sent: 'Of course this is fine, Arianna!'
"And once we had the approval, that’s what we ran: George Clooney’s words put into blog form.”
According to Shawn Sachs at Ken Sunshine’s office, Clooney's camp asked her to issue a statement saying she lied and misled Clooney, which she refused to do. “They also asked us to take down the blog which we did.”
Then why is it still up?
“It is?” asked Sachs.
Yup. Just click on the Huffington Post link in the item.
“Oh, you’re right. Here it is. I’ll call you back.”
UPDATE No. 2:
: Arianna Huffington has posted a full response on her blog, calling it an "honest misunderstanding." You can read her full statement here.
UPDATE No. 3- 11:34 AM PST: Ken Sunshine's office has emailed The Envelope to say that the Clooney blog is being removed from Huffington Post.
But Arianna's defense does not impress Clooney rep Stan Rosenfield much: "I read (Arianna's) response. This wasn't a misunderstanding. It was misrepresentation."
Clooney's camp insists they did not ask HuffPo to take down the item or to release a statement about lying and misrepresentation. They say they only asked for a posted qualifier explaining that the item was not written by Clooney but was a compilation of quotes from past interviews with Larry King and The Guardian.
So there.
Photo: No, George Clooney is not carrying a box of his political blogs. Because he doesn't write them and don't ask him to! He's actually filming his new movie "Michael Clayton" in New York.
(RJ Capak / WireImage.)
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Posted by: bvhfldbv | June 26, 2007 at 01:12 AM
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Posted by: MICHAEL | April 13, 2006 at 11:47 AM
BERT I am trying to follow your logic, I haven't been very successful.
Well at first I thought you were a true Ayn Rand fiscal conservative because you want to get the counrty out of debt. I would applaud that. But then you use liberal word like energize or communities, what the hell does that mean? You don't like oil and you don't like Cheney.
You sound like you are about in 10th grade and you have been listening to you neo-left-wing teacher spew on about how terrible America is.
You have to ask yourself a few things BERT...Whay are Democrats suddenly on the balanced budget bandwagon? They NEVER have been. Clinton used smoke and mirrors to make it appear that the budget was a little better but it was not real. You can refinance the national debt with the equivalent of a adjustable rate mortgage, cut military spending in half, ignore corporate fraud at Enron, Kmart, World Com....ETC and it looks good for your administration but makes things worse in the future.
What do you really want to do about our dependency on oil BERT? I am sure your parents drive you around in their SUVs. Since the economy runs on oil lets look at economic realities. Until some genius invents a replacement for the internal combustion engine we NEED oil.
The problem is Democrats don't want to drill for it here in America, they don't want to fight for it in foreign countries and they don't want to pay $3/gallon. So what gives?
If you think Holloywood actors are going to solve the worlds problems you are sadly mistaken. These people have trouble forming thoughts unless they are written out for them on a script. What is Clooney's business experience that will make him able to solve our problems. He's a good looking guy who is also a good actor but what else can he do? Not much. He has never met a payroll, he has never run a successful businesws.
And Charlie Sheen, I mean wow. I love 2 1/2 men but here is guy who would spend $50,000 a week on prostitutes, drink and drugs. He somehow thinks George Bush planted demolition explosives in the World Trade Center and that a strange missile hit thePentagon. I guess a commercial airliner full of American citizens that disappeared are in on the goverment conspiracy along with the airline. Wow. Charlie, stick to making movies about garbage men.
BERT, it is really sad that you only believe that people who play make believe for a living are the only ones who can turn things around.
I would suggest you read Ayn Rand's book Atlas Shrugged and you might see who are the ones who have the ability to make America that shining city on a hill once again.
Good Luck Kid,
Marcus Shelby
(PMCY) Patriot Motors
Posted by: Marcus Shelby | March 28, 2006 at 07:41 AM
I wish Clooney, Sheen, et. al. WOULD write a blog, get a real national discussion going on where this country's headed unless people decide to drop what they're doing, think a bit, and speak OUT.
We've got a twice-over failed oil exec working with Hallicheney and all their cash-blinded hangers-on flying blind down the road to nowhere, the debt keeps piling up, not a peep about citizen's initiatives, and eveyrone waiting for 'the government' to fix things...Hollywood's good at science-fiction, let's see em do one on science FACT.
