Elton John and The Guardian

I think it was a mistake for Elton John to employ Carter-Ruck to go after The Guardian about this little piece of nastiness, and his efforts were repulsed in the High Court today.

But the original article was just sheer snarky nastiness by Marina Hyde. She had written (posing as Elton):

Naturally, everyone could afford just to hand over the money if they gave that much of a toss about Aids research - as could the sponsors. But we like to give guests a preposterously lavish evening, because they're the kind of people who wouldn't turn up for anything less. They fork out small fortunes for new dresses and so on, the sponsors blow hundreds of thousands on creating what convention demands we call a "magical world", and everyone wears immensely smug "My diamonds are by Chopard" grins in the newspapers and OK!. Once we've subtracted all these costs, the leftovers go to my foundation. I call this care-o-nomics.

This was more than unfair. The Elton John AIDS Foundation is a quite serious organisation funded by Elton. I have benefited from its largesse - it paid for me to attend a retreat weekend for long term AIDS survivors - so perhaps I am biased.

But EJ is a pop star, and one whose success have never really depended on gay fans. His music has never been part of "gay" culture". He has no more obligation to support AIDS/HIV charities than anyone else. And yet he has done so, consistently for almost two decades.

That deserves some respect.