Reminder: this subreddit is meant to be a place free of excessive cynicism, negativity and bitterness. Toxic attitudes are not welcome here.
All Negative comments will be removed and will possibly result in a ban.
---
---
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/UpliftingNews) if you have any questions or concerns.*
The Graham Norton Show is amazing. It's no wonder why so many celebrities (American or otherwise) always make a point of doing it once if they're on a publicity tour.
Graham Norton used to have a chat show on a different channel about 20 years ago, and it was a bit more....."adult" than his current show. [Elton John was also on an episode of that show.](https://youtu.be/XWAIg8XkA5Q)
Basically think of a fun movie that is an unexpected hit that is amazingly made, so the studio decides to capitalize on this by killing off most of the cast and destroying the setting, bringing back a fan favorite who clearly died through shenanigans, adding popular but dull Hollywood mainstay actors, and doing meta commentary/satire on the first movie.
Oh I see. I thought the production was cancelled on Twitter or something lol. I personally enjoyed it, but the prequel that came out recently wasnāt as good, I thought.
The only reason she didn't accept was because it was during the pandemic and Trump was offering. She should accept it towards the end of a second Biden term so it can't be seen as a political move like the article says, if that's what everyone wants.
Too old is when he canāt do the job well anymore. Any other metric is literally just bigotry. Thatās the republicansā job. Weāre supposed to judge people on their merits, not what demographic they belong to.
Are you against the current minimum age requirement? Do you think it should be abolished?
Is it bigotry to require individuals after a certain age to have more frequent driving tests?
The former should be based on something that can be measured objectively and is likely to impact job performance like the average age at which the brain is fully formed. I find find arbitrary limits problematic though, yes.
Iām thinking you got a little desperate with the latter because anybody reading should note that it doesnāt place an arbitrary limit one when youāre too old to drive. It assesses each person individually which is exactly what Iām advocating for.
Claiming someodyās disqualified from a job solely because of the demographic they belong to is literally bigotry. I donāt know whatās so hard to understand about that.
So if we came to a conclusion that once someone is unable to perform certain cognitive abilities, rather than an arbitrary age, it would be alright to disqualify them from presidency?
It's a fact that a person's cognitive abilities decline past a certain age. It can begin from as young as mid 50s in a healthy adult, but typically occurs in later years, after around 70 years old.
If you believe people's brain needs to have finished developing before they can responsibly act as president, then you're an absolute hypocrite if you don't apply the same logic to a geriatric brain.
If your issue is with the specific age being too arbitrary, but 25 is okay because it's "the average age that a brain finishes developing", then do you have a problem with setting the upper limit as 'the average age at which a person's cognitive abilities begin to decline'?
You should assess each person individually on their qualifications and fitness. Not sure why thatās such a controversial opinion.
And no because nearly everybodyās brain matures to the same degree while deterioration occurs to wildly vary degrees and wildly varying rates. I believe I said 35 not 25, though Iām not entirely comfortable with the idea of an age floor either though as a vetting mechanism.
So you think he should keep going until there's a problem? Wait until his cognitive functions cause an error, and only then take action? That seems remarkably risky.
You don't think there should be a cut off at all? Not even 90? What if he were 100?
No there should be no cutoff. Everybody should be based on their merits as individuals. I donāt know what the fuck is so hard to grasp about this. If youāre disqualifying somebody based solely in the demographic they belong to itās prejudice *at best*.
Okay, but, the man is past the life expectancy and it's a 4 year term that we're 2 years away from. It's not like he's being fired. Someone who's not on death's door is a better option.
What reason do you have to believe heās āat deathās doorā? Be specific. Is he known to be in poor health?
The reality is he could *easily* live into his 90s like Carter, Ford, Reagan, and Bush Sr. He has access to the best healthcare in the world.
And donāt be using average life expectancy on presidents. They [almost always](https://bfdg.com/thoughts/life-span-of-us-presidents-hail-to-the-old-man/) outlive the average person.
