Elton John hates the Internet
Elton John wouldn't mind seeing the sun go down on the Internet.
He may have a lot of fans on the Internet, but he's no fan of it. The opinionated Rocket Man told the The Sun that the Internet, bloggers and technology in general are hurting people's creativity and that he would like to see the Net shut down.
"The Internet has stopped people from going out and being with each other, creating stuff," he told the British tabloid. "Instead they sit at home and make their own records, which is sometimes OK, but it doesn't bode well for long-term artistic vision."
The self-described technophobe, who says he doesn't even own a cell phone, said he hopes the "next movement in music will tear down the Internet."
"I do think it would be an incredible experiment to shut down the whole Internet for five years and see what sort of art is produced over that span," John told the newspaper. "Let's get out in the streets and march and protest instead of sitting at home and blogging."
John, who recently made his entire music catalog available for purchase on the Internet, also said that "there's too much technology available."
Steven Musil is the night news editor at CNET News. E-mail Steven.
curmudgeon. I really expected a more enlightened point of view
from him.
Far from stifling art, the internet has spawned fascinating new
avenues for new artists and other people whose artistic abilities
are not up to John's level. It inspires artistic expression to many
millions who had no outlet before. Elton John should not poo-
poo the internet and appreciate it for the amazing invention that
it is.
The internet is the most important invention since, arguably, the
automobile. Aside from all the superficial benefits it has made
an unbelievable amount of knowledge freely available to the
common man, from obscure trivia to the state of things on the
ground in Iraq. Perhaps, as a celebrity with the funds to hire
people to do this footwork for him, he does not appreciate the
revolutionary implications the internet has for everyday people.
In terms of music art production, EJ wants to get back 1 decade. In this direction, I'd prefer to get straight to 60's or even XVIII century.
In my not so humble opinion, the lack of brains and common sense in Elton John, Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie, et al. are the perfect examples that money can't buy everything.