In the past few months, all the buzz has been about George Clooney’s wedding to 36-year-old British human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin (now Amal Clooney). But, in my opinion, her marriage to George Clooney is the least exciting thing about this incredible woman and role model.
George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin in Italy, before their Venice wedding.
Beautiful (I mean, just look at her skin! Her flawless hair!), accomplished, and brilliant with enviable style, Amal Clooney is a quadruple threat.
Oxford and NYU educated, she is a barrister at one of the most prestigious human rights firms in the world, Doughty Street Chambers in London. She has previously represented high profile clients including Julian Assange and the former prime minister of Ukraine, Yulia Tymoshenko. Clooney has served on various United Nations commissions, and is fluent in French, Arabic, and English.
Amal Alamuddin
As New York Magazine put it, what is this goddess doing with George Clooney?!
Amal Clooney is an important new role model. She is a powerhouse in her career — as evidenced by her staggering resume — she is an activist, and she does this all with her own polished style. She does not seem to be overwhelmed by the red-carpet celebrity lifestyle she is now a part of, having married one of the most famous actors in the world. Just days after her wedding, Clooney arrived in Greece to represent the Greek government in their fight for repatriation of the Elgin Marbles. There are many people who will claim that women can’t “have it all,” that they can’t balance successful careers and personal lives, but hasn’t Amal Clooney shown us that we are more than capable of doing so? Her career does not seem at all bogged down by her personal life, and vice versa. She is exactly the type of role model young women need in a time where it seems increasingly difficult to be female.
In Greece to advise the government regarding the Marbles.
It is a shame that we live in a time where the media focused on things like what Amal’s “man charming secrets” are, or how she managed to “tame” George Clooney, the eternal bachelor. Rather than reporting that two incredibly accomplished individuals, both famous and respected in their respective fields, the media made it about how Amal Alamuddin snagged George Clooney. To reduce a woman’s accomplishments to such shallow stories is a reflection of how the media can trivialize news into mere tabloid fodder, perpetuating sexist and clichéd narratives.
Personally, I think I love Amal more than I love George.
Actually, I’m quite positive I love her more than I love her husband, though I’m sure there are Clooney fans.
I love her not only because she has the most incredible taste in shoes and clothing, but also because her marriage to George Clooney hasn’t defined her. Yes, she chose to take his last name (which did not go un-criticized, as many called her a “bad feminist”), but it wasn’t as if she was doing so to gain credibility — she is already a force to be reckoned with in her field — or to perpetuate what some view as antiquated traditions. Changing her last name was probably a decision she arrived at on her own; it was a personal choice and one that should be respected. Amal Clooney represents the kind of woman — and human being — we all want to be.
Now, please excuse me while I adopt a British accent, brush up on my human rights law knowledge, and get a fresh blowout.