By Lynn Im ’15, Entertainment Section Editor

Elton John is a British singer-song writer with more than 40 hits and a record of being ranked as the most successful male solo artist on “The Billboard Hot 100 Top All-Time Artists.”

Currently, 67 year-old Elton John is married to a Canadian filmmaker, David Furnish. John and Furnish formed a family with their oldest son, Zachary Furnish-John, and a second son, Elijah Furnish-John. Both Zachary and Elijah were born to the same surrogate mother in California.

After Elton John watched Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana’s interview with the Italian magazine Panorama, his boycott of their brand began. In their interview, the one-time couple Dolce & Gabbana said, “We oppose gay adoptions. The only family is the traditional one. No chemical offspring and rented uterus. Life has a natural flow; there are things that cannot be changed.” Gabbana added, “The family is not a fad. In it there is a supernatural sense of belonging.”

After Elton John watched D & G duo’s interview, John immediately expressed his feeling towards Dolce & Gabbana with an Instagram post, “How dare you refer to my beautiful children as ‘synthetic.’ And shame on you for wagging your judgmental little fingers at IVF [in vitro fertilization]—a miracle that has allowed legions of loving people, both straight and gay, to fulfill their dream of having children. Your archaic thinking is out of step with the times, just like your fashions. I shall never wear Dolce and Gabbana ever again.” John also added the hashtag #BoycottDolceGabbana. Elton John’s boycotting of Dolce & Gabbana quickly galvanized other famous celebrities like Victoria Beckham and Courtney Love to join his campaign.

Dolce and Gabbana’s comment on gay marriage and surrogate children seems quite ironic. Paradoxically, Gabbana once wanted to have children via artificial insemination. Also, Dolce has had quite a few boyfriends in the past. Ironically, the pair has always opposed gay marriage.

In order to cool down the situation, Gabbana said “We talked about our way of seeing reality, but it was never our intention to judge other people’s choices” on his Instagram. He added, “We do believe in freedom and love.” However, Gabbana’s comment wasn’t enough to ease the situation: The hashtag #BoycottDolceGabbana has topped the trending list on Twitter in the U.S.

For me I am not yet ready to boycott Dolce and Gabbana’s couture. Come on, their fashion is just too gorgeous. But Dolce & Gabbana, just like your gorgeous high fashion, you need a bit of “haut comment.”

Elton John’s use of technology was simple and powerful. John’s comment was a candid sign of the time. He also set a good example of how a celebrity can use the power of social networks for the good of humanity. Elton John, you’re the “Rocket Man.”

Sources: http://nymag.com/thecut/2015/03/dolce-gabbana-in-war-of-words-with-elton-john.html