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Elvis Presley phenomenon

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Elvis impersonators.

The Elvis Presley phenomenon is the cultural and social impact of Elvis Presley during his career and following his death. There are over 500 Elvis fan clubs in the United States of America, and they exist in every state except three: North Dakota, Idaho and Wyoming. According to the American Demographics magazine, 84% of Americans say that their lives have been touched by Elvis Presley in some way, 70% have watched a movie starring Presley, 44% have danced to one of his songs, 31% have bought an Elvis record, CD or video, 10% have visited Graceland, 9% have bought Elvis memorabilia, 9% have read a book about Presley, and 5% have seen the singer in concert.[citation needed]

Fans

Music critic and Presley biographer Dave Marsh says about the singer's fans: "There are people in places that count in the world, and people in places that don't. He is the son of the people who don't count, and their shining star. That's what makes him unique and what people still respond to."[1] A collection of essays entitled The Adoring Audience: Fan Culture and Popular Media critically examines what distinguishes fans from general audiences and explores the relationship between fans and their media products. Part of this volume is the article, "Fandom and Gender" which includes an examination of female fantasies of Presley.[2] To many of his female fans, the songs Presley sang "were secondary to his personality and the way he performed them," evoking the well-known emotional responses.[3] In her autobiographical article, "Sexing Elvis" (1984), Sue Wise describes "how she came to terms with her lesbianism through a close identification with the feminine side of the King."[4]

Jeffrey Schrembs, Elvis Presley Historian - Expert - Author and Collector, speaks about Elvis Fans Worldwide: "These are the most knowledgable, loyal, collectible purchasing, and discerning Fans in the World. Not only do they continue to buy annually, hundreds of thousands of, Elvis records they buy "anything/everything" to do with Elvis such as; Mr. Potato Head, Barbie Elvis and Priscilla, Photographs, DVDs, CD's, etc". Jeff Schrembs, who has over 124,000 cataloged photographs of Elvis Presley, says that; "Even after these 30+ years after Elvis' death the demand for Elvis related items increases by 8 percent (on average) anmnually". Jeff Schrembs said personally; "Everything about Elvis was "cool" starting from his look, to the way he dressed, to his style of music, to his concert performances, to his Southern roots, to putting Gospel Music into his Concerts, to Aloha from Hawaii, to his hairstyles, and even the jewerly he wore". Everything about Elvis was "unique" and...timeless.

"Elvis's 'effect' on young girls threatened those men who assumed that young girls needed to be protected both from sex in general and from its expression in questionable characters like Elvis in particular" writes Joel Foreman.[5] However, there were not only female fantasies directed at the star. According to Reina Lewis and Peter Horne, "prints of Elvis Presley appeared to speak directly to the gay community."[6]

Commercial impact

"The recording industry... made Elvis Presley a mythical media demigod."[7] "An excessive enterprise, empire and entity, Elvis appears on memorabilia and merchandise, in roadside relics and Graceland's gift shops; at fast food chains, in front yard flea markets and backyard shrines; World-Wide Web sites in cyberspace and sporting events; at parties and parades or as part of promotions, protests and pranks."[8] On August 16, thousands of die-hard Elvis fans travel to Graceland every year in order to celebrate the anniversary of Presley's death.[9] The ritualization of the Elvis cult is also manifested most prominently through the many live performances by Elvis impersonators.[10] According to Marjorie Garber, "The phenomenon of 'Elvis impersonators,' which began long before the singer's death, is one of the most startling effects of the Elvis cult."[11]

Cooking with Elvis, Gaia Teatro

What is more, David S. Wall has shown that many authors who are writing books and articles on Presley are part of a "worldwide Elvis industry" which has a tendency towards supporting primarily a favorable view of the star. The content of the majority of these publications can be characterized as based on gossip about gossip, only occasionally providing some new surprising details. There are not many critical, unfavorable publications on Elvis's life. An example is Albert Goldman's controversial biography, Elvis (1981), in which the author unfavorably discusses the star's weight problems, his performing costumes and his sex life. Such books are frequently disparaged and harshly attacked by Elvis fan groups. Professor Wall has pointed out that one of the strategies of the various fan clubs and appreciation societies to which the bulk of Elvis fans belong is " 'community policing' to achieve governance at a distance... These organisations have, through their membership magazines, activities and sales operations, created a powerful moral majority" endeavoring to suppress most critical voices. "With a combined membership of millions, the fans form a formidable constituency of consumer power."[12]