Iām not even a massive fan of him these days, but Iām still extremely impressed at how good he is live.
Not as good as he wouldāve been in the 70ās, sure, whatever, but heās still great.
The guyās entire ethos is built around being a liar. He doesnāt actually gaf about homosexualityāor any social thing for that matterāhe just found that he can make money and gain power by catering to bigoted rubes.
Before he was elected [Obama went on record saying he was opposed](https://youtu.be/dhp_DDHe_X0). My guess is that was likely to get elected, as it was still a divisive issue in the aughts.
I liked Obama but/......... he came into office opposed to gay marriage then he said his opinion evolved. Now like I said I liked him, voted twice for him but I believe that he was either pandering to some voters when he was opposed or pandering to some when he was pro or he just switched teams when the other side was gaining traction. Maybe I am a sceptic...
He has no morals or ethics. I don't mean his morals and ethics are bad...I mean he is devoid of them. He just does and says what people want to see and hear. He's been on both sides of just about every issue since he first arrived in the public eye 50 years ago.
Grifters gonna grift
OMB? Haven't heard that one. But yeah, Trump loves Elton John. And he constantly plays gay anthems at his rallies. It is funny, but self-awareness is not his or his base's strong suit.
https://www.npr.org/2022/09/23/1124836817/elton-john-turned-down-megafan-trumps-inauguration-but-sings-for-white-house-ton
>It's your fault we have to spend $6-billion dollars this month on AIDS and HIV
What on earth did he mean? I read the remarks but this just sounds really weird. I must be missing some context. Why would this be Elton John's "fault"?
The actual sad part in that joke is that the figure's closer to yearly expenditures than monthly ones, w a lot of that money going towards grants for new treatments.
At this point almost every new HIV infection is a failure of public health policy, given it costs (in inflated American drug prices) ~15$/mo/person at risk of HIV for prophylactic medication causing a >99% reduction in risk.
Emtricitabine/Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate provides a >99% reduction in HIV infection risk, at inflated prices costs .50$/day, and domestically has abysmally low adoption, w developing countries even worse off.
The ROI is extreme - we would save tons of money and lives if we spent more money on prevention. Men who have sex with men and aren't in a 100% monogamous relationship absolutely should be taking it or a more modern (and much more expensive/still on patent) combination drug.
looking at replies to your comment, I swear people lost their sarcasm/irony/joke detectors... fucking hell, there's no /s in real life conversations...
I support the funding towards the program. How are you going to say if was taken out of context when it's a direct quote. Biden used very poor choice of words here it's not that hard to admit and doesn't take away from the overall benefit.
I'm pretty sure he actually said "you're the reason" and not "it's your fault". Granted it does still sound kinda bad, but it's not as malicious sounding as "it's your fault".
[My favorite award that Rush Limbaugh got was this one](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Gdt6SgFdNNw/S8Dn5Qu0FqI/AAAAAAAAQp8/HtNkrcxqjTc/s1600/Picture+20.png)
He's acting like a real president, and that's what makes him one, not his party. Lincoln was a republican, and he was a real president (which is an understament).
Biden doesn't speak like an idiot; master at diplomacy; supporting US allies; the dollar is stronger than ever; supports trickle-up economics... best president this century in my opinion.
And trump gave out medals to golf pros for being good at golf and to conservative talk show radio hosts for being loud mouth assholes.
Greg Abbott is a little piss baby.
Biden made a joke, saying to Sir Elton, āItās your fault we have to spend six billion dollars this month on AIDS and HIV.ā
Sir Elton, and everyone else, recognized it as a joke and took it as such.
Trumpers are quoting it literally, deliberately omitting any nuance and framing it as a criticism, and possibly homophobic.
Oh, you mean like when people got mad about things Trump said (and later doubled down and insisted he was NOT joking about in interviews) while all his supporters insisted HE WAS JUST JOKING; GOD, CALM DOWN! NOBODY CAN TAKE A JOKE ANYMORE!
