So, is this real love we're seeing? Or just a publicity stunt?

It reminds me of that time George was in Sudan with a femail U.S reporter interviewing him, as he rode around in a jeep or by the camp fire (this time NOT a speed boat). 

Now it looks like both incidents, while seeming to have nothing in common, were infact just the way Clooney handles PR.  Sorry Africa, you were just the Bride for the day.

This expensive circus will leave a bad taste in the mouth of the public.  Even nice guys like Matt come under suspicion as to why they do what charity work they do, is it just PR, and tax deductable.

This wedding is fabulously "stage managed" just like the trips to Africa.

Someones getting a tad testy -
Alisonfan Im sure you'd be complaining if there went not any photos to look at - no-one is forcing you to check/comment on all wedding related threads

Katiedot wrote:Thinking about this some more, I think the reason I'm having problems with believing in this relationship is that it's too pat: it's all too perfect and too sudden.  

Had they got engaged next April, then it'd be believable but we're supposed to believe that he did a complete 180 in terms of the type of woman he likes to be with and within six months got engaged to someone he's barely spent much time with?  He's gone from being the poster child for ultra secrative who's-that-woman-standing-next-to-me-gosh-is-that-my-girlfriend to Mr wears-his-heart-on-a-sleeve-shout-it-from-the-podium-tops?  It's not him.  

Once again I agree with Katiedot. As a long time Clooney watcher his behaviour is completely out of character.

Most troubling is the short length of time that Clooney dated her before proposing to her. We all know how busy the guy is. I don't think they were a couple i.e going steady until November last year which means they only dated for 5 months before he asked her to marry him. You barely know someone at the 5 month mark and that does not even take into account all the time he spent working during that 20 weeks. 

I think George was literally the last man standing among his friends unmarried and this was starting to be an issue. Thom Matthews just got married, all his friends are married and even that Sudan guy George hangs out with John Prendergrast got married a few years ago at 48. George was starting to look old and began to feel the pressure of being unmarried and a sort of "freak". That was fine when he was young and good looking but George has gotten old. He's 53 but looks early 60's. Combined with that Monuments Men was a total failure and that would have hurt him and his ego. 

Then Stacey gets married and pregnant the second she leaves him and that was a huge blow to his ego I believe. It also generated a lot of negative stories about him in the media. If you examine his history you will find he married Talia just months after his breakup with Preston on the spur of the moment. So this is history repeating itself. 

Then at the Golden Globes they were joking about him onstage and he was literally a laughing stock. George Clooney had become a joke. I think he likes Amal and of course, because of the gay rumours that swirl around him he always has to have a girlfriend. I am not one of those who thinks Amal is "stunning" she is attractive by ordinary standards but not by Hollywood/model standards. She can either look really good in photos, or at the wrong angle, ugly and masculine. I think she is well educated but not nearly as successful as George's PR has made her out to be. It's also clear that she all but stopped working around March this year just like all George's other chicks she is at his beck and call. 

I also believe that Amal turned around and put the pressure on him. She is no fool everyone knows his reputation. She probably turned around and said you have a bad reputation and I don't want to be another notch on your bed post. 

I think George doesn't really love her but he is marrying her because it is good for his image, expected and will take the pressure off her. I think he is as fond of her as the others but not more fond of her. Most troubling he barely knows her. Once he decided to get engaged he and Stan I believe made a decision to exploit the engagement and wedding for everything they could from a PR perspective to revive his career and change his image. Hence the release of the staged shots of the engagement ring etc. George and Stan also decided to go hell for leather in creating an over the top wedding and hyping it up. Of course, George has completely sold out his private life for the pubicity but they are orchestrating this PR frenzy around the wedding like a pair of puppetmasters. Both George and Amal are using each other. She is clearly loving the publicity just like all the others.

There is also the possibility that George's ego is such that he wants them to be a "superstar humanitarian" couple. Again that is only possible if he elevates her fame with an over the top wedding ceremony like this one. Why else would anyone invite the cameras to their wedding to the extent that he has by deliberately informing the media of the date and location in advance which is unheard of for a celebrity of his calibre. This wedding is about more than love, it's about getting PR and image shaping. 

I think George was impressed with her intellect. She has the brains he would like to have but doesn't and of course, he fancies himself as a humanitarian and political activist. He's deeply impressed by Obama who has a level of intellect that George does not have - Obama has a law degree from Harvard I believe. 

I think Amal is star struck probably saw George in some movie 13 years ago back when he was a lot better looking than he is now and has a crush on him. He's now very old and the huge age difference will only add to their compatibility problems. What we have here is a middleaged man with one eye on improving his public image marrying a woman he is fond of and respects. George's back, neck and insomnia problems are well documented and I don't think he is motivated much any more by a desire for sex. 

Most telling was the UN appointment fiasco whereby the UN released a press release saying Amal had been appointed to that Gaza strip investigation committee. I have no doubt Amal agreed orally and was probably thrilled. Otherwise the UN wouldn't have issued a press release and had it on their website. But she clearly didn't consult George and when he found out about it he hit the roof because of the implications for his career in Hollywood and told her she had to turn it down. Hence her bizarre retraction 24 hours later. It's clear that George calls the shots in the relationship. He's the boss. She on the other hand is acting like a giddy schoolgirl on a high that she has gotten him down the aisle. But George is well past his sell by date as a sex symbol - Celine had him at his best not Amal. 

