On Being George Clooney

2009 június 23. | Szerző: Corrradorra |

 

A former nanny told a newspaper that Angelina Jolie hates George Clooney. Well, if it’s true, the she’s the only woman on earth.

George Clooney is a star in the classic sense. A ringer for Cary Grant, he would be as comfortable drinking martinis with Frank Sinatra as he would be sharing a bottle of whisky with Daniel Day-Lewis. Time magazine called him “The Last Movie Star,” and I’d agree. He wears his celebrity easily and doesn’t complain about being in the public eye. By the way, do you see him often in that eye? While other celebrities are worried about seeming aloof enough, he’s open, friendly and direct. From what we can tell, George Clooney has a great life and appreciates it.

George Clooney is a guy’s guy who drives a motorcycle and doesn’t dye his hair. He doesn’t go on fad diets, he grows a beard from time to time and people adore him for all of the above. I have collected some clues on how to be George Clooney, so here it comes!

Know how to laugh at yourself

It’s widely rumoured that George Clooney is the person who circulated “Jesus vs. Santa” (the video greeting card that birthed the show South Park). When the cartoon became a series, Clooney agreed to guest star as Stan Marsh’s gay dog Sparky. He had no dialogue and only made dog noises. When the show’s creators later lampooned him for being too political in Team America, Clooney laughed it off and said he would have been offended if he hadn’t been a target. Seeing how well he reacted, the press began asking if he’d consider running for office and he replied honestly: “No. I’ve slept with too many women, I’ve done too many drugs and I’ve been to too many parties.” Instead of trying to be a “star” in interviews, he laughs at his own celebrity. He joked that Leatherheads was “cry for peace.” When asked about reconciling George Clooney the actor and George Clooney the director, he said: “There’s a lot of ego there… so I just take it out on the actors.”

Being George Clooney: George Clooney is great example of putting your ego in check. The worst thing you can do when someone teases you is to get angry. It proves you’re sensitive to their jabs because you’re not comfortable with yourself. Clooney knows he’s the sh*t, so he can joke about himself. Being George Clooney means that if someone teases you about wearing the same T-shirt too often, you have to laugh it off and say that it proves you’re not afraid of serious relationships… at least with clothing. Similarly, if things aren’t going well on a date, you’ll exasperate things by getting frustrated. Put a smile on your face and crack a joke. Even if it doesn’t fix things with your date, you may fool yourself into having a better time.

Stand by your ideals

Celebrities who make a show of being political annoy people, but George Clooney actually walks the walk. On January 31, 2008, the United Nations selected him to promote global awareness of its activities and named him a “Messenger of Peace.” He’s a true environmentalist, owning the first Tango electric car and, more recently, the electric Tesla Roadster. Some would argue that it’s easy to stand by convictions when you’re famous. However, before his hit show ER, Clooney quit Baby Talk, the TV version of Look Who’s Talking, because he felt an actress was being unfairly humiliated. He recalled the event for People: “I remember calling my agent and I said, ‘What happens if I walk away from this? Do I end my career? He said, ‘I don’t know.’ And I thought, ‘It’s worth it.’”

Being George Clooney: Nobody likes a man with weak convictions. Even if he doesn’t agree with you, he’ll respect you more if you don’t waffle on beliefs. Likewise, standing up for others isn’t easy, particularly when your career is on the line, but you’ll sleep better at night. Being George Clooney will require you to be an upright citizen.

Being George Clooney might make some cringe, but there are a lot of perks that come with it.

Be comfortable in your bachelordom

A woman will say she doesn’t like a guy who never wants to marry… but she’ll try to change his mind. Clooney has said he’ll never marry again or have kids. Michelle Pfeiffer and Nicole Kidman each bet him $10,000 that he would change his mind before he turned 40. They both lost and sent cheques. However, being George Clooney, he returned the money, saying he’d like to go double or nothing until 50. This is just the kind of reaction that makes women throw themselves at him even more now.

Being George Clooney: The lesson here is not to remain single forever. It’s about being comfortable in your situation. Once you get desperate to lock down a girlfriend, women will see right through you. However, if you don’t want anything serious, be honest about it up front. Women have moved past the 1950s and aren’t just looking for a husband. If she is looking for an engagement ring, you’re more tempting if you’re comfortable in your skin and she’ll probably work harder to change your mind. Just remain honest and don’t give in unless she really does change your mind.

Embrace age

Salt-and-pepper George told Playboy: “You don’t want to try to look younger because you’ll look wrong. You dye your hair, you look wrong. You wear a bad toupee, you look wrong. You wear makeup to hide things, you get your eyes done, you look wrong.” It’s good advice because as George Clooney has grown older, his female fan base has grown. At 45 years old, People named him “Sexiest Man Alive” for the second time. He stays fit, but doesn’t obsess over the gym because there’s nothing less attractive than creepy old buff guy. Have you seen the latest Rambo?

Being George Clooney: The great thing about being a man is that we get more attractive as we get older. That doesn’t mean you get to let yourself go; you still have to work out, dress well and maintain, which gets harder with age. The lesson is not to highlight your hair, not to shop at stores with teenagers, and not to “get your chin worked on.”

Dress well

George Clooney regularly makes best-dressed lists and Vanity Fair recently inducted him into its International Best-Dressed Hall of Fame. His style is strong, doesn’t follow trends, and fits his personality, which is classic yet modern. He looks stylish walking into a trendy nightclub, but could just as easily step into a Mad Men scene. His signature outfit, a well-cut suit worn without a tie and open collar, is refined but not stuffy. Rather than trying to insert his personality into his outfit, Clooney prefers to leave it to the understated details: his clean-cut hair, calm smile and rock-like demeanour.

Being George Clooney: Keep your outfits simple and respectable. You don’t have to wear a suit like Clooney, but a pair of designer jeans and a well-fitting black T-shirt will do wonders. Take a little extra time before you go out to make sure you look pulled-together. Above all, don’t cater to every trend. Don’t cut your hair into a faux hawk one minute and wear a do-rag the next. Being George Clooney means that you remain consistent.