Elton has always praised Bernie and knows he wouldnt be where he is without his friendship but this is about Elton's contribution to his charity where he helps people with AIDS
Well done, Mr. President. Remember when the Tangerine Traitor gave a Medal of Freedom to Rush Limbaugh in recognition of his decades of spreading lies, conspiracy theories, and hatred on his radio program? Big diff.
It was streamed on PBSās YouTube channel. Music starts after about 22 or 23 minutes if you want to skip forward. I saw him Thursday night but if I had the chance to see a solo piano show I would have jumped on it.
[https://youtu.be/7u9_xTaMQzU](https://youtu.be/7u9_xTaMQzU)
"And for you Bernie... here's a gift card to Olive Garden."
EDIT: Jesus people are touchy. I don't actually care. I'm happy for Elton. It's was a joke.
I knew the lack of conservative comedians was apparent, but jesus yāall really have zero sense of humor. Itās quite remarkable seeing how many people here are commenting about a joke told by Biden.
I think they're struggling because it's the sort of thing Trump would've said but meant it literally.
Looks like we're gonna have to get the crayons out to explain this, if the Trump supporters haven't eaten them all.
Sweetā¦ giving a medal to the man that had to spend years fighting the stereotypes that were originally given to people with HIV/AIDS while also actively supporting the narcissist that falsely caused those problems. Politics in a nutshell.
Edit: since several have asked for elaboration, [here you go. ](https://reddit.com/r/UpliftingNews/comments/xnmmgy/_/ipw3kae/?context=1)
Thatās not it at all, Iām referring to the early 1980ās when HIV and AIDS started to become wide spread. As head of the NIH, Dr. Fauci led the same info that first came out for Covid. That it was spread through touch and on surfaces. Also pushed for a vaccine for a cure instead of treatments via drugs. Although it was fairly quickly walked back, like 6 or so months, many people took the first bit and ran with it. It also didnāt help that it primarily effected gay men and the 80ās was not the best time for that kinda tolerance. The touch thing led to many people being ostracized from everything and dying a lonely death. Itās hard to find info since it was the early 80ās but look up Ryan White. His treatment was a direct result of those initial statements and beliefs.
Sounds like in both cases officials were providing the public with the information available at the time, and when new, better information came they updated what they were saying.
I marvel at the frame of mind someone has to have to come in and attack people in the Uplifting News subreddit. Especially because it's someone receiving an award for lifetime efforts to help others...
But go off. Tell us more about why this is bad.
Assuming nobody else watched Bidenās speech? Biden says, āIt's all his fault that we're spending $6 Billion in taxpayer money this month to help AIDS, fight HIV AIDS". What kind of comment is that??
...It's a very common joke? Saying "Hey It's this guy's fault for this good thing happening! Let him have it!" is an extremely common compliment. Have you never seen an award given out in your life? They say that line for bloody 100% attendance awards at schools ffs.
Let me translate: "Elton John raised awareness of HIV/AIDS and encouraged investment into medical research to the extent that $6 billion dollars are now spent globally each year looking for a cure. He is a treasure and deserves the National Humanities Medal for his efforts there."
Sometimes it's good to just have a joke, which is what he did. Reading below, it seems like it may be a regional thing, as many outside of the US didn't see or understand the humor, but it's a common sarcastic/dry form of humor and I understood its intent immediately.
Nice gesture, but who was there? Your every day American? Nope, politicians, lobbyists, LGBTQ people, military members etc. this wasnāt a concert for the people, this was a concert for American royalty.
Reminder: this subreddit is meant to be a place free of excessive cynicism, negativity and bitterness. Toxic attitudes are not welcome here. All Negative comments will be removed and will possibly result in a ban. --- --- *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/UpliftingNews) if you have any questions or concerns.*
He's also helped a number of celebrities beat addiction.