The other issue is why the rush to the altar? Why not date for 2 years until he got to know her better? Why is he rushing towards the altar like his life depends on it? Well he did that with Talia so he has a history of impulsivity. I also think he can be a bitter guy and part of it is that he wants to get back at Stacey too. Plus he had pressure from Amal to show her he was serious. More than anything Amal's timing was right and if it wasn't her it would have been whoever decent came along right now. However there is the possibility he wants to have a child. He really is getting old so this would be his last opportunity to do it. Amal is 36 so no spring chicken. If George has not had a vasectomy, or if he had one and has now got it reversed, there is the possibility they might have one child right away.

There is no way on earth this marriage will last. I think it will be over in 2 years time but George would want to prolong it on paper for as long as possible because he will look like a fool when it fails. Amal is too intelligent for the vacuous world of Hollywood and paparazzi will stalk her. Carolyn Bessette couldn't handle the pressure. Amal is more experienced with the media but not the insanity of George's life. I think Amal will quickly become preoccupied with how she looks as she is not that photogenic and it's easy to take a bad photo of her. You can already see that in a short time Amal has come to love the camera. They will be separated often for work and what is Amal going to do - hang around movie sets doing nothing for months?

The rose coloured glasses will come off fast once the high of the wedding wears off and this is a couple who barely know each other. Both of them have PR reasons for doing this but he has said himself that he is a lousy husband and he is selfish and self centred which are not qualities that make a woman happy. I think she will quickly become disillusioned and unhappy and all it will take is a few whispered negative comments at parties that she overhears about her looks or nose and she will quickly become insecure.

I think this marriage will be at breaking point within 24 months. If any of you disagree with me that is fine, however this is my opinion and I'm entitled to express it.

I suggest some of you google pictures of George with Celine Balitran the truly beautiful young law student George dated in the past. Watch his body language with her. Now that was a woman he was really in love with. And those recent PDA pics of George and Amal yesterday on the boat in Venice were laughable. 8 boats of paparazzi were facing them. Of course he could turn on the PDA - he is an actor after all!!!!  In short I think George feels the same way about Amal as all the women he has dated but has a bit more respect for her because of her intelligence. But this is no great love story. Marrying her serves a purpose for him right now.

Alisonfan wrote:It reminds me of that time George was in Sudan with a femail U.S reporter interviewing him, as he rode around in a jeep or by the camp fire (this time NOT a speed boat). 

Now it looks like both incidents, while seeming to have nothing in common, were infact just the way Clooney handles PR.  Sorry Africa, you were just the Bride for the day.

This expensive circus will leave a bad taste in the mouth of the public.  Even nice guys like Matt come under suspicion as to why they do what charity work they do, is it just PR, and tax deductable.

This wedding is fabulously "stage managed" just like the trips to Africa.

theminis wrote:Someones getting a tad testy -
Alisonfan Im sure you'd be complaining if there went not any photos to look at - no-one is forcing you to check/comment on all wedding related threads

So as a Clooney watcher I am not allowed to express my disappointment, why theminis?

Do you think I come here to simply oooh and ahhh, no if I am disappointed I will make my point.  WHICH IS NEAR THE BONE.

George puts his life at risk going to Darfur and spends a significant amount of time and money on this project.  Very insulting to call it PR.  There are other celebrities that speak out about causes for PR but George actually puts his money and his time into doing what he believes.  You can call the wedding PR if you want but his activism is far from it!!

Sorry, the capitalization of that last part made me snort out loud.

Maybe if you explain the reasoning behind all the humanitarian work YOU do in active combat zones in Africa, we'd better understand your expertise and could give your opinion the respect it deserves.

Your point is nowhere near my bone - not saying you cant express yourself, just curious as to if you find all this so offensive, why are you so interested?? thats all, express away

Terminus, I think she meant it was near George's bone. You know, the guy grinning on a Venetian patio with his friends right now? He does seem upset by it.

Alisonfan wrote:It reminds me of that time George was in Sudan with a femail U.S reporter interviewing him, as he rode around in a jeep or by the camp fire (this time NOT a speed boat). 

Now it looks like both incidents, while seeming to have nothing in common, were infact just the way Clooney handles PR.  Sorry Africa, you were just the Bride for the day.

This expensive circus will leave a bad taste in the mouth of the public.  Even nice guys like Matt come under suspicion as to why they do what charity work they do, is it just PR, and tax deductable.

This wedding is fabulously "stage managed" just like the trips to Africa.

Themini

I repeat I am a long time Clooney watcher, the good the bad and now the downright unfathomable.  As a long time watcher I saw a comparison with the way the Venice arrival thread we are ON, compared with a Sudan film some years ago and commented.

WHY SHOULD I SAY NOTHING, I'M ON THE RIGHT THREAD.  THIS IS A FORUM.

