In a recent conversation that left many scratching their heads, Hollywood heavyweight George Clooney and late-night host Stephen Colbert discussed the crucial role of the Fourth Estate, or the news media, in ensuring that the public is informed with the truth.
The dialogue, which took place on CBS's "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," was rife with hypocrisy and smugness, a spectacle that was hard to ignore.
According to RedState, Clooney was on the show to promote his stage adaptation of his 2005 film "Good Night, and Good Luck," which centers around journalist Edward R. Murrow and the era of McCarthyism. However, the conversation quickly veered towards contemporary politics, with the focus being the Trump administration, which they painted in a decidedly negative light.
Colbert initiated the conversation by humorously accusing former President Donald Trump of stealing his ideas, stating, "Trump steals all of my ideas and you better lawyer up, mother[bleep], because I'm coming for you." Clooney, however, dismissed Colbert's jest, opting instead to delve into a more serious discussion about the perceived threat of Trumpism.
"Im not sure youre going to need lawyers. I think youre going to need more than that," Clooney responded. He then proceeded to express his concern about the animosity towards journalism, stating, "We have had this issue where power, kind of, hates the fourth estate. They hate journalism and my fathers an anchorman and news man and we've always believed in the idea of when the other three estates: the judiciary branch and the executive branch, when they all fail you, you need that fourth estate, right, it has to be the people who can hold people to accounts and this is a moment of us at our best and I always like to show and I like the idea of seeing ourselves at our best and I think thats an exciting thing to do."
This statement, however, raises several questions. Who exactly are "they"? It appears that Clooney is referring to conservatives, a group that he and his Hollywood peers seem to struggle to understand. There is a palpable distrust among conservatives towards the media, which they perceive as being riddled with Trump Derangement Syndrome and as twisting news to launch unwarranted attacks on conservative values. The media's portrayal of Trump as a Hitler-like figure and their attempts to elevate figures like Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Joe Biden, despite their apparent shortcomings, only serve to fuel this distrust.
Furthermore, the media's promotion of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and "gender-affirming care," which involves irreversible procedures on children's bodies, is also a point of contention.
In the course of their conversation, Colbert drew a parallel between the era of McCarthyism and the Trump era, stating, "Well, sometimes you are at your best when it is a very dark time because that is when you have to be your best and this was the height of McCarthyism." Clooney agreed, adding, "Yeah, but its really true, it's those whole ideas of, you know, being on the right side of history is not fun at the moment when you do it. Its nice later when you can look back later and go Wow, I was really, you know and he could do that later."
This exchange, while perplexing to some, underscores the importance of the Fourth Estate in holding those in power accountable. However, it also highlights the need for the media to maintain objectivity and fairness, rather than serving as a mouthpiece for a particular political ideology.
Login