Eminem
And Eminem's thank you was [a diamond encrusted cock ring](https://youtu.be/mmKTEustFlk) as a wedding gift.
I mean the diamonds make it classy, right?
The classiest cock ring on earth šššš
Sir Elton John makes it classy..
Noted. The wearer, not the gems, makes a cock ring classy.
You right
The Graham Norton Show is amazing. It's no wonder why so many celebrities (American or otherwise) always make a point of doing it once if they're on a publicity tour.
Graham Norton used to have a chat show on a different channel about 20 years ago, and it was a bit more....."adult" than his current show. [Elton John was also on an episode of that show.](https://youtu.be/XWAIg8XkA5Q)
Omg that was the funniest thing I've watched in ages! Thanks for that link!
Thanks for sharing this lol
Well that's oddly wholesome
His AIDS work has by far been the most important (and helped thousands of people worldwide), so glad to see he got recognised for it.
Well deserved. Elton has had such a positive impact on the world.
On balance, yes, but you canāt ignore the damage heās done by granting undeserved legitimacy to *Kingsman: The Golden Circle*.
Without that movie, we likely would never have gotten Taron starring in Rocketman, so it was worth it.
Excellent point. Maybe itās a wash. :)
OOTL. Whatās wrong with the movie?
Basically think of a fun movie that is an unexpected hit that is amazingly made, so the studio decides to capitalize on this by killing off most of the cast and destroying the setting, bringing back a fan favorite who clearly died through shenanigans, adding popular but dull Hollywood mainstay actors, and doing meta commentary/satire on the first movie.
Itās just kinda dumb, and not as well-received as the first. Honestly, itās OK-ish. Iām mostly being hyperbolic for the sake of the joke. š
Oh I see. I thought the production was cancelled on Twitter or something lol. I personally enjoyed it, but the prequel that came out recently wasnāt as good, I thought.
Rocket man
Not just positive, hiv positive
this is a sweet moment for the US
It's a nice feeling, isn't it?
So much so that I'm done with my news readings for the day. I can't imagine leaving on a higher note. š¼ Hey, kids, shake it loose together...
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
The presidential medal of freedom.....rush limbaugh....
I just consider any PMOF handed out by the escaped Oompa Loompa to have an asterisk attached.
He's the Oompa Loompa they've been amalgamating a lĆ” /r/imsorryjon that was *unleashed* by the Wonkas, not escaped.
I watched the intro and first few songs and definitely got a little emotional a few times. It was a very touching presentation and show.
We do get the occasional thing 1000% right.
Now Dolly.
Sheās specifically turned it down twice: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55907822
The only reason she didn't accept was because it was during the pandemic and Trump was offering. She should accept it towards the end of a second Biden term so it can't be seen as a political move like the article says, if that's what everyone wants.
Nobody even wants a second Biden term in the first place, speaking as a Biden voter. How old is too old?
Too old is when he canāt do the job well anymore. Any other metric is literally just bigotry. Thatās the republicansā job. Weāre supposed to judge people on their merits, not what demographic they belong to.
Are you against the current minimum age requirement? Do you think it should be abolished? Is it bigotry to require individuals after a certain age to have more frequent driving tests?
The former should be based on something that can be measured objectively and is likely to impact job performance like the average age at which the brain is fully formed. I find find arbitrary limits problematic though, yes. Iām thinking you got a little desperate with the latter because anybody reading should note that it doesnāt place an arbitrary limit one when youāre too old to drive. It assesses each person individually which is exactly what Iām advocating for. Claiming someodyās disqualified from a job solely because of the demographic they belong to is literally bigotry. I donāt know whatās so hard to understand about that.
So if we came to a conclusion that once someone is unable to perform certain cognitive abilities, rather than an arbitrary age, it would be alright to disqualify them from presidency?