Alisonfan wrote:It reminds me of that time George was in Sudan with a femail U.S reporter interviewing him, as he rode around in a jeep or by the camp fire (this time NOT a speed boat). 

Now it looks like both incidents, while seeming to have nothing in common, were infact just the way Clooney handles PR.  Sorry Africa, you were just the Bride for the day.

This expensive circus will leave a bad taste in the mouth of the public.  Even nice guys like Matt come under suspicion as to why they do what charity work they do, is it just PR, and tax deductable.

This wedding is fabulously "stage managed" just like the trips to Africa.

Unfortunately the fact that celebrities do charity work for the PR value and image enhancement is well known. The recent appointment of Leonardo di Caprio as a UN environmental ambassador was ludicrous - Leo flies by private jet all the time and hires superyachts. He has a bigger carbon footprint than anyone. And in England they are going crazy about Victoria Beckham being appointed a UN ambassador a couple of days ago as she is one of the biggest PR attention seekers around. They're all on the bandwagon now and will all be regarded with suspicion. 

I'm sure George wants to be of assistance and has a genuine desire to help but he is also helping himself from a PR standpoint. They are all hypocritical - not just George - as they live a life of superluxury 99% of the time and then fly into these third world places for a few days a year with cameras in tow and then give themselves a big pat on the back. If you look at Angelina Jolie what has she ever achieved except PR for herself? All the places she has ever visited are in as bad a shape if not worse than when she first visited them. But she made herself look good. I don't think any of these celebrities are making a difference. I'm not singling out George I'm speaking about the lot of them who do it. I prefer someone like Paul Newman who quietly raised so much for charity and is doing so even after he died as I buy his salad dressings all the time. Paul was fabulous.

Alisonfan - really, looking for an argument are you, well not today baby, way too fucking happy looking at all these glorious photos of Amal and of course George -

ps I can read, so no need to capitalise

The next mrs clooney wrote:George puts his life at risk going to Darfur and spends a significant amount of time and money on this project.  Very insulting to call it PR.  There are other celebrities that speak out about causes for PR but George actually puts his money and his time into doing what he believes.  You can call the wedding PR if you want but his activism is far from it!!

I will never forget the look of total distaste at his accomadation in that film, he even showed the viewer the toilet, and how horrid it was.
PPL I saw the film with found that bit funny.

globalchick wrote:

Katiedot wrote:Thinking about this some more, I think the reason I'm having problems with believing in this relationship is that it's too pat: it's all too perfect and too sudden.  

Had they got engaged next April, then it'd be believable but we're supposed to believe that he did a complete 180 in terms of the type of woman he likes to be with and within six months got engaged to someone he's barely spent much time with?  He's gone from being the poster child for ultra secrative who's-that-woman-standing-next-to-me-gosh-is-that-my-girlfriend to Mr wears-his-heart-on-a-sleeve-shout-it-from-the-podium-tops?  It's not him.  

Once again I agree with Katiedot. As a long time Clooney watcher his behaviour is completely out of character.

Most troubling is the short length of time that Clooney dated her before proposing to her. We all know how busy the guy is. I don't think they were a couple i.e going steady until November last year which means they only dated for 5 months before he asked her to marry him. You barely know someone at the 5 month mark and that does not even take into account all the time he spent working during that 20 weeks. 

I think George was literally the last man standing among his friends unmarried and this was starting to be an issue. Thom Matthews just got married, all his friends are married and even that Sudan guy George hangs out with John Prendergrast got married a few years ago at 48. George was starting to look old and began to feel the pressure of being unmarried and a sort of "freak". That was fine when he was young and good looking but George has gotten old. He's 53 but looks early 60's. Combined with that Monuments Men was a total failure and that would have hurt him and his ego. 

Then Stacey gets married and pregnant the second she leaves him and that was a huge blow to his ego I believe. It also generated a lot of negative stories about him in the media. If you examine his history you will find he married Talia just months after his breakup with Preston on the spur of the moment. So this is history repeating itself. 

Then at the Golden Globes they were joking about him onstage and he was literally a laughing stock. George Clooney had become a joke. I think he likes Amal and of course, because of the gay rumours that swirl around him he always has to have a girlfriend. I am not one of those who thinks Amal is "stunning" she is attractive by ordinary standards but not by Hollywood/model standards. She can either look really good in photos, or at the wrong angle, ugly and masculine. I think she is well educated but not nearly as successful as George's PR has made her out to be. It's also clear that she all but stopped working around March this year just like all George's other chicks she is at his beck and call. 

I also believe that Amal turned around and put the pressure on him. She is no fool everyone knows his reputation. She probably turned around and said you have a bad reputation and I don't want to be another notch on your bed post. 

I think George doesn't really love her but he is marrying her because it is good for his image, expected and will take the pressure off her. I think he is as fond of her as the others but not more fond of her. Most troubling he barely knows her. Once he decided to get engaged he and Stan I believe made a decision to exploit the engagement and wedding for everything they could from a PR perspective to revive his career and change his image. Hence the release of the staged shots of the engagement ring etc. George and Stan also decided to go hell for leather in creating an over the top wedding and hyping it up. Of course, George has completely sold out his private life for the pubicity but they are orchestrating this PR frenzy around the wedding like a pair of puppetmasters. Both George and Amal are using each other. She is clearly loving the publicity just like all the others.