According to David Lowenthal, "Everything from Disneyland to the Holocaust Museum, ... from Elvis memorabilia to the Elgin Marbles bears the marks of the cult of heritage."[13] "When it's an exhibition of Elvis memorabilia," even Marilyn Houlberg, professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, "puts on the campy art-world hat and becomes a priestess of the Elvis cult."[14] Paul A. Cantor goes as far as to call the American Presley cult "a postmodern simulacrum of the German Hitler cult."[15] Some fan groups even refuse to accept the fact of the star's death in 1977 (see the "Elvis lives?" section of this article).

In his book Elvis after Elvis: The Posthumous Career of a Living Legend (1996), Gilbert Rodman traces in detail Presley's manifestations in contemporary popular and not-so-popular culture. He draws upon the many Elvis "sightings," from Elvis's appearances at the heart of the 1992 presidential campaign to the debate over his worthiness as a subject for a postage stamp, and from Elvis's central role in furious debates about racism and the appropriation of African-American music to the world of Elvis impersonators and the importance of Graceland as a place of pilgrimage for fans and followers. The author further points out that Presley has become inseparable from many of the defining myths of US culture, enmeshed with the American Dream and the very idea of the "United States," caught up in debates about race, gender, and sexuality, and in the wars over what constitutes a national culture.

Official bilingual street sign in Ottawa, Canada for Elvis Lives Lane


Is Elvis alive?

A considerable number of people believe that Presley did not die in 1977, but went into hiding for various reasons and remains alive to this day. Over the years there have been frequent reports of people who claim to have encountered him, and even to have come to know him well, in a range of new identities.[citation needed] These reports have helped to fuel speculation within the mass media, both serious and within comic situations. One such example of use within a comedy situation was in the BBC television show called Give My Head Peace. A Christmas special entitled "The King and I"[16] featured a plot line of Presley saving one of the characters (Andy) from a very dangerous situation. When he recounts the events, nobody believes him until the end of the show where Presley himself (played by impersonator Martin Fox[17]) pops around to check if Andy is okay.

If Presley were still alive in April 2011 he would be 76, not an impossible age. It remains to be seen what kind of urban legends regarding his "later years" will develop in the next few decades.

Presley and faith

In a later essay, Neal and Janice Gregory critically discuss the media attention on the subsequent Elvis religion as a means to discredit his fans.[18] Indeed, after his death, Presley had been seen by fans as "Other Jesus" or "Saint Elvis".[19] "I don't think he will ever die down," Dolly Parton says. "He's considered by many to be like a religious figure, like Jesus. ... I don't know how to explain it, but it's there, and it's real, and people love it."[20]

The first serious attempt to examine the Elvis phenomenon in religious terms was made over 15 years ago by Dr. Ted Harrison, a former BBC Religious Affairs correspondent in his book The Elvis People. He saw parallels between visits to Graceland and pilgrimage to Christian holy sites. He looked at the trading of relics and the offering of prayers to Elvis and the iconography, especially that involving Elvis and Jesus.

In his book Elvis Religion: The Cult of the King (2006), Gregory L. Reece describes the presence of Presley in books, songs, art, movies and on the Internet. The author sets out to appraise the religious significance of the star for popular culture. For instance, Paul Simon's 1986 song "Graceland" presents Graceland as a holy place. Movies like "Finding Graceland" and "Mystery Train" have Presley as the central character, bearing spiritual messages. In Portland, Oregon, a woman opened the so-called 24 Hour Church of Elvis. There, visitors could slip a quarter into a machine, — The Mystery of the Spinning Elvis — to supposedly contact the spirit of Presley. Some Internet sites even invite people to post accounts of their spiritual encounters with the singer. Several artists use Presley as a recurring theme because he is such an icon of pop culture. The Naked Art Studio in Birmingham had a showing of Elvis art. A mosaic entitled "The Last Supper (Elvis)," shows Presley enjoying a turkey leg at a table littered with pill bottles — allusions to Presley's religion and drug abuse. However, "Elvis stands for violence, uncertainty and loss," says Reece. "Elvis is the apocalyptic messenger. One doesn't seek him out for spiritual advice, but shudders at his presence." The author concludes that Presley is the sort of god the public wants today. Elvis was overweight, he dressed out of date and he took too many prescription drugs, just like us.