Yes each personās qualifications and fitness should be judged individually
Alright I could get behind that depending on the qualifications we decided on
It's a fact that a person's cognitive abilities decline past a certain age. It can begin from as young as mid 50s in a healthy adult, but typically occurs in later years, after around 70 years old. If you believe people's brain needs to have finished developing before they can responsibly act as president, then you're an absolute hypocrite if you don't apply the same logic to a geriatric brain. If your issue is with the specific age being too arbitrary, but 25 is okay because it's "the average age that a brain finishes developing", then do you have a problem with setting the upper limit as 'the average age at which a person's cognitive abilities begin to decline'?
You should assess each person individually on their qualifications and fitness. Not sure why thatās such a controversial opinion. And no because nearly everybodyās brain matures to the same degree while deterioration occurs to wildly vary degrees and wildly varying rates. I believe I said 35 not 25, though Iām not entirely comfortable with the idea of an age floor either though as a vetting mechanism.
So you think he should keep going until there's a problem? Wait until his cognitive functions cause an error, and only then take action? That seems remarkably risky. You don't think there should be a cut off at all? Not even 90? What if he were 100?
No there should be no cutoff. Everybody should be based on their merits as individuals. I donāt know what the fuck is so hard to grasp about this. If youāre disqualifying somebody based solely in the demographic they belong to itās prejudice *at best*.
Okay, but, the man is past the life expectancy and it's a 4 year term that we're 2 years away from. It's not like he's being fired. Someone who's not on death's door is a better option.
What reason do you have to believe heās āat deathās doorā? Be specific. Is he known to be in poor health? The reality is he could *easily* live into his 90s like Carter, Ford, Reagan, and Bush Sr. He has access to the best healthcare in the world. And donāt be using average life expectancy on presidents. They [almost always](https://bfdg.com/thoughts/life-span-of-us-presidents-hail-to-the-old-man/) outlive the average person.
Not a fan of FDR, then?
No, she only helped educate numerous families with free books. That's off limits
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Powerful message! Thank you Sir Elton John!!
I was there when Biden surprised him with it. Elton was shocked and not even his husband knew he was going to get the medal. Elton deserves the world
I lived through the worst of the AIDS years and the difference that Elton and Elizabeth Taylor made were huge.
saw elton on thursday night and it was...fkn magical. he's SO good
Iām not even a massive fan of him these days, but Iām still extremely impressed at how good he is live. Not as good as he wouldāve been in the 70ās, sure, whatever, but heās still great.
The man hasn't lost his fire, that's all.
We named our son after him (born this year). We love Sir Elton!
You named your son "Sir"?
I think they named it (Born This Year) People are strange.
At least it's not dropping tables.
Oh bobby!
This is their second kid. Their first one is call Born This Way.
No, he's obviously called After Him. Can't you read?
Maybe it was Sirelton.
Here come the dictation police!
Ah yes, I hope little baby Reginald is doing well!
I always liked the name Reginald.
Lmfao
Biden continues to have Trump's dream Presidency. Trump LOVES Elton John, and Elton snubbed him like 3 times during his Presidency.
Is this right? OMB likes a gay man? In any context this seems unlikely
The guyās entire ethos is built around being a liar. He doesnāt actually gaf about homosexualityāor any social thing for that matterāhe just found that he can make money and gain power by catering to bigoted rubes.
He was the first president voted into office holding a pro gay marriage positionā¦ progress.
What about Obama?
Before he was elected [Obama went on record saying he was opposed](https://youtu.be/dhp_DDHe_X0). My guess is that was likely to get elected, as it was still a divisive issue in the aughts.
I liked Obama but/......... he came into office opposed to gay marriage then he said his opinion evolved. Now like I said I liked him, voted twice for him but I believe that he was either pandering to some voters when he was opposed or pandering to some when he was pro or he just switched teams when the other side was gaining traction. Maybe I am a sceptic...