There is also the possibility that George's ego is such that he wants them to be a "superstar humanitarian" couple. Again that is only possible if he elevates her fame with an over the top wedding ceremony like this one. Why else would anyone invite the cameras to their wedding to the extent that he has by deliberately informing the media of the date and location in advance which is unheard of for a celebrity of his calibre. This wedding is about more than love, it's about getting PR and image shaping. 

I think George was impressed with her intellect. She has the brains he would like to have but doesn't and of course, he fancies himself as a humanitarian and political activist. He's deeply impressed by Obama who has a level of intellect that George does not have - Obama has a law degree from Harvard I believe. 

I think Amal is star struck probably saw George in some movie 13 years ago back when he was a lot better looking than he is now and has a crush on him. He's now very old and the huge age difference will only add to their compatibility problems. What we have here is a middleaged man with one eye on improving his public image marrying a woman he is fond of and respects. George's back, neck and insomnia problems are well documented and I don't think he is motivated much any more by a desire for sex. 

Most telling was the UN appointment fiasco whereby the UN released a press release saying Amal had been appointed to that Gaza strip investigation committee. I have no doubt Amal agreed orally and was probably thrilled. Otherwise the UN wouldn't have issued a press release and had it on their website. But she clearly didn't consult George and when he found out about it he hit the roof because of the implications for his career in Hollywood and told her she had to turn it down. Hence her bizarre retraction 24 hours later. It's clear that George calls the shots in the relationship. He's the boss. She on the other hand is acting like a giddy schoolgirl on a high that she has gotten him down the aisle. But George is well past his sell by date as a sex symbol - Celine had him at his best not Amal. 

The other issue is why the rush to the altar? Why not date for 2 years until he got to know her better? Why is he rushing towards the altar like his life depends on it? Well he did that with Talia so he has a history of impulsivity. I also think he can be a bitter guy and part of it is that he wants to get back at Stacey too. Plus he had pressure from Amal to show her he was serious. More than anything Amal's timing was right and if it wasn't her it would have been whoever decent came along right now. However there is the possibility he wants to have a child. He really is getting old so this would be his last opportunity to do it. Amal is 36 so no spring chicken. If George has not had a vasectomy, or if he had one and has now got it reversed, there is the possibility they might have one child right away.

There is no way on earth this marriage will last. I think it will be over in 2 years time but George would want to prolong it on paper for as long as possible because he will look like a fool when it fails. Amal is too intelligent for the vacuous world of Hollywood and paparazzi will stalk her. Carolyn Bessette couldn't handle the pressure. Amal is more experienced with the media but not the insanity of George's life. I think Amal will quickly become preoccupied with how she looks as she is not that photogenic and it's easy to take a bad photo of her. You can already see that in a short time Amal has come to love the camera. They will be separated often for work and what is Amal going to do - hang around movie sets doing nothing for months?

The rose coloured glasses will come off fast once the high of the wedding wears off and this is a couple who barely know each other. Both of them have PR reasons for doing this but he has said himself that he is a lousy husband and he is selfish and self centred which are not qualities that make a woman happy. I think she will quickly become disillusioned and unhappy and all it will take is a few whispered negative comments at parties that she overhears about her looks or nose and she will quickly become insecure.

I think this marriage will be at breaking point within 24 months. If any of you disagree with me that is fine, however this is my opinion and I'm entitled to express it.

I suggest some of you google pictures of George with Celine Balitran the truly beautiful young law student George dated in the past. Watch his body language with her. Now that was a woman he was really in love with. And those recent PDA pics of George and Amal yesterday on the boat in Venice were laughable. 8 boats of paparazzi were facing them. Of course he could turn on the PDA - he is an actor after all!!!!  In short I think George feels the same way about Amal as all the women he has dated but has a bit more respect for her because of her intelligence. But this is no great love story. Marrying her serves a purpose for him right now.

Well said globalchick, I agree with everything you said.

.........he's an actor!! Showed everyone what conditions were like out there for everybody.......

Ever been in love, AF?

The logic of your argument doesn't work. If he's vocal about the work he's doing, he's in it for PR. If he does the work quietly, then you don't known about it assume all he's doing is the stuff that gets attention. He can't win. And if you think starting an entire food line and having celebrity filled fundraisers every year is raising money quietly, I can't help you. Fundraising depends on awareness, and Paul Newman was great at it.

The ENTIRE POINT (just using caps because it seems like that's what we're doing today) of George visiting Sudan is to bring the attention he gets for sitting on a patio eating breakfast to a place that needs it. He's not going there to be an aid worker. Doing it quietly would be beside the point.

Vilma wrote:I’m so disappointed that he chose to have this Kardashian style media circus wedding theme.

What happened to the man who wanted his private life to be private?

That was the man I liked, not this one.

I agree with you totally Vilma. This wedding is tacky and tasteless. It's a nouveau riche wedding. People with real class e.g. John F Kennedy Junior do not throw a wedding like this. I'm concerned for George as I think there will be a backlash over this as others have pointed out.

