VegasBeat -- Timothy McDarrah: Dennis a menace, Sir Elton tells crowd

Las Vegas Sun ^ | 10/6/03 | Timothy McDarrah

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

Elton John loves Andre Agassi, and he loves Las Vegas.

But Sir Elton absolutely despises Dennis Miller.

The superstar pop music icon -- who earlier in the day confirmed to us our August report that he is going to become a Strip headliner -- attacked Miller from his piano perch at the end of Saturday night's "Grand Slam for Children" benefit hosted by Agassi at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

"Americans are always asking why the rest of the world hates them," John said after singing his first song, "Tiny Dancer." "Well, the reason is Dennis Miller."

"You've all gone mental if you liked that," John said, before looking at the floor and shaking his head in disgust.

Earlier in the show Miller delivered about 20 minutes of his usual act -- biting, sarcastic political humor with a very strong right-of-center slant.

Miller's remarks include bits about not caring about blowing the Baghdad Museum to bits, and his advocating killing caribou and raping Alaska for oil so there would be a lessened dependency on foreign outlets.

The caustic comic was one of a number of superstar performers at the event, including Sheryl Crow, Sarah McLachlan, Robin Williams, Billy Joel, 14-year-old newcomer Renee Olstead and, after a 13-year hiatus, a reunited Tears for Fears (Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal).

We spoke to Miller after the show and asked him if he had heard John's remarks.

With a smile as tight as a Speedo on a sumo wrestler, Miller said, "Everyone is entitled to their opinion." Then he made a quick exit into a staging area where we weren't allowed to go.

When we caught up to John, he didn't want to talk about Miller, but did lavish praise on Agassi for his charitable work. Sir Elton will make public the details of his 2004-05 Colosseum engagement at an Oct. 21 announcement. He will perform on some of Celine Dion's dark nights.

"I love Las Vegas and I am looking forward to being here more often," he said.

[ThreeYearLurker]

Don't you be dissing '80's music now.

No one trashes the "Fag Five"!

[metalboy]

The rest of the world hates us? I should send Elton the emails I get from people I know in England, Berlin, AND FRANCE who are sick to death of mutts like this Elton who choose to speak for them. My one friend in Berlin is married to an Iraqi and Elton should take the time to speak to her or someone else who lives in reality. Read the nice stories she told me like the time they lived in Iraq in the mid 80`s where their neighbors 17 year old kid was taken away only to return months later completely blue from having silver injected into him, which by the way is permanent...Nice stuff like that, but then again when your a world famous millionaire who lives in fantasy land, stuff like that doesn`t matter as long as it doesn`t happen to Elton. As long as Elton isn`t so inconvenienced as to have his trite Barbara Streisand like fantasy politics upset, and he can keep playing his over-played to death 50000 year old songs so he can keep making pretend he`s liberace everything is hunky dory.

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

Almost all began with nothing and rose to prominence almost effortlessly by our standards. Their sudden overwhelming accumulation of wealth, in addition to the general mannerisms of stars, their inclination is to promote us "feeding the needy".

[Caipirabob]

Wow. I guess "The Bitch is Back", and this time he's aged, has-been poof with bad fashion sense.

[cmak9]

OK, that's about enough. I will not stand for the denigration of Tears for Fears. They are head and shoulders above the other 80 pukes. Sowing the seeds of love was an a$$kicking CD. They have a strong jazz leaning.

Agreed!

[weegee]

Also posted here:

Dennis a menace, Sir Elton tells crowd.

The Las Vegas Sun chose not to report the offensive crucifixion stunt from Penn & Teller earlier this year. I guess that it is safe to trash some Vegas headliners in the local rags and not safe to report the scandals of others.

[weegee]

Here's one he's got a shot at becoming...

"Chewbaccas in the Midst"

[Abynormal]

Miller is happily politically incorrect as he evaluates the liberal's tender story of how ANWR would ruin the pristine countryside so that the caribou could roam about. So, it's OK to pay exhorbitant amounts to heat your home so that a couple of deer don't have to step over a buried pipeline? Miller never advocated killing or raping.... merely demonstrates logical thinking. Hence why he has become so popular with conservatives.

[mountaineer]

I'm not saying I disagree with drilling in ANWR. I'm all for it - my point was that the writer of the article probably exaggerated (or utterly mistated) what Dennis actually said about it.