The way I see it, america's got 2 choices from where we are now: Continue with the oil dependency model, and let Exxon etc. keep running the country the way they have, setting us up for problem after problem, or We The People take the initiative to start solving our own problems. I don't mean to imply violence, but rather the capacity for thoughtful action. Every city, every county, every state has local representation. The sooner we can energize our communities at that level to operate honestly, ethically, effectively, and debt-free, the sooner Washington will have to sit up and take a good hard look at what they've been doing. GM's trying their hardest to turn around, can the 50 states do the same? This is a Big Challenge for democracy, inaction+free money from the government, or sweat equity and economic success
and the relative autonomy inherent thereto? Some states run 'in the black', and have for years. They do that by adhering to some good solid principles and making results happen locally. I think Clooney should run for office, personally, if he can get people to listen to reason, see the facts for themselves, then he'd be great as a leader. Charlie Sheen should think of doing the same. We need smart people in office willing to challenge the status quo and the 'official story', and actively encourage public debate on the issues. More power to em!
Posted by: Bert | March 24, 2006 at 01:19 PM
"The US government was rife with communist spies and the democrats were protecting them. and that is historical fact."
I've seen that alleged elsewhere. I wasn't born yet. But it has the appearance of truth because it would take so little effort to detract from that statement, and nobody ever does. Curious.
Another thing I find curious: Because of this whole WMD thing, I know what liberals sound like when conservatives say "there is something there" and then ensuing events support the idea that there never was anything there. In that set of circumstances liberals get really, really loud and really, really obnoxious. I know this is historical fact because I'm living it right now.
I don't see that reaction to your statement about Democrats providing cover for communist spies. This, also, gives me reason to accept your statement even though I wasn't born yet.
The ramifications are kind of unsettling, when one thinks about them.
Posted by: Morgan K Freeberg | March 23, 2006 at 09:28 AM
Melanie,
I was responding to two people in my letter. So you do not believe the media has a leftist slant even though Dan Rather was fired for trying to use FORGED documents to steal the election for Kerry. THe docs were from 1972 and the font was one that was not even invented then. HA that is IRONY.
Saddams secret tapes that are being translated right now show the hiding of WMDs, co-operation with Al-Qeada and plotting of terrorists attacks in the USA.
These tapes will be the campaign commercials against democrats in the 2006 elections.
The majority of Americans do not feel that the left has the security of America as their highest interest. Congress and the Senate will remain in the hands of the GOP.
Maybe Charlie Sheen can explain how the Bush Administration planted demolitionj explosives in teh World Trade Center buildings to bring them down. HAHAHHAHAHA
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Marcus Shelby
Posted by: Marcus Shelby | March 21, 2006 at 12:31 PM
In the US, we have the Bill of Rights . In our Bill of Rights, we are given certain freedoms including the freedom of speech. I agree with Mr. Clooney. His words were twisted around and posted out of context .
Posted by: HollyJoe | March 21, 2006 at 11:57 AM
Marcus,
Perhaps it is you who should read slower. Where in the world did I ever mention, let alone "babble" about WMD? I never mentioned it once. I've been talking about movies, actors, and Hollywood. You're the one who's stuck with the republican talking points (kudos, I think you covered them all)...I've avoided them and tried to stick to the article topic.
Might I also suggest you look up the definition of irony, for the word serves no purpose in your comment.
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Posted by: Melanie | March 20, 2006 at 01:49 PM
Melanie,
I will type slower so you can catch up on the irony of it all.
Keep blabbing about WMDs. You will find out soon enough that they are real.
Then what the heck will your message be in 2006?
Posted by: Marcus Shelby | March 19, 2006 at 11:02 PM
Attention Reich-Wingers!
Ad hominem abuse is a logical fallacy!
Appeal to ridicule is a logical fallacy!
Know your fallacies - at anti-Nazi Nizkor:
http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/
Arianna's failure to attribute the **verbatim quotations** was certainly wrong.
But Arianna didn't try to convince us that Saddam Hussein had massive stockpiles of Weapons of Mass Destruction.
Arianna didn't lead us into a war that has so far has resulted in the extermination of approximately 180,000 Iraqi men, women and children.
Arianna didn't rape, torture, or bash any Iraqis to death at Abu Ghraib.
Arniana didn't "liberate" the Iraqis from their "evil tyrant", and then proceed to give the tyrant dental treatment and a haricut, while ordinary "liberated" Iraqis were tortured at Abu Ghraib.
Arianna doesn't sign-off with "Arianna MD", and then proceed to endorse and kosherize murder. (it was British DOCTORS who gave us the first scientific body-count).
Arianna , unlike Dubbya PNAC Bush, doesn't have blood on her hands.
And for those kool-aid swilling jokers pretending that the WMD's (selected as invasion pretext for "bureacratic reasons" - Wolfowitz) were flown to Syria [!!], I recommend that you google the unprecedented retraction and admission of WMD error by your favorite president: the president who was installed by faith-based proprietary vote registration and tabulating equipment during the final hours of selection 2004; the president who was court-appointed in 2000; the installed PNAC puppet who claims -- in a faith-based kind of way, without any hint of irony -- that he is "spreading democracy" around the world.