If we all did what Leo Angie e George do, the world would be a better place.

I couldn't disagree more. No one who posts here knows George, Amal, or anyone in their inner circles. We all have our opinions and perspective of this relationship. In The end we will just have to wait and see. Maybe I do wear the rose colored glasses but I love George because of what I've read about him over the years. I respect him. I like a man with character. I think he has real character and I will trust that he knows what he is doing and for the right reasons. God, you said he is so old. Ouch. I'm 9 years older than he is. I must be feeble. Actually he almost does look older than me but he still has what it takes.

So very true..........

Globalchick, I agree with everything you said EXCEPT the part of it being over in 24 months. I think it will go on much longer than that simply because it will be fairly easy for them to lead separate lives while still technically together. It seems like they are both workaholics so they'll just have their work and only be together for public events. Yes, with Amal the bloom will fall off the rose but she had a full life before the marriage, and she can resume it after. It will be waaay to embarrassing for George to split with her after such an extravagant production of a wedding, so he won't want people to know they've split. Also, I can see them remaining friends even after the romance is over. I think the juvenile sense of humor, the drinking, and the need to be with "the boys" will finally get to her. I also don't think that basically sharing a house with the Gerbers in Mexico will appeal to her that much. I give it at least 5 years, with less and less time spent together.

premiere wrote:Globalchick, I agree with everything you said EXCEPT the part of it being over in 24 months. I think it will go on much longer than that simply because it will be fairly easy for them to lead separate lives while still technically together. It seems like they are both workaholics so they'll just have their work and only be together for public events. Yes, with Amal the bloom will fall off the rose but she had a full life before the marriage, and she can resume it after. It will be waaay to embarrassing for George to split with her after such an extravagant production of a wedding, so he won't want people to know they've split. Also, I can see them remaining friends even after the romance is over. I think the juvenile sense of humor, the drinking, and the need to be with "the boys" will finally get to her. I also don't think that basically sharing a house with the Gerbers in Mexico will appeal to her that much. I give it at least 5 years, with less and less time spent together.

I'm not disagreeing with you on that point. I think it will be effectively over in 2 years BUT as I said, he will keep it going for a lot longer than that on paper for PR purposes and to avoid the humiliation after this ridiculous overhyped wedding. She will just start spending more and more time in the UK.

I'm sure the prenup gives her a hefty payout in exchange for her silence the same as all the other galpals signed and a non disparagement agreement too. George has rarely stayed friends with any of his ex's and I couldn't see him and Amal staying friends when it is over. I don't think he is friendly with any of his ex's unless he needs to maintain their favour like Kelly Preston and Talia. 

He will neglect Amal like he neglected all the other women and the relationship will become strained. In the end he is a man who only thinks about himself in relationships and all that matters is his career. The UN announcement fiasco showed that his career takes total supremacy over hers and the vacuousness of Hollywood will get to her particularly when she starts seeing unpleasant paparazzi photos of herself around in the press. It's easy for those women to become self obsessed. She will be attending awards ceremonies standing next to Charlize Theron and people like Angelina Jolie and co. And judged on her looks which is the nature of that world. How will that make her feel? And add to it a husband who is never around and always working and her being in LA where she has no friends of her own. I could see it imploding very fast behind the scenes. One day the rose coloured glasses will slip off and she will see what she has done. She has married a self absorbed old man who's set in his ways who's entire life revolves around him and his needs. But I agree with you she would probably agree to keep it quiet for years and maintain the charade although they could be in trouble during red carpet appearances. Do you remember the body language between Princess Diana and Prince Charles in the end. Amal is not an actress and if things are strained we will see it during the obligatory red carpet appearances.

Is this one of those fan fiction Novel you are writing Global chick??

Selfish is never a word used by those who 'know' George, more like generous, kind, but hey you say potato and I say, off to view the wedding thread, woop woop

Globalchick - There's truth to a lot of what you said. This relationship did happen fast and there will be a lot of compromise and adjustments to be made if it is going to work.

But I have to disagree on a couple of points:
1. 53 is not old. I don't know how old you are, but really, George is not in his dotage! He may not look like he did when he was 30, but he's still good looking and very sexy!

2. You seem to think because he's less educated than Amal that he is somehow less intelligent. It takes a brain to get where he is in life and have the career and reputation he has. Getting a formal education is no indication of intelligence - just the willingness to stay in the protected world of academia and plug away at book-learning.

3. "Monuments Men" was not a flop. It did well financially, but more importantly, it opened up worldwide discussion of an issue that many people were unaware of and brought attention to a group of people whose heroic efforts had gone unrecognized.

I don't know how "real" this relationship is or whether it will last. I don't know which of them will have problems with it, or what those problems might be. I do know that George will probably give it the same effort and dedication he gives to all the important things in his life.(And I don't think anything his past girlfriends did had anything to do with his getting married. An ego hit? Probably. Enough to push him to the altar? No.) 