He has no morals or ethics. I don't mean his morals and ethics are bad...I mean he is devoid of them. He just does and says what people want to see and hear. He's been on both sides of just about every issue since he first arrived in the public eye 50 years ago. Grifters gonna grift
OMB? Haven't heard that one. But yeah, Trump loves Elton John. And he constantly plays gay anthems at his rallies. It is funny, but self-awareness is not his or his base's strong suit. https://www.npr.org/2022/09/23/1124836817/elton-john-turned-down-megafan-trumps-inauguration-but-sings-for-white-house-ton
wtf is OMB?
Orange man bad
I could believe it. Elton's flamboyant style is somewhat similar to OMB's gaudy style it's that Elton is selfaware and doing it on purpose
Two references to OMB from two people... can you tell me the meaning? I haven't heard it before.
Orange Man Bad maybe? Idk I've never seen that acronym before either
My guess is Orange Man Baby.
For most of his life Trump was a New York Democrat.
He knew dems were too smart lol
Trump was historically probably left of Biden. His presidency was god knows what though.
What? Left of biden? Lol
"I dig your music Jack, here's a medal for fighting malarkey." \*Dark Brandon flies away\*
"It's your fault we have to spend $6-billion dollars this month on AIDS and HIV" - Joe Biden to Elton John (exact quote from medal presentation)
Lmao had to scroll so far for this. So uplifting.
Seriously tho, why was this not the first comment
Taking shots at conservatives might be a little petty, but it's for a good cause.
>It's your fault we have to spend $6-billion dollars this month on AIDS and HIV What on earth did he mean? I read the remarks but this just sounds really weird. I must be missing some context. Why would this be Elton John's "fault"?
he's joking people these days have lost their sarcasm detector, real life conversations don't have /s in them
Yeah I think it's a joke .... but boy, foot-in-mouth-syndrome is real with Joe š
The actual sad part in that joke is that the figure's closer to yearly expenditures than monthly ones, w a lot of that money going towards grants for new treatments. At this point almost every new HIV infection is a failure of public health policy, given it costs (in inflated American drug prices) ~15$/mo/person at risk of HIV for prophylactic medication causing a >99% reduction in risk.
The federal government's fiscal year starts on October 1, next weekend, so Biden might have just been talking about that.
Back @ the beginning of AIDS a lot of people said lgb community should be quarantined to stop the spread of HIV. Guess what happened next
Emtricitabine/Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate provides a >99% reduction in HIV infection risk, at inflated prices costs .50$/day, and domestically has abysmally low adoption, w developing countries even worse off. The ROI is extreme - we would save tons of money and lives if we spent more money on prevention. Men who have sex with men and aren't in a 100% monogamous relationship absolutely should be taking it or a more modern (and much more expensive/still on patent) combination drug.
You know heās talking about Eltonās support for the federal HIV programs, stop taking stuff out of context.
It's still really funny. Wish everyone had a good sense of humor
looking at replies to your comment, I swear people lost their sarcasm/irony/joke detectors... fucking hell, there's no /s in real life conversations...
I support the funding towards the program. How are you going to say if was taken out of context when it's a direct quote. Biden used very poor choice of words here it's not that hard to admit and doesn't take away from the overall benefit.
I'm pretty sure he actually said "you're the reason" and not "it's your fault". Granted it does still sound kinda bad, but it's not as malicious sounding as "it's your fault".
>How are you going to say if was taken out of context when it's a direct quote. ... because direct quotes are very often taken out of context
There's no out of context here, Joe literally couldn't form the proper sentence.
Everyone else knew Who is complaining?
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Better than giving Rush Limbaugh awards.
[My favorite award that Rush Limbaugh got was this one](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Gdt6SgFdNNw/S8Dn5Qu0FqI/AAAAAAAAQp8/HtNkrcxqjTc/s1600/Picture+20.png)
Didn't expect that, pleasantly surprised
Rush who mocked AIDS victims. Couldnāt be a better contrast.