Posted by: Count Folke Bernadotte II | March 18, 2006 at 09:26 PM
If conservatives need Clooney to open his mouth to further their agenda they have more serious problems than I thought.
Clooney, like everyone positing on this blog has a right to object to the direction his government is taking. The last time I checked actors pay taxes too.
Posted by: field-negro | March 18, 2006 at 06:28 AM
No. How did you get that?
Posted by: Melanie | March 17, 2006 at 07:50 PM
Melanie,
Are you inferring that the mainstream media has a strong leftward slant?
Posted by: Marcus Shelby | March 17, 2006 at 03:27 PM
And Bruce Willis was in "Ocean's 12" with George Clooney and Julia Roberts. Oh the horror!
All your cut n' paste shows is that reporters on the press junket have been asking him about his political leanings (as they do with Clooney, et all). Reporters. Not Hollywood insiders, studios, and those in power. It doesn't indicate that he has problems with his peers in Hollywood for it. Sounds like he's tired of reporters trying to makes something of it.
Posted by: Melanie | March 17, 2006 at 01:15 PM
I GUESS IT ISN'T SO EASY BEING A REPUBLICAN IN HOLLYWOOD.
Willis unleashes over inquiry into dark (GOP) past
Mar. 2, 2006 12:00 AM
In Hollywood social circles, identifying oneself as Republican is tantamount to admitting an unwholesome attraction to preschoolers or a craving for the tender flesh of kittens.
So you might see why star Bruce Willis is a little testy that having outed himself as a member of the GOP in the past, reporters keep asking about his distasteful political affiliation.
MSN Entertainment offers this quote from the 16 Blocks press tour, in which we substitute the names of cartoon dogs for Willis' more impassioned verbiage: advertisement
"I'm sick of answering this (Marmaduke) question," Willis says. "I'm a Republican only as far as I want a smaller government, I want less government intrusion. I want them to stop (Mutley-ing) on my money and your money and tax dollars that we give 50 percent of . . . every year. I want them to be fiscally responsible and I want these (Scooby-Doo) lobbyists out of Washington. Do that, and I'll say I'm a Republican. . . . I hate the government, OK? I'm apolitical. Write that down. I'm not a Republican."
Posted by: Marcus Shelby | March 17, 2006 at 09:46 AM
Sure gets both their names in print. Arianna loves a little spotlight no matter what color. And this non-story doen't hurt either one of them.
Posted by: barf | March 17, 2006 at 04:21 AM
Hey March,
Instead of attacking me personally maybe you could actually present an intelligen debate. I guess you might not have the proper tools for that though. So you live in Europe with your 15% unemployment, $8/gallon gas and 50%+ in taxes. Good for you and even better for America.
If you actually made a statement I can repsond to I would instead you presented a bunch of jibberish.
If Chamberlin would have gone after Adolf like Churchill wanted in '36 maybe we would not have lot over 50 million inhabitants of planet Earth during World War II. That was the point I was making in regard to Iraq. Sorry if it went over your head March, I could type a little slower if it will help you out.
My other point is the Democrats are placing all their hopes on impeaching Bush for their campaign message in the 2006 mid term elections. When Saddam's tapes are fully released you will hear of connections to Al-Qeada, flying WMD's to Syria disguised as humanitarian missions and plans of hitting the USofA with terrorist attacks.
These tapes will be Republican campaign commercials against the Democrats and they will work. Howard Dean has also done a lousy job of securing campaign funds for the election.
Katrina was both a screw up at the federal level, mostly GOP and the Democrat Governor and Democrat Mayor. How can you look at 250 school buses under water and not think Chocolate City Nagin dropped the ball. If you look at teh Hurricane evacuation plan that Nagan himself put together it says New Orleans will evacuate citizens with SCHOOL BUSES. No amount of left wing PROPAGANDA spin can vanish that fact.
My nephew just came back from his 2nd tour of duty in Iraq. He said the soldiers and most of teh people are extremely greatfull that we are there. I guess that doesn't sell many newspapers though.
And Melanie if Jessica didn't want to hang with Bush because he is polling 34%, which makes sense with the amount of left wing main stream media constant barage of negative articles against him, so why did she meet with Governor Richardson? The Democrats are only polling 26%.
www.patriotmotorcycles.com (PMCY) sstock symbol
Posted by: Marcus Shelby | March 16, 2006 at 06:25 PM
Sorry, "Million Dollar Baby" won 4 Academy Awards, not 8...my bad.
Posted by: Melanie | March 16, 2006 at 06:08 PM
I thought this was going to be a discussion about the content and context of Clooney's statements and how Huffington used them. Instead, it's the usual right vs. left battle of the extremists. Red against Blue, Bloods against Crips. Gang mentality. There is no middle ground. You're with us or you're against us.
