NationStates Jolt Archive

I would be very interested to know your views on Elvis Presley. Do you think he was culturally significant? Just a singer, nothing special. As we are able to be global here, I would appreciate your opinions. Thanks.

"You're either an Elvis man or a Beatles man. You can like neither but you can't like both."

-Mia Wallace

(cut out from Pulp Fiction but on the DVD)

a worms-eye view perhaps?

Culturally signifigant, but I dislike elvis a great deal. He's probably the greatest example of 'crackerization,' the appropriation of another culture in an attempt to make it look as if crackers came up with it all on their own. A friend came up with that word and has a better definition, but you get the idea.

Of course, there is another made up word that applies here. Rueben. It's treating common knowledge like privilaged information. It comes from Pee Wee Herman's real name, which people tend to still regard as something no one else knows. The notion that Elvis was a white guy who could sell 'colored' music to white kids is a Rueben. Elvis himself made a bit about it as much as he could later in his career. But as a symbol of crackerization, he still bugs me.

I love Elvis. Always have done and always will. Not only was he gorgeous but he was just the best singer ever. I don't think it is possible to over-estimate the impact Elvis had on people from all different walks of life. He managed to appeal to the old and young alike. I'm only in my 20's and I still think he's brilliant today. Not keen on having his music messed about with re-mixes though.

Not keen on having his music messed about with re-mixes though.

Ever heard Alec Empire vs. Elvis Presley?

Culturally signifigant, but I dislike elvis a great deal. He's probably the greatest example of 'crackerization,' the appropriation of another culture in an attempt to make it look as if crackers came up with it all on their own. A friend came up with that word and has a better definition, but you get the idea.

Of course, there is another made up word that applies here. Rueben. It's treating common knowledge like privilaged information. It comes from Pee Wee Herman's real name, which people tend to still regard as something no one else knows. The notion that Elvis was a white guy who could sell 'colored' music to white kids is a Rueben. Elvis himself made a bit about it as much as he could later in his career. But as a symbol of crackerization, he still bugs me.

I don't think you can blame Elvis himself for this, his mangament to my knowledge built the "Elvis" look for him, including as you nicely put "crackerization." It's a shame, he was the first real "pop star" but never really viewed himself as such. An example is his service in the Army, and probally too his sad end. Really more tragic than anything else in my book.

Culturally signifigant, but I dislike elvis a great deal. He's probably the greatest example of 'crackerization,' the appropriation of another culture in an attempt to make it look as if crackers came up with it all on their own. A friend came up with that word and has a better definition, but you get the idea.

Of course, there is another made up word that applies here. Rueben. It's treating common knowledge like privilaged information. It comes from Pee Wee Herman's real name, which people tend to still regard as something no one else knows. The notion that Elvis was a white guy who could sell 'colored' music to white kids is a Rueben. Elvis himself made a bit about it as much as he could later in his career. But as a symbol of crackerization, he still bugs me.

That is such crap! Elvis always said that he was massively influenced by the Blues, the music he grew up with.Blues, country, soul was all melded by Elvis into the music he produced. Elvis was raised amongst coloured people and did not differentiate between black and white. Artists like BB King and Sam Cooke acknowledge the influence their music had on Elvis' own. Don't turn this in to a black v white thing because that would be grossly unfair!

Culturally signifigant, but I dislike elvis a great deal. He's probably the greatest example of 'crackerization,' the appropriation of another culture in an attempt to make it look as if crackers came up with it all on their own. A friend came up with that word and has a better definition, but you get the idea.

Of course, there is another made up word that applies here. Rueben. It's treating common knowledge like privilaged information. It comes from Pee Wee Herman's real name, which people tend to still regard as something no one else knows. The notion that Elvis was a white guy who could sell 'colored' music to white kids is a Rueben. Elvis himself made a bit about it as much as he could later in his career. But as a symbol of crackerization, he still bugs me.

I don't think you can blame Elvis himself for this, his mangament to my knowledge built the "Elvis" look for him, including as you nicely put "crackerization." It's a shame, he was the first real "pop star" but never really viewed himself as such. An example is his service in the Army, and probally too his sad end. Really more tragic than anything else in my book.
As a symbol though...cause I never met the man...

Something that occured to me a while ago-whether or not you believe that elvis died on a toilet in the seventies or not, there has to be a moment that people have to accept that one way or another, elvis is dead. That strikes me as signifagent for some reason.

Yes, I agree that Elvis is dead. A tragedy as I believe he had so much more to give. We shall never know. Just because he is dead, does that mean we shouldn't talk about him any more? That doesn't make much sense does it?

