George Clooney calling for repatriation of Parthenon Marbles

[Dodgypainting]

And thinks because he made the film ‘Monument Men’ he is qualified to speak on this? Is it one more bandwagon he wants to jump on along with trying to sort out Sudan, the Environment, the Syrian refugee crisis and BLM. Why does he feel qualified to step into some of the most sensitive situations on the planet as a white guy with no expertise in the complex and sensitive issues he speaks out on? It’s ok to raise awareness but he should leave his wife to act on behalf of the Greek government re The Marbles and the plight of the Yazidis as she actually knows what she’s talking about. Where is the fear of doing more harm then good whenever these celebs speak out on some of their pet projects?

The most serious issue of today.

He's right.

Well done George. 👍🏼

It's not like the Nazis looting artworks at all. As far as I can remember the Marbles were bought (whether from someone who had any right to sell them is debatable) and consequently removed from the Parthenon which the Ottomans were using to store gunpowder. So possibly saved from destruction.

Elgin stole the marbles. He was later exonerated despite Lord Byron calling him a looter and the British government bought the marbles to be displayed in the British Museum.

Directly comparable with Nazi looting. Valuable artwork was stolen from a country occupied by an invading force and sold on for profit to a buyer who didn't care about their origin.

He's right.

It does raise the question of which museums should be housing which artefacts though – it is good for everyone's cultural education for museums to hold a wide range of exhibits from other countries/cultures.

It is a difficult question.

However, in this case, the other half of the collection is in its place of origin, in a stunning purpose-built museum and its very hard to see how it benefits anyone culturally to have the remainder of the collection in a much less applicable/engaging setting many miles away.

@ThereIsNoSuchThingAsRoadTax

Complex and sensitive issue? We took them. The Greeks want them back. Seems pretty simple to me.

agree

@NC10101

I find this whole ‘celebrities/athletes shouldn’t speak about anything but their specific field’ very weird. That’s just their job, they are also people like anyone else, people who are listened to. You can work in an office and tell your friends and co-workers what you think, he’s doing the same just on a wider scale. It’s fine.

The problem is that a lot of them - and I mean the majority LOT of them - are not educated to the basic level that the general public are. Over 70% of actors did not finish high school. Almost 50% of them did not finish the ninth grade. There is a video on youtube of Leonardo DiCaprio asking if they cut up a mandarin before they put it inside the skin. These people are not qualified to be teaching their own children to read, let alone teaching the public on social issues

You should watch this James Acaster sketch about stolen artefacts- 'finders keepers!' (hope the link works!)
m.youtube.com/watch?v=x73PkUvArJY&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR30VhgfOsUssvDTlV6caBFcSXr0laK9hOMaQUcGlFxBMV7goGFNOW6RKQw

He's right.
Almost the entire museum is looted. I didn't realise this until I went and basically ranted all the way round.

I think its to do with who he married?

@Threefeettall - I was just about to post that - love it!

What's in the purpose built museum at the moment? Is it completely empty?

Everyone is entitled to their opinion I guess. But I don’t care what George Clooney thinks about it.

I'd return them to Greece. I think it's the right thing to do and from a historical perspective, it should be in its rightful location, which is not the British museum.

I do think it would be a good idea if all nations agreed to share artifacts which are easily transportable, so that the whole world could see them. Sometimes it's difficult to establish true ownership - the Beyeux tapestry for example was commissioned by the Normans but likely made in England by Anglo Saxons. France has retained ownership but I think did lend it to Britain. Who owns it from a moral pov? International sharing would mean that ownership didn't really matter. Once you get into the whole thing of rightful ownership every country probably has artifacts that arguably belong elsewhere.

As an aside, if I was Amal Clooney, I'd like to do my job without my husband sticking his oar in.

What's in the purpose built museum at the moment? Is it completely empty?

No. All the other marbles that didn’t get looted he the Brits.

He's right - but he could sort out his own house while he's at it, by:

1. Stop taking a wage from Nestle.
2. Coming out of the closet.

By

Coming out of the closet.

Seriously?

www.theacropolismuseum.gr/en

@TakeTheCuntOutOfScunthorpe

Its totally obvious you do not read historical books or watch historical/Ancient history tv programmes !

As its a fact that African Americans were people trafficking ,exploited/mistreated into the massive slave Trading Businesses ,that helped to build the British empire and other Colonist's empires around the world in America and elsewhere !

Disgraceful slavery helped to build big cities in uk and elsewhere like Liverpool and Bristol etc

Also in American states with cotton trade etc

And Big Giant banks like Lloydd Bank etc and Morgans Bank ect in America made massive bucks out of horrific slave trade

Don't insult my cultural heritage ,my ancestors were slaves from Africa /Caribbean.

I am British/welsh African heritage

Throughout history

Indigenous cultures such as Native American and Aborigines and in Native Africans have been marginalised/exploited .etc

@TakeTheCuntOutOfScunthorpe

Know your facts first

Before you give out opinions like that !

As it makes you look Very Stupid and Arrogant , ignorant !

I feel he's butting in on his wife's work. She is involved in the case for the Marbles' repatriation and in sure is more than capable of handling it. With his sentinel project in Sudan he is doing far more than raising awareness and has the very real chance of doing more harm then good. He along with most celebs do not have the expertise or the conflict resolution skills to wade in safely.

Is it just me that spent much of this thread envisaging little round marbles? I'm an educated lady and only just realised we're obviously talking about marble sculptures.

Is it just me that spent much of this thread envisaging little round marbles?

I thought that for years.

Didn’t get what the fuss was about

He’s right! They belong in Greece.