Elton John calls Taiwanese
photographers ‘rude, vile pigs’

Rocker fumes after being
ambushed by paparazzi at airport

Reuters

British singer Elton John, in Taipei for a concert, yelled at photographers who swarmed around him at the airport on Thursday and called them "rude, vile pigs". Wearing a bright blue tracksuit and dark sunglasses, the star shouted expletives as he was mobbed by photographers and TV crew.

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updated 11:31 a.m. ET Sept. 23, 2004

TAIPEI, Taiwan - Elton John warmed up his vocal cords for a concert in Taiwan by telling photographers they were a bunch of “rude, vile pigs.”

The media ambushed the rock star after he arrived by private plane Thursday shortly after midnight at Taipei’s Chiang Kai-shek International Airport. John was angry that police allegedly didn’t properly restrain the pack and protect him “from the ensuing chaos,” said a statement issued by the 57-year-old singer.

ETTV cable news showed footage of John, dressed in a royal blue track suit and matching sunglasses, berating the photographers and TV crews as he cleared immigration. The fuming star also was shown clenching his teeth and muttering expletives as he stood with his arms crossed tightly across his chest.

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“Rude vile pigs,” shouted John, who performed later in Taipei. “Do you know what that means? Rude vile pigs. That’s what all of you are.”

One of the photographers shouted back, “Why don’t you get out of Taiwan?”

John answered, “We’d love to get out of Taiwan if it’s full of people like you. Pig! Pig!”

The star, who recently performed in Shanghai and Hong Kong, said, “We had a great tour of the Far East and then we come to Taiwan and (expletive).”

At his concert, he told fans that the photographers at the airport were the rudest people he’d ever met during his travels around the world. He said he meant every word he said to them.