That is such crap! Elvis always said that he was massively influenced by the Blues, the music he grew up with.Blues, country, soul was all melded by Elvis into the music he produced. Elvis was raised amongst coloured people and did not differentiate between black and white. Artists like BB King and Sam Cooke acknowledge the influence their music had on Elvis' own. Don't turn this in to a black v white thing because that would be grossly unfair!
Well, no it isn't. He was packaged as the white guy who could sell 'colored' music to white kids. I did add the poorly worded caveat that later in his career he did give credit to the music he appropriated, but the fact remains that his was a career built on appropriation. If it was his fault or intention is irrelevant to the effect. And since that appropriation effect lasted long enough for MTV to not carry black artists in its formative years, I'd say it's pretty signifigant. Regardless of Elvis as a person, elvis as a cultural phenomenom stands as a symbol of crackerization.

Yes, I agree that Elvis is dead. A tragedy as I believe he had so much more to give. We shall never know. Just because he is dead, does that mean we shouldn't talk about him any more? That doesn't make much sense does it?
I never suggested that the realization should somehow silence all talk of Elvis. That elvis is alive, however, has been a cultural phenomenom since his death, but it's not a phenomenom that can go on for ever. It has an abmiguios time limit, I find that interesting. That's all I was saying.

But maybe this taps into another thing I dislike about elvis, his fans are so damn touchy.

Elvis made a massive impact at the time, and his contribution to the world of music should never be underestimated.

However, having said this, he's dead. Get over it. Same thing as Kurt Cobain. Great musicians, had a big impact on the world, but time to move on I think people.

Elvis is overrated.

Not keen on having his music messed about with re-mixes though.

Ever heard Alec Empire vs. Elvis Presley?

All his remixes are good. You should listen to what he did with Björk songs.

He was nothing special.

Elvis fans can be a touchy bunch. I happen to think Elvis was brilliant. Hehad an exceptional talent. All this talk that he stole the black mans music is utter crap! He combined different types of music.

Elvis was one of the most cultural significant people of the 20th Century. As important in his time as Mozart or Beethoven.

Unfortunately, Elvis did not have a very dignified end. In the last year of his life, Elvis looked terrible. He was overweight and very ill but he just wouldn't stop. Everyone knows about Elvis' dependancy on prescription drugs and the fact that he died in his bathroom when he fell off the toilet. But these things do not detract from the fact that he gave millions of people pleasure with his music and even his films.

Elvis is an enduring icon and there does not appear to be any let up in his popularity. His home in Memphis is visited by more than 600,000 people every year. A fine testament to the memory of this wonderful man. May he rest in peace. Elvis A Presley 1935 - 1977

i thought he was over rated when he was alive

i thought he was overrated when he first topped the charts
(yes i was alive and sentient and in gradeschool)

i thought he was totaly rediculous when he was making his comeback on the vagus has been circuit

i don't believe he was the first white popstar to do what had previously been 'black' music
though i don't know who the others might have been off hand

i certainly do not believe he invented rock and roll

he was a manufactured plastic product of 'marketting''genius'

i don't mean to knock like that he was the worst of anything either

yes he could sing
and yes he could put on a show

and many of the people who really did chainge the music scene were,
or claimed to have been, inspired by him, but in and of himself,
i just don't really see him as having been that big of a deal

=^^=
.../\...

*sings*

I was floating through the cemetery late last night,
When I saw a ghost who was out of sight.
He said 'Down in the graveyard there's a party going on,
So get down, get down, six feet and sing a spiritual song.
Everyone's invited, we would be delighted,
If you'd grab your favorite corpse and come along.'

You don't move your arms and you don't move your legs,
You just do the do the dead Elvis.
You don't grind your pelvis,
It's the dance of the dead,
C'mon and do the do the dead Elvis.

You're old hound dog's sniffing at your tomb,
Trying to find a bone that ain't been consumed.
You can't jailhouse rock in your blue suede shoes,
When you do do do the dead Elvis.

I'll bet you're lonesome tonight in your hole in the ground,
Old Shep's so shook up that he pissed on your crown.
No one's crying in the chapel, get wise, get hip,
There's some pretty heavy shit going down- YOU'RE IT!
Priscilla was delighted, all Dallas was invited,
To poke fun at your corpse and kick your dog.

You don't move your arms and you don't move your legs,
You just do the do the dead Elvis.
It was a terrible day when you had your cardiac arrest,
They tried to find your heart but couldn't cut through the flesh.
You can't Viva Las Vegas when there's no viva left,
C'mon and do do do the dead Elvis.

Thangyaverahmuch.

i know someone who is convinced she was Elvis in a past life

the fact that he died in his bathroom when he fell off the toilet.