For their sakes I hope that whatever this relationship is, it makes them both happy. I hope it works. George still has a great deal to offer the world in many arenas. Only time will tell if this marriage is a success.

in news of trying to upstage the wedding of the centry... wonder if Stacey is close to giving birth?  That would be quite a twist to go into Labor during the wedding... Not that we need more drama in the story.  Then again, it was so interesting that right after she announced she was married and pregnant that the photos surfaced of George & Amal.  It just seems more like a hollywood production of a fairy tale... I'm so curious if he is really in love.  Is this what a guy from Kentucky looks like right before he marries the love of his life? And why is this still bothering me? This is a million miles away from my reality yet I am salivating over every photo... someone get me a tissue!  It was supposed to be me

You know I think if anything ever happened to Rande Gerber George would dump Amal like a hotcake and marry Cindy.

Don't you think everyone wants it to work? After looking at their smiling faces we all want to believe in the happy ever after and the fairy tale ending. I'd love nothing more than for all couples to be as exquisitely in love as they are on their wedding day. What a lot of us are saying in this forum is that life happens. I'd love it if she was "the one" but what is that saying? "The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior." I wouldn't put very much money on George changing his romantic behavior because he's with Amal. And globalchick, I agree with you completely.

i think George will do anything to make this work, he's not stupid and neither is she, this definitely to me is not a publicity stunt or anything silly like that, its genuine.

I have seen short relationships that turn to marriage last so for them this could work.

I really do wish them all the happiness and hope they have a long future together

louisvillelaura wrote:in news of trying to upstage the wedding of the centry... wonder if Stacey is close to giving birth?  That would be quite a twist to go into Labor during the wedding... Not that we need more drama in the story.  Then again, it was so interesting that right after she announced she was married and pregnant that the photos surfaced of George & Amal.  It just seems more like a hollywood production of a fairy tale... I'm so curious if he is really in love.  Is this what a guy from Kentucky looks like right before he marries the love of his life? And why is this still bothering me? This is a million miles away from my reality yet I am salivating over every photo... someone get me a tissue!  It was supposed to be me

She had the baby about a month ago.

premiere wrote:Globalchick, I agree with everything you said EXCEPT the part of it being over in 24 months. I think it will go on much longer than that simply because it will be fairly easy for them to lead separate lives while still technically together. It seems like they are both workaholics so they'll just have their work and only be together for public events. Yes, with Amal the bloom will fall off the rose but she had a full life before the marriage, and she can resume it after. It will be waaay to embarrassing for George to split with her after such an extravagant production of a wedding, so he won't want people to know they've split. Also, I can see them remaining friends even after the romance is over. I think the juvenile sense of humor, the drinking, and the need to be with "the boys" will finally get to her. I also don't think that basically sharing a house with the Gerbers in Mexico will appeal to her that much. I give it at least 5 years, with less and less time spent together.

The more I think about it I bet there is a substantial cash incentive in the prenup for her to not divorce before the 5 year mark as you say. Like maybe $3 million if they divorce at the 3 year mark and $15 million after 5 years. That would keep her in the marriage regardless of how bad things got until the 5 year mark and avoid him being embarrassed after this PR spectacle wedding. No wonder she's laughing and smiling in the pictures. $15 million is like a lottery win.

LizzyNY wrote:Globalchick - There's truth to a lot of what you said. This relationship did happen fast and there will be a lot of compromise and adjustments to be made if it is going to work.

But I have to disagree on a couple of points:
1. 53 is not old. I don't know how old you are, but really, George is not in his dotage! He may not look like he did when he was 30, but he's still good looking and very sexy!

2. You seem to think because he's less educated than Amal that he is somehow less intelligent. It takes a brain to get where he is in life and have the career and reputation he has. Getting a formal education is no indication of intelligence - just the willingness to stay in the protected world of academia and plug away at book-learning.

3. "Monuments Men" was not a flop. It did well financially, but more importantly, it opened up worldwide discussion of an issue that many people were unaware of and brought attention to a group of people whose heroic efforts had gone unrecognized.

I don't know how "real" this relationship is or whether it will last. I don't know which of them will have problems with it, or what those problems might be. I do know that George will probably give it the same effort and dedication he gives to all the important things in his life.(And I don't think anything his past girlfriends did had anything to do with his getting married. An ego hit? Probably. Enough to push him to the altar? No.) 

For their sakes I hope that whatever this relationship is, it makes them both happy. I hope it works. George still has a great deal to offer the world in many arenas. Only time will tell if this marriage is a success.

I was born a few weeks after George, so I don't think he's old. BUT his days as a Hollywood hearthrob to women of all ages are numbered if not over.

globalchick wrote:

Katiedot wrote:Thinking about this some more, I think the reason I'm having problems with believing in this relationship is that it's too pat: it's all too perfect and too sudden.  

Had they got engaged next April, then it'd be believable but we're supposed to believe that he did a complete 180 in terms of the type of woman he likes to be with and within six months got engaged to someone he's barely spent much time with?  He's gone from being the poster child for ultra secrative who's-that-woman-standing-next-to-me-gosh-is-that-my-girlfriend to Mr wears-his-heart-on-a-sleeve-shout-it-from-the-podium-tops?  It's not him.  

