Friday, April 1, 2011

Elton John, "confounding the image"

When I think of an artist who “confounds the image,” I immediately think of Elton John. He often dressed very eccentrically and always had a new costume to show the world. Elton john was very diverse in his music abilities, crafting music from pop, rock, soul, and country, just to name a few. His versatility in the music industry, his flamboyant stage performances, and his charisma confounded the image of the 60’s and 70’s.  
 The definition of androgyny is when masculinity and femininity are not conceived as having different characteristics-you can have one or both or neither of the gender traits of your choice. Elton John liked to dress both masculine and feminine-but whether male or female; his style can be described as outlandish. Johns clothing is very much decorated and accessorized. For example, he regularly wears platform shoes, which are not typically worn by males, and he often changed his hair color, which is also not considered manly. Elton John’s accessories are very flashy and unique.
Another way Elton John “confounded images” was by his sexuality. Elton John was admittedly a homosexual- which was not widely accepted years ago-so many fans were shocked. In an interview, he talked about bisexuality, and his belief that “everyone is bisexual to a degree.” Some fans reacted negatively to John's sexuality, and his audience began to shrink somewhat in the late ‘70s. 
Known for his flashy clothes and numerous hit records, Elton John tells no lies about who he is and is never ashamed to be himself. But above all of this is the fact that he has created some of the most timeless music we have ever known.

2 comments:

  1. Elton John Is a great artist and very well put together. He confounded his image while bisexuality and homosexuality were not much spoken about. Many people were out of the closet, and Elton John was just being himself. I mean his true fans stuck by him one hundred percent; they didn’t care about his sexuality as long as he kept on writing and performing great songs. I have always admired the way he dressed. He looks so elegant, and the way he picks out his wardrobe is amazing, very tasteful. If a man can rock platforms, so be it, none of us are really here to judge you know. But their will always be that one person who will not agree and make it into a big deal and then the media gets involved. Everything gets taken out of context and there you go, before we know it we have labeled yet another amazing artist, just because of how they want to dress or the shoes they want to wear and what color they dye their hair. If it wasn’t for these brave artists who make these decisions on how they will look next and be different, I don’t know if society would have changed from the old times/era to what it is now. We are more accepting in society because we have people who just want to be different.

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  2. When thinking of what musician to write about for my blog, I also thought of Elton John. He definitely “confounds the image”! I’ve seen him live in concert once with my whole family and of course, many times on TV. His outrageous costumes are always been part of the show, but his music has never needed this additional entertainment aspect to make it a great show, in my opinion. That being said, I love his crazy costumes, platform shoes and especially the oversized, glitzy glasses. Of course, the costumes do make his shows more sensational! John’s artistry and the beautiful songs he writes outshine his flamboyant personality and homosexuality. I remember being surprised when he “came out”, that’s how old I am! But I didn’t care then and don’t care now, and it has never influenced my love for his music. His beautiful, poignant performance of his rewritten song “Candle in the Wind” at the funeral for Princess Diana, is something I will never forget. I even purchased the CD single and have never opened it (I guess I thought it might be a collector’s item one day). Your statement that John “tells no lies about who he is” and that he “is never ashamed to be himself” is so true. And that’s one of the many things I love about him.

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