Congratulations, Elton and David!

[poliphilo]

I like Elton John. Always have done. Even at his glammest, silliest, most diamante-studded-bespectacled. I think he's a brave little tyke. I think he rings true.

And now he's become historically significant by becoming the first famous person to enter into a same-sex marriage under the new rules.

Well done him!

Comments

[dakegra.livejournal.com]

indeed. Well said. What annoys me is the way the press keeps referring to it as a 'wedding' (note the quotes)

Why can't it just be a wedding (sans quotes)?

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Why not indeed?

[dakegra.livejournal.com]

it has caused some debate in the office. 'well, they're not *really* married, are they?'

argh.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

It depends who you believe.

The authorities obviously want to make a distinction between "marriage" and "civil partnership"- if only to appease the stupid people in our midst- but I'll bet that David and Elton consider themselves properly married.

[qatsi.livejournal.com]

Personally, I'd prefer to call it "partnership", and I'd extend it to straight couples as well. Then the religious bigots can keep their "special" status of "marriage".

If marriage was only available as a religious add-on to the state's partnership legislation, I reckon that really would destroy the "institution" of marriage.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I think that's an excellent idea.

At present we're in a terminological mess.

[halfmoon-mollie.livejournal.com]

This wedding is certainly a lot *truer* than his first, which I think was done for show. Elton has learned how to be true to himself, and even if I didn't like his music (don't like WATCHING him but that's MY problem) I think you're right, he is a brave person. I hope he and David are happy for the rest of their lives together.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Elton's has been an interesting journey down the yellow brick road. I admire his honesty and lack of personal vanity. Ever since he came out he has been candid about his ongoing history of excess, extravagance and diva-ish behaviour.

[four-thorns.livejournal.com]

"lack of personal vanity"?

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Well, yes, I know it sounds silly, but I was really impressed by the intimate documentary that David Furnish made a few years back which showed Elton throwing tantrums and being paranoid and hanging out with his granny and all the other stuff that a vainer star would have insisted never saw the light of day.

[four-thorns.livejournal.com]

i see what you're saying... i suppose it depends how you define vanity. people can be vain about some things and not vain about others. i remember reading that when elton toured with billy joel, the whole tour was one extended catfight over who would get the best suite in each hotel, as though getting the next-best suite was some horrendous, intolerable insult. one can be vain and just not give a damn about public image.

[four-thorns.livejournal.com]

in fact, might it not be MORE vain to not care about public image? to have such an exaggerated sense of self as to think your status and success couldn't be affected by a documentary exposing your oddities and flaws? (or perhaps to have grown so accustomed to the vanities of stardom that you don't even recognize the oddness and flaws in your behavior?)

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm not going to defend his scrapping with Billy Joel.

There's no doubt the guy's damaged and conflicted. I'd say his celebrity bad behavious is rooted in a huge inferiority complex and a fear of being found out. "Here am I, ugly, balding, little Reg Dwight from Pinner and people only love me because of my music." But I think, in recent years, he's become much more comfortable in his own skin. I take the Furnish film as a sign of that.

I've always thought that there was an element of ironic self-parody in the extravagance and the dressing up. When he appeared at his 50th birthday bash dressed as Marie Antoinette in a six foot wig with a ship in it, he must have been aware of how silly he looked.

I don't think it's possible for someone as famous and rich as Elton is to keep fully in touch with reality, but I think he manages better than most. I compare him wth Tom Cruise or Madonna or even Paul McCartney and think, "this guy's still got the tips of his toes on the ground."

[ibid.livejournal.com]

But when's he going to start battling with Hello and OK about the photo rights?

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I read somewhere that the wedding bash set him back £1,000,000. Lets hope he gets some of that back by selling the rights.