Once again I agree with Katiedot. As a long time Clooney watcher his behaviour is completely out of character.


I also believe that Amal turned around and put the pressure on him. She is no fool everyone knows his reputation. She probably turned around and said you have a bad reputation and I don't want to be another notch on your bed post. 

I think George doesn't really love her but he is marrying her because it is good for his image, expected and will take the pressure off her. I think he is as fond of her as the others but not more fond of her. Most troubling he barely knows her. Once he decided to get engaged he and Stan I believe made a decision to exploit the engagement and wedding for everything they could from a PR perspective to revive his career and change his image. Hence the release of the staged shots of the engagement ring etc. George and Stan also decided to go hell for leather in creating an over the top wedding and hyping it up. Of course, George has completely sold out his private life for the pubicity but they are orchestrating this PR frenzy around the wedding like a pair of puppetmasters. Both George and Amal are using each other. She is clearly loving the publicity just like all the others.

There is also the possibility that George's ego is such that he wants them to be a "superstar humanitarian" couple. Again that is only possible if he elevates her fame with an over the top wedding ceremony like this one. Why else would anyone invite the cameras to their wedding to the extent that he has by deliberately informing the media of the date and location in advance which is unheard of for a celebrity of his calibre. This wedding is about more than love, it's about getting PR and image shaping. 

I think George was impressed with her intellect. She has the brains he would like to have but doesn't and of course, he fancies himself as a humanitarian and political activist. He's deeply impressed by Obama who has a level of intellect that George does not have - Obama has a law degree from Harvard I believe. 

The other issue is why the rush to the altar? Why not date for 2 years until he got to know her better? Why is he rushing towards the altar like his life depends on it? Well he did that with Talia so he has a history of impulsivity. I also think he can be a bitter guy and part of it is that he wants to get back at Stacey too. Plus he had pressure from Amal to show her he was serious. More than anything Amal's timing was right and if it wasn't her it would have been whoever decent came along right now. However there is the possibility he wants to have a child. He really is getting old so this would be his last opportunity to do it. Amal is 36 so no spring chicken. If George has not had a vasectomy, or if he had one and has now got it reversed, there is the possibility they might have one child right away.

There is no way on earth this marriage will last. I think it will be over in 2 years time but George would want to prolong it on paper for as long as possible because he will look like a fool when it fails. Amal is too intelligent for the vacuous world of Hollywood and paparazzi will stalk her. Carolyn Bessette couldn't handle the pressure. Amal is more experienced with the media but not the insanity of George's life. I think Amal will quickly become preoccupied with how she looks as she is not that photogenic and it's easy to take a bad photo of her. You can already see that in a short time Amal has come to love the camera. They will be separated often for work and what is Amal going to do - hang around movie sets doing nothing for months?

I agree with some of what you say, though not all.  If Amal told hime she did not want to be another notch, good for her!  Too few women have stood up to him.  Why the rush?  Maybe she wants kids--she is 36 after all. 

This wedding/engagement is showing me that George likes the limelight and seeks publicity much more than I realized in the past.  Not an attractive quality IMO, but maybe necessary at his age and in his line of work.  I am very surprised at how many details "leaked" about this wedding and how accurate they have been. Had to have come from someone in George's camp.  He could have had a wedding--even an extravagant one--that was not as public as this weekend so far.

fava - I agree - even though I still find him incredibly sexy - that his days as a heartthrob are winding down. He's more aware of it than anyone, which is why he's taking his career in new directions. IMO he's got a long career ahead of him as a director, writer and producer - not to mention  his humanitarian efforts. He is far from irrelevant and his career is far from over.

Hey, Alisonfan and Globalchick, what exactly is so offensive and deplorable to you? I mean, to the degree that drives your comments in most of the threads, and then starting one that compares a great public awareness campaign of a human tragedy to a much-anticipated wedding?

Let's break down this wedding weekend that you abhor so vehemently.

George and Amal booked a destination wedding. Millions of couples do that. They chose Venice. Ditto.

They booked rooms in two hotels and venues for the event. What would you have them do, play it by ear and tell their guests they're on their own? Or maybe get a few rooms and blow up air mattresses...

They got around town by boat. That's so obvious I won't even finish. If they'd been in New York or London or LA, they'd be in limos.

They invited famous people. If I were ever insane enough to get married again, my guest list would include people that I've grown close to or had some special attachment to in my decades-long life, too. Same for you, right? But this can't be true for George. Hmm.

Some famous people you think should be there, aren't. Of course, this complaint making sense would mean that you know the intimate details of George's friendships and associations, and how he and Amal determined their guest list. And, remember, they could have invited some of these people you think should be there, and they RSVP'd 'no.' They're invitations, not subpoenas.

They went to parties the night before their wedding. They smiled at people. They got their pictures taken, caught in the act of being excited and enjoying themselves. Total fucking douches.

Before you dig out the 'they could have...' argument -- please, don't. It's immaterial. They didn't. And don't try the comparison to Brad and Angie, either. Those two have four marriages between them, not to mention almost ten years and six children. Nobody expects the same type of wedding for a man who's been a hardcore bachelor for 20 years and a woman who is marrying for the first and (they hope) last time.