Haliburton just got a $385 million contract to build a concentration camp -- excuse me, 'temporary detention facilities' -- within the US borders. I wonder how long before the liberals have to wear an identifying mark so they can be rounded up easily?
Posted by: George Ziemann | March 16, 2006 at 04:00 PM
Man when i see people like that Shelby, thank God i'm living in Europe!! How can somebody be so...confused...or simpleton....for lack of a better word. Nixon?Hitler?Hollywood?Mel Gibson? it's like these guys live in a world Oliver Stone made up...but then again he's a loony,right? What really gets to me is the narrow mindness of the arguments...it's like listening to first graders...my weener's bigger, take that!...Geez....i guess neocons are slowly but surely running out of ammo and are panicking like a bunch of headless chickens...They know everything they hoped for is going down the drain: iraq,haliburton,abugraib,katrina,enron...i mean gimme a break, enuf said. and please don't use God as an excuse for your faillings!...that's stooping really low...
Posted by: March Hewson | March 16, 2006 at 03:24 PM
This article was about how The Huffington Post published a blog by George Clooney that Mr. Clooney didn't write and how both sides seem to have a different version of events on how this happened.
From Mr. Clooney's perspective, it is a really big that quotes from interviews are taken to "create" a blog that he didn't write. This changes then entire meaning of each of these individual quotes, or statements, from when he gave because they are taken out of context and re-assembled in a different manner. Anybody who has any role in the public eye has to deal with PR and public appearances, this is a huge deal. This could be a CEO, The President of The United States, a news anchor, a sports star, an actor, director, or run of the mill celebrity. This is his "image" that is being published. He has every right to care about it.
As for how The Huffington Post "submitted" a sample blog for George's approval, as they claim, and thus, Mr. Clooney never really wrote a blog that THP posted as a blog: in publishing this behavior happens all the time, it's called ghost writting. Most books that are written by celebrities (sports stars, actors, directors, this list goes on...) are usually written not by the celebrity but by someone else entirely. The star jots down an outline, maybe tells their life story into a little handheld recorder, somebody else writes the entire book, but the celebrity is credited as the author on the cover and the actual author gets a thank you inside the book. This sells more books (and it makes the reading more enjoyable). This is called life.
Needless to say, all of the comments had nothing to do with actual story, but instead attacked Arianna Huffinton and George Clooney in either really childish namecalling or really hatefilled bile. And, it seems the only reason that people are attacking them are because they are " perceived liberals", it's black or white. Nobody seems to be able to discuss and debate the issues at all.
As for some of the individual comments, there may have been some communists in our government back during the cold war, but all of the democrats were not protecting them. And to be a communist does not make you a spy for the Soviet Union. After the great depression in this country, many people were really upset with things and some Americans joined the communist party here in America. Anybody has a right to belong to any political party and have any political views here in America. What happened when the cold war started, and the Soviet Union was a communist stat, people in power here in America equated communism with no belief in God, namely a Chirstian God. It was during this time that "under God" was added to the Pledge of Allegience, and anybody who at anytime had been a member of the communist party had to come forward and admit it to Congress and name names of other people who also had been a member or be held in contempt, because all of these people were "traitors" and "un-American" and "not God-fearing Christians". This destroyed peoples lives, it ruined their careers because our government stuck its nose into peoples' business. People who went to one communist meeting and had done nothing else got fired from their jobs, couldn't find work and support their families and on and on. So, this is all very serious stuff. You may disagree with the issues, but I think it is incrediblely rude to just dismiss someone with name calling and not engage them on the issues.
One more thing, most of the liberals that I know are smart, funny, engaging, sometimes cynical, and they try to understand all sides--that doesn't mean they agree with them. Most of the conservatives I know, I have met and I read about are crass, loud, obnoxious, judgemental, self-rightous, self-invloved, self-centered, and sometimes mean-spirited and down right cruel with a mean sense of humor. And the postings to this article proved me right.
Posted by: Bryan | March 16, 2006 at 01:27 PM
I believe Ariana.
George lied in his acceptance speech before millions so why believe anything else he says? Blacks weren't forced to sit in the back of theatres- that's where the best seats are! Hollywood didn't touch the AIDS epidemic when it was first diagnosed in 1981 or when Time Magazine and all the major news featured in in 1983 or Rock Hudson admitted he had it in 1985. Hollywood was the LAST to cover AIDS. Clooney is a liar! Araian, you go girl!
Posted by: indigo | March 16, 2006 at 12:59 PM
Many of these comments beg me to ask the question... when did the LA Times become Free Republic?
Posted by: eric | March 16, 2006 at 11:17 AM
SO WHERE IS THE TEXT OF THIS BLOG? THEY SEEMED TO HAVE TAKEN IT DOWN FROM THE ORIGIONAL SITE.
Posted by: TRIPPERMM | March 16, 2006 at 09:31 AM