LOL :lol: He did? :lol: I didn't knew that. Now I finally understand that Elvis scene in Eminems clip. :lol:

Thanks to Elvis the world is blessed with dirty dancing! If it weren't for his pulsating pelvis, we would still be doing the twist. I saw Gracelands on the TV once, it looks amazing! Though slightly colour clashing. You can actually visit the bog in which he lost his life.

The bathroom where Elvis died is upstairs at Graceland and is off limits to the public. There are no plans to open the upper part of Graceland either as the house would have to be remodelled to accomodate fire regulations and such.

Graceland is a wonderful place. I have been there twice and will be going again as soon as I can afford to. Memphis is great too!

At least Elvis died at home instead of on the road on some faceless hotel. He was very ill and shouldn't have been touring at all. If he had gone into hospital and got sorted out he might still be alive.

The bathroom where Elvis died is upstairs at Graceland and is off limits to the public. There are no plans to open the upper part of Graceland either as the house would have to be remodelled to accomodate fire regulations and such.

Graceland is a wonderful place. I have been there twice and will be going again as soon as I can afford to. Memphis is great too!

At least Elvis died at home instead of on the road on some faceless hotel. He was very ill and shouldn't have been touring at all. If he had gone into hospital and got sorted out he might still be alive.

No...I'm afraid Elvis wouldn't have lived much longer no matter what medical care he sought.

His habits had the same effect of a shotgun wound to the chest, if somewhat slower acting.

I like Elvis. Yes, he made some crap films but he also made some good ones too! King Creole is an excellent film in it's own right. Jailhouse rock was the first music video before it had even been invented.

Yes, Elvis did go off the rails a bit at the end but just watching him in That's The Way It Is confirms everything I thought about him. What a dynamic performer! The stage is alive when he's on it. I saw that film when I was kid and I have been a fan ever since. I don't go to conventions or watch impersonators or anything like that. I'm not some kind of nut. I just like Elvis. I like a lot of other music too but Elvis will always be very special.

Simply put... Elvis is a legend. No one has come even close to him with their music, good looks or charisma.

There'll only ever be one Elvis, and people will talk about him and remember him for years to come.

A forum chat about Elvis. Great!

Quite simply, Elvis was the best. A legend. An icon. A wonderful, fabulous entertainer and it is to my eternal regret that I never got to see him perform.

Elvis didn't steal a damn thing from other musicians. He just added them all together. He didn't invent rock n roll but he was definitely better at it than anyone else. To call Elvis the King of Rock n Roll is to demean him. He had far greater breadth than that. He could sing anything. His voice was so powerful and so rich that he was able to rival operatic singers!

A person of Elvis' ability is a massive rarity. There will never be another like him. Even at the end of his life, when it was fair to say that he looked far from his best, his voice was still brilliant. In the last 9 years of his life, Elvis performed nearly 1,100 concerts. And he never played to an empty seat. Every single concert he performed was a complete sell out! Truly a remarkable man.

Some diverse opinions there. Thanks for that. It would appear though, that on the whole, Elvis is still very well thought of.

Very well thought of is an understatement. I love Elvis. I thought he was a wonderful man, brilliant performer and great humanitarian. And he was gorgeous! Elvis was the compete package. Totally unique. I miss him.

You only had to watch that 1968 Special to know that Elvis was an exceptional singer.

Ya'll are too kind to me. You're fantastic, thankyouverymuch.
There has been so much written about me that no one knows what's the truth and what isn't. I stopped being a human being sometime during the 60's and just became product. I did the best I could but hey, I'm only human. It had to end sometime. I'm just thankful it lasted as long as it did. Thank you and goodnight. EP

That is such crap! Elvis always said that he was massively influenced by the Blues, the music he grew up with.Blues, country, soul was all melded by Elvis into the music he produced. Elvis was raised amongst coloured people and did not differentiate between black and white. Artists like BB King and Sam Cooke acknowledge the influence their music had on Elvis' own. Don't turn this in to a black v white thing because that would be grossly unfair!
Well, no it isn't. He was packaged as the white guy who could sell 'colored' music to white kids. I did add the poorly worded caveat that later in his career he did give credit to the music he appropriated, but the fact remains that his was a career built on appropriation. If it was his fault or intention is irrelevant to the effect. And since that appropriation effect lasted long enough for MTV to not carry black artists in its formative years, I'd say it's pretty signifigant. Regardless of Elvis as a person, elvis as a cultural phenomenom stands as a symbol of crackerization.

I disagree. This was his music. Pat Boone stole black music; Elvis was real, he sang what he knew. Anything else from him would have