Elvis in the 21st century

Interest in Presley's recordings returned during the buildup to the FIFA World Cup 2002, when Nike used a Junkie XL remixed version of his "A Little Less Conversation" (credited as "Elvis Vs JXL") as the background music to a series of TV commercials featuring international soccer stars. The remix hit number one in over 20 countries, including the United Kingdom and Australia.[21] At about the same time, a compilation of Presley's US and UK Number 1 hits, Elv1s: 30, was being prepared for release. "A Little Less Conversation" (remix version) was quickly added as the album's 31st track just before release in October 2002. Further stimulating popularity for the remixed "new" Elvis song, was the inclusion of Conversation into the opening credits of the NBC series Las Vegas; due to the large expense of such a song, however, home DVD sets of the TV show feature Conversation in the Pilot episode only. Nearly 50 years after Presley made his first hit record and 25 years after his death, the compilation reached number one on the charts in the US, the UK, Australia and many other countries. A re-release from it, "Burning Love" (not a remix), also made the Australian top 40 later in the year.

Presley's renewed fame continued with another remix in 2003 (this time by Paul Oakenfold) of "Rubberneckin'", which made the top three in Australia and top five in the UK. This was followed by another album called 2nd to None, a collection of his hits, including the "Rubberneckin'" remix, that just failed to reach number one.

To commemorate the 50th anniversary in mid-2004 of Presley's first professional recording, "That's All Right", it was re-released, and made the charts around the world, including top three in the UK and top 40 in Australia.[citation needed]

In early 2005 in the United Kingdom, RCA began to re-issue Presley's 18 UK number-one singles as CD-singles in the order they were originally released, one of them a week. The first of these re-issues, "All Shook Up", was ineligible to chart due to its being sold together with a collector's box which holds all 18 singles in it (it actually sold enough to be number two). The second, "Jailhouse Rock", was the number one in the first chart of 2005, and "One Night"/"I Got Stung", the third in the series, replaced it on the January 16 chart (and thus becoming the 1000th UK number one entry).

All of these have reached top five in the official charts.[22] These re-releases have made Presley the only artist so far to spend at least 100 weeks in the British top 40. On December 9, 2005, the Book of British Hit Singles & Albums unveiled its annual list of the Top 100 Most Successful Acts of all time, based on the total number of weeks each recording artist has spent on the official UK Singles and Albums charts. Elvis Presley ranked first, with Cliff Richard, Queen, the Beatles and Madonna rounding out the top five.

Shortly after taking over the management of all things Elvis from the Elvis Presley Estate (EPE)[1](which retained a 15% stake in the new company, while keeping Graceland and the bulk of the possessions found therein), Robert Sillerman's CKX company produced a DVD and CD featuring Presley (titled "Elvis by the Presleys"), as well as an accompanying two-hour documentary broadcast on Viacom's CBS Network, which alone generated $5.5 million.

In a list of the greatest English language singers of the 20th century, as compiled by BBC Radio, Presley was ranked second, behind Frank Sinatra.[23]

In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked him #3 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.[24]

In mid October 2005, Variety named the top 100 entertainment icons of the 20th century, with Presley landing in the top ten.[citation needed] That same months Forbes magazine named Presley, for the fifth straight year, the top-earning dead celebrity, grossing US$45 million for the Presley estate during the period from October 2004 to October 2005. Forbes pointed out that CKX spent $100 million in cash, and stock, for an 85% interest in Presley's income stream in February 2005.[citation needed]

In mid 2006, Forbes updated its list, with Presley ranking second behind Kurt Cobain.[citation needed]

In November 2006, Atlantic Magazine asked 10 prominent historians to name the 100 most influential Americans, with Presley (who ranked # 66), along with Louis Armstrong (79), being the only two musicians on the list.[citation needed]

In December 2006 EPE announced a strategy to bring Elvis and his music to a younger demographic in 2007. In addition, in 2010 Cirque du Soleil will open a residency show in Las Vegas based on Elvis' music and life, Viva ELVIS.