I don't know know why I'm wasting my breath. Refills on the Hatorade are free.

There is no question that, as I said in my original post, George has decided to milk this engagement and wedding for every ounce of publicity he can. And he has. It's a PR show but I think he has made a spectacle of himself and most people are recognising this for the PR show that it is. He needs every fan he can get at this point in his career and many will be put off by this. Everyone can see he has courted the press and some things about the wedding are just downright tacky like the Amal and George AG monogram on the boats and on the shirts. We can all see he's pimping out his private life for publicity on a massive scale to make himself relevant again and because he thinks it will give his career a boost and many are speculating he will run for the senate. He is turning this marriage into an over the top media extravaganza that he hopes will wipe away his sleazy liaisons of the last 14 years in the public's eye and he can start afresh with a new image. What other possible reason could there be for courting media attention for his wedding the way he has? The only other celebrities who have done this are Kim and Kanye and TomKat a few years back.

It's made me realise the extent of his ego which is one of the reasons I went off him a few years ago. He truly believes he is the special one.

ps Way I moved all the above posts out of the wedding thread so as not to pollute it for those that were enjoying the coverage of the wedding.

globalchick wrote:

Vilma wrote:I’m so disappointed that he chose to have this Kardashian style media circus wedding theme.

What happened to the man who wanted his private life to be private?

That was the man I liked, not this one.

I agree with you totally Vilma. This wedding is tacky and tasteless. It's a nouveau riche wedding. People with real class e.g. John F Kennedy Junior do not throw a wedding like this. I'm concerned for George as I think there will be a backlash over this as others have pointed out.

this wedding isnt tacky or tastless, all we have seen is people in boats going to and from venues, nothing else, whats tacky about that

Well, the monogrammed everything is IMO tacky. And I think the whole boat parade, palazzo wedding a bit grandiose for someone who likes to remind us often that he's just a normal man from Kentucky.

Yes, but he got a BLUE LIGHT SPECIAL escort!!!!!

George Clooney has more active big-budget projects lined up than 95% of the players in Hollywood. He is not a fading star or a has-been. If he's making adjustments to his career, good for him. I can think of a lot of people who should have done that but didn't.

Would I go in for this kind of wedding? Nope. But then, I'm not George, and I'm not marrying into a family whose culture calls for these kinds of celebrations.

BTW, some couples do monograms on the napkins and matchbooks and wine glasses. Why is a monogrammed flag or jacket such a distasteful leap? I think they are a nice touch.

And maybe, just maybe, he believes his wife is the special one.

Ditto to everything you posted, Way2. 

And of course he got an escort.  If he hadn't, they'd still be navigating paparazzi boats and oncoming traffic in the canal.  It's be midnight by the time he got to the hotel.

Yep the monogrammed everything made me chuckle too

We seem to be talking about the same things in this thread as we are in the 'is this love' thread. Does anyone mind if I merge the two threads together?

Nope

Way2Old4Dis wrote:George Clooney has more active big-budget projects lined up than 95% of the players in Hollywood. He is not a fading star or a has-been. If he's making adjustments to his career, good for him. I can think of a lot of people who should have done that but didn't.

Would I go in for this kind of wedding? Nope. But then, I'm not George, and I'm not marrying into a family whose culture calls for these kinds of celebrations.

BTW, some couples do monograms on the napkins and matchbooks and wine glasses. Why is a monogrammed flag or jacket such a distasteful leap? I think they are a nice touch.

And maybe, just maybe, he believes his wife is the special one.

Way 2   I saw the word production, and remembered something that I found odd, but revealing.  Last night on E! they were going over the price of the wedding (ie $250,000 for flowers), then Catt (the woman broadcaster) said they would have a better idea Monday of what the production finally cost him.  Not the wedding, but the production.  So, it may seem our chatting re:the wedding is possibly shared more broadly to include the media.  sorry to stray off topic.

theminis wrote:Yep the monogrammed everything made me chuckle too

I kind of thought it was kind of adorable.  Haven't you ever been to a wedding where there's monogrammed menus and napkins and matchbooks and favors?  It's just that when you're rolling in money, you monogram your water taxis.  Same thing, different level.

I don't think Amal wants the marriage to end either, she is loving the limelight and doesn't want to be known as the one he married and couldn't hold onto him.

I know what you mean, Missa, but this felt overkill to me. Monogrammed hat boxes, monogrammed flags. That's gone from aw, cute to corporate branding. JMO and I can totally understand others feel differently.

Yeah I have Missa and I guess Im used to seeing it on napkins etc, but not on water taxis, water taxi drivers, flagpoles - it just made me giggle, but yep a whole different level that's true.

Let's let them cut the cake first, alright.

There will be no divorce. Baaaaaaaaaaaaad PR.

Just a note to globalchick and friends: Call me when you get back from Sudan, or Gaza, or Afghanistan and tell me how you single-handedly solved the problem. The best minds in the world have been working on these problems for years with no success. The fact that they are even on our radar is in large part due to the efforts of celebrities like George and Angelina who risk ridicule from people like you to do what is right.