Just how *chef's kiss* perfect was Bari Weiss' riposte to George Clooney? Even the Hollywood Reporter felt forced to salute.
First, though, let's start with Clooney, who went out of his way to take a swipe at the new editor-in-chief at CBS News. In an interview with Variety published yesterday, Clooney was asked about the risks of studio consolidation in Hollywood, a very real issue that Clooney decided to ignore. Instead, Clooney accused Weiss of attempting to dismantle CBS News, free speech, hot dogs, and apple pie while wrapping himself in the flag:
In a new cover story with Variety tied to the release of his new movie, “Jay Kelly,” Clooney faults top law firms like Paul, Weiss, universities like Columbia, and news networks such as CBS and ABC for folding and settling when Trump and his lieutenants sued them. ...
Clooney is horrified by how David Ellison, Skydance’s founder and Paramount’s chairman, has moved to reshape its coverage by installing conservative commentator Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief of CBS News.
“Bari Weiss is dismantling CBS News as we speak,” Clooney says. “Am I worried about film studios? Sure. It’s my business, but my primary loyalty is to my country. I’m much more worried about how we inform ourselves and how we’re going to discern reality without a functioning press.”
Allow me a small correction. Clooney wrapped himself in a flag, not the. But which one? Variety doesn't mention it in its profile, but Clooney and his wife Amal just accepted citizenship in France, in large part to keep the media that Clooney supposedly champions from intruding on his life:
George Clooney and his wife Amal have been granted French citizenship, along with their two children, according to an official decree in France’s government gazette, the Journal Officiel, published over the weekend.
In an interview with French radio earlier this month, Clooney praised French privacy laws that protect his family from paparazzi.
“Here, they don’t take photos of kids. There aren’t any paparazzi hidden at the school gates. That’s number one for us,” he told RTL Radio. ...
The Clooneys own a property in southern France, in a former wine estate called the Domaine du Canadel, near the village of Brignoles, which they purchased in 2021. The pair also owns an estate in Italy’s Lake Como region, purchased in 2002, and bought a historic manor in England.
Clooney told RTL that although the family travels frequently, their home in France “is where we’re happiest.”
Actually, that's a defensible position for celebrities to relocate to France. I agree that American paparazzi and celebrity-focused media get far too invasive in their coverage, although like the royalty biz, celebrities go out of their way to court that attention, too. But the Clooneys didn't just relocate – they took citizenship in an attempt to limit media coverage while Clooney wraps himself in the First Amendment to claim purity on free speech and expertise in the news industry.
Aaaaaaand that brings us to Bari Weiss' public slapback at Clooney for his unprompted personal attack. She made sure to speak Clooney's new national language to get his attention:
CBS News editor in chief Bari Weiss ribbed newly minted French citizen George Clooney after the star accused her of wrecking the network, inviting him to the newsroom and hinting he might be in need of a journalism refresher.
“Bonjour, Mr. Clooney! Big fan of your work. It sounds like you’d like to learn more about ours,” Weiss said in an email statement that CBS parent company Paramount Skydance shared with The Post on Tuesday.
“This is an open invitation to visit the CBS Broadcast Center, where I’m spending the holidays working to relaunch the Evening News with my colleagues. Tune in January 5.”
Even the Hollywood Reporter recognized Bari's trolling grandmastery:
CBS News boss Bari Weiss is sending a message to George Clooney after the actor criticized her management of the news network.
The editor in chief issued an open invitation for Clooney to visit her newsroom and playfully mocked his move to France.
“Bonjour, Mr. Clooney!,” wrote Weiss in a statement shared with The New York Post.
Sacre bleu! Zat ees, how do we zay ... brutale?
Will Clooney répondez s'il vous plait to Weiss' invitation to learn a few things? After all, that's a fairly generous offer, under the circumstances. Unlike Clooney, Weiss has actually worked in the media industry rather than reading a script or two about it. Not only has Weiss worked at media companies like the New York Times, she built a formidable media outlet from scratch at The Free Press. Weiss succeeded on such a massive scale that Paramount acquired it for nine figures in order to get Weiss' editorial expertise at the top of CBS News.
Clooney might learn a few things. Probably not, but ... maybe.
If Clooney doesn't want to take up Weiss' invitation, I'd be happy to take it up. Have yours call mine, Bari – let's do lunch, or something. Of course, I know she's busy trying to transform CBS News from a Journ-O-List narrative amplification service into a media organization that does actual reporting. That will be hard work, and so I'd bet that a tête-à-tête between managing editors would probably fall pretty far down Weiss' priority list, more's the pity.
Still, though, I understand the pressure. Maybe Weiss will invite Christopher Rufo first, and maybe she should. I can wait my turn.
https://hotair.com/ed-morrissey/2025/12/31/bari-trolls-clooney-bonjour-n3810379
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