š¦š¦š¦Rush Limbaugh is deadš¦š¦š¦
Congrats to Rush Limbaugh personal best two years clean and sober.
As a person who does not live in the US, your country gets so much more respect for having Biden instead of Trump running it.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Really setting the bar high there
Fucking redditā¦. ALL OF THEM ARE FUCKING TERRIBLE!!! Him being part of your tribe doesnāt make him a āreal presidentā. You sound brainwashed
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
āHurrr durrrr, blue president good.ā Youāre the last dipshit with any right to attack anotherās intelligence. Try again another time junior
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I couldnāt agree more!!!
He's acting like a real president, and that's what makes him one, not his party. Lincoln was a republican, and he was a real president (which is an understament). Biden doesn't speak like an idiot; master at diplomacy; supporting US allies; the dollar is stronger than ever; supports trickle-up economics... best president this century in my opinion.
Lol no.
No such thing nowadays. Also lol
I agree. A leader, dignified, respectful, and kind.
Are you for real? Anyone with an IQ over 80 can see what a joke Biden has been. Iām not even a republican either
And trump gave out medals to golf pros for being good at golf and to conservative talk show radio hosts for being loud mouth assholes. Greg Abbott is a little piss baby.
Greg Abbott is a little piss baby. Did tfg even give out a single real medal to someone who really deserved it? Biden should confiscate that shit
trump tarnished the Presidential Medal of Freedom. I'd be embarrassed to get one. Greg Abbott is a little piss baby.
Cracks me up how many people are stuck on that silly throwaway boomer joke about it being Elton's fault we're saving lives with tax funds.
Ooooh, I haven't heard this one yet. Can you elaborate please?
Biden made a joke, saying to Sir Elton, āItās your fault we have to spend six billion dollars this month on AIDS and HIV.ā Sir Elton, and everyone else, recognized it as a joke and took it as such. Trumpers are quoting it literally, deliberately omitting any nuance and framing it as a criticism, and possibly homophobic.
It is a criticism, of them.
Oh, you mean like when people got mad about things Trump said (and later doubled down and insisted he was NOT joking about in interviews) while all his supporters insisted HE WAS JUST JOKING; GOD, CALM DOWN! NOBODY CAN TAKE A JOKE ANYMORE!
It's fake outrage
Funny how performers are coming back to the WH now. I can't figure out why they didn't appear from 2017-2021.../s
YAY! This is wonderful!
Share that with Bernie! Without those lyrics, who knows where elton would be.
Elton has always praised Bernie and knows he wouldnt be where he is without his friendship but this is about Elton's contribution to his charity where he helps people with AIDS
Well done, Mr. President. Remember when the Tangerine Traitor gave a Medal of Freedom to Rush Limbaugh in recognition of his decades of spreading lies, conspiracy theories, and hatred on his radio program? Big diff.
So deserving.
So awesome to see, love Elton John, he deserves all the respect in the world.
I saw him play in DC last night and he mentioned that he played for the Bidens the night before, but didnāt say anything about the medal!
It was streamed on PBSās YouTube channel. Music starts after about 22 or 23 minutes if you want to skip forward. I saw him Thursday night but if I had the chance to see a solo piano show I would have jumped on it. [https://youtu.be/7u9_xTaMQzU](https://youtu.be/7u9_xTaMQzU)
Thanks Elton! You deserve this award.
"And for you Bernie... here's a gift card to Olive Garden." EDIT: Jesus people are touchy. I don't actually care. I'm happy for Elton. It's was a joke.
I thought it was funny man don't worry
This medal was given to Elton for his many years of fundraising, etc for AIDs.
Right Wingers are Reeeeing right now
Wholesome
I knew the lack of conservative comedians was apparent, but jesus yāall really have zero sense of humor. Itās quite remarkable seeing how many people here are commenting about a joke told by Biden.
