A friend of mine called me this weekend telling me that he and a few of his friends were going to see “Leatherheads.” Now, typically, I like this kind of movie. Seems silly. Sports related. Can’t go wrong. Got decent reviews.

One problem -George Clooney.

I’m not one of those guys who boycotts movies of people I don’t agree with. I can still watch Tim Robbins though I’m sure we probably disagree on everything except the death penalty. I can separate actors from their characters -to a point. Sometimes stars get so big that you can’t believe them in a role other than themselves ever again. I think that may be why Cary Grant could only play Cary Grant. Same with John Wayne.

But with Clooney it’s a little different. Here’s what he said a few years ago and then I’ll go into the rest.

According to the New York Post, while accepting an award from the National Board of Review, Clooney wisecracked, “Charlton Heston announced again today that he is suffering from Alzheimer’s.”

When asked about the statement, Clooney told the Post, “I don’t care. Charlton Heston is the head of the National Rifle Association. He deserves whatever anyone says about him.”

That’s the kind of thing that stays in my mind. Meanness. For me, that’s all I can think of when I see him. He’s mean.

I know it sounds simplistic and even silly. Look, I know I probably wouldn’t let Robert Downey Jr. into my home but I’ll go see Ironman.

Maybe as a parent I spend so much time watching out for meanness, cattiness, and jealousy that they jump out at me. I watch out for them because those kind of things destroy people. Everyone. The angry person and everyone around them.

So when my friend called I politely declined. I told him I had a lot of things to do around the house. One of my daughters had to get to a birthday party. Then my friend called me some names that I won’t print here. I called him mean.