In September 2010 Anonymous created an online quiz called "Which Elvis are You?"[25] that garnered incredible exposure and was featured in several online websites and publications.

During the two months in August – October 2010 when 33 miners were trapped in a Chilean mineshaft, one of the miners, Edison Peña, entertained the other miners by singing Elvis Presley songs to them. Edison, an Elvis fan, was invited to visit Graceland upon his being freed from the mine, which occurred in the early morning hours of October 13, 2010.[26]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ "How Big Was The King? Elvis Presley's Legacy, 25 Years After His Death." CBS News, August 7, 2002.
  2. ^ See Lisa A. Lewis, The Adoring Audience: Fann Culture and Popular Media (1992).
  3. ^ Roger D. Blackwell, Tina and Kristina Stephan, Brands That Rock: What Business Leaders Can Learn from the World of Rock and Roll (2003), p.33.
  4. ^ Quoted in Kate McGowan, Year's Work in Critical and Cultural Theory Volume 5 (2002), p.199.
  5. ^ Joel Foreman, The Other Fifties: Interrogating Midcentury American Icons (University of Illinois Press, 1996), p.136.
  6. ^ Reina Lewis and Peter Horne (eds.), Outlooks: Lesbian and Gay Sexualities and Visual Cultures (Routledge, 1996), p.20.
  7. ^ Donald Theall, Virtual Marshall McLuhan (2001), p.129. See also Sylvere Lotringer and Sande Cohen (eds.), French Theory in America (2001), p.114.
  8. ^ George Plasketes, Images of Elvis Presley in American Culture, 1977–1997: The Mystery Terrain, pp. 3–4.
  9. ^ Cameron Tuttle, The Bad Girls' Guide to Open Road (1999), p.192.
  10. ^ See Annalee Newitz, White Trash: Race and Class in America (1996), p.262.
  11. ^ Marjorie B. Garber, Vested Interests: Cross-Dressing and Cultural Anxiety (1997), p.369.
  12. ^ David S. Wall, "Policing Elvis: legal action and the shaping of postmortem celebrity culture as contested space", Entertainment Law, vol. 2, no. 3, 2004, 52–53.
  13. ^ David Lowenthal, The Heritage Crusade and the Spoils of History (Cambridge University Press, 1998).
  14. ^ James Elkins, On the Strange Place of Religion in Contemporary Art (2004), p.53.
  15. ^ Paul A. Cantor, "Adolf, We Hardly Knew You." In New Essays on White Noise. Edited by Frank Lentricchia (Cambridge University Press, 1991), p.53.
  16. ^ The King and I (Give My Head Peace, Episode 5). BBC Television, broadcast 26th December 2003. Retrieved on 2010-12-10.
  17. ^ Elvis Impersonator Martin Fox. Retrieved on 2010-12-10
  18. ^ See Neal and Janice Gregory, "When Elvis Died: Enshrining a Legend," in Vernon Chadwick, ed., In Search of Elvis: Music, Race, Art, Religion (1997).
  19. ^ See Mark Gottdiener, "Dead Elvis as Other Jesus", in Chadwick, In Search of Elvis: Music, Race, Art, Religion, and "Saint Elvis" in Elvis Culture, by Erika Doss (University of Kansas Press, 1999).
  20. ^ "How Big Was The King? Elvis Presley's Legacy, 25 Years After His Death." CBS News, August 7, 2002.
  21. ^ It was also his first top 10 hit in the UK for nearly 22 years, and his first number one there for nearly 25 years. It topped Billboard's Hot Singles Sales chart (physical singles – legal downloads were not around at the time) but only reached #50 on the Hot 100.
  22. ^ Three number ones, eight number twos, four number threes, one number four, and one number five.
  23. ^ "Sinatra is voice of the century" BBC NEWS, April 18, 2001, retrieved October 22, 2006
  24. ^ "The Immortals: The First Fifty". Rolling Stone Issue 946. Rolling Stone.
  25. ^ "Which Elvis are you?" Reddit, September 05, 2010, retrieved September 07, 2010/
  26. ^ "Chilean mine rescue freeing trapped men one by one". BBC News. 13 October 2010.
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