Date: 21st February 2001

Mrs. Cheney Chastises Elton


Lynne Cheney, wife of Vice President Dick Cheney, has added her voice to those criticizing Elton John for his decision to appear on tonight's internationally televised Grammy Awards with Eminem, widely considered to be a gay baiter. In a CNN interview, Cheney said, "Elton John has been so good in the past speaking out on issues of equality for gay people, on issues of being against violent language against gay people. I am quite amazed and dismayed that he would choose to perform with Eminem." Several TV writers have observed that CBS's Grammy telecast sorely needs the kind of controversy generated by the Eminem-John pairing, since the telecast will face competition from NBC's West Wing and Fox's Temptation Island.

Source: Studio Briefing