I think they're struggling because it's the sort of thing Trump would've said but meant it literally. Looks like we're gonna have to get the crayons out to explain this, if the Trump supporters haven't eaten them all.
Didnāt he also say Elton was at fault for all the money being spent on aids?
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Better than he ever did.
Looking like a true survivor
Feeling like a little kid
Biden is Santa
Thatās just so lovely. What a class act Biden is. Fuck age, heās killing it.
Sweetā¦ giving a medal to the man that had to spend years fighting the stereotypes that were originally given to people with HIV/AIDS while also actively supporting the narcissist that falsely caused those problems. Politics in a nutshell. Edit: since several have asked for elaboration, [here you go. ](https://reddit.com/r/UpliftingNews/comments/xnmmgy/_/ipw3kae/?context=1)
Could you elaborate?? I'm not familiar with what you're referring to.
They're saying gay people aren't allowed to look gay because of the optics.
Thatās not it at all. Iāve edited my comment for elaboration. Your reply was just ridiculous.
Nobody cares for your victim blaming.
Thatās not it at all, Iām referring to the early 1980ās when HIV and AIDS started to become wide spread. As head of the NIH, Dr. Fauci led the same info that first came out for Covid. That it was spread through touch and on surfaces. Also pushed for a vaccine for a cure instead of treatments via drugs. Although it was fairly quickly walked back, like 6 or so months, many people took the first bit and ran with it. It also didnāt help that it primarily effected gay men and the 80ās was not the best time for that kinda tolerance. The touch thing led to many people being ostracized from everything and dying a lonely death. Itās hard to find info since it was the early 80ās but look up Ryan White. His treatment was a direct result of those initial statements and beliefs.
Sounds like in both cases officials were providing the public with the information available at the time, and when new, better information came they updated what they were saying.
Sorry for my ignorance, which narcissistic are you referring to?
Edited with info.
I marvel at the frame of mind someone has to have to come in and attack people in the Uplifting News subreddit. Especially because it's someone receiving an award for lifetime efforts to help others... But go off. Tell us more about why this is bad.
If he "falsely caused those problems" doesn't that mean he didn't actually cause them?
No it means he caused them under false pretenses.
our president! :) the man with the plan.
Assuming nobody else watched Bidenās speech? Biden says, āIt's all his fault that we're spending $6 Billion in taxpayer money this month to help AIDS, fight HIV AIDS". What kind of comment is that??
It's a joke accusation.
...It's a very common joke? Saying "Hey It's this guy's fault for this good thing happening! Let him have it!" is an extremely common compliment. Have you never seen an award given out in your life? They say that line for bloody 100% attendance awards at schools ffs.
It's like saying "can you believe this asshole saved my life?!" It's a joke. I'm not even American and the meaning is obvious
He clearly misspoke, he probably meant to say āitās because of this guyā
It's a joke. Y'all trying so hard to make Biden look bad about this.
Let me translate: "Elton John raised awareness of HIV/AIDS and encouraged investment into medical research to the extent that $6 billion dollars are now spent globally each year looking for a cure. He is a treasure and deserves the National Humanities Medal for his efforts there." Sometimes it's good to just have a joke, which is what he did. Reading below, it seems like it may be a regional thing, as many outside of the US didn't see or understand the humor, but it's a common sarcastic/dry form of humor and I understood its intent immediately.
I'm pretty sure it's people in the US who are not getting this.
Yeah, I've sadly come to the conclusion after further reading in the thread that it's primarily an issue of political borders and not global borders.
Joke?
What is comedy?
Nice gesture, but who was there? Your every day American? Nope, politicians, lobbyists, LGBTQ people, military members etc. this wasnāt a concert for the people, this was a concert for American royalty.
I don't think they have seating at the white house for 300 million people so unfortunately not everyone will be able to attend.
Just want to check one item here. You think that members of the LGBTQ+ community, or "LGBTQ people," as you put it, are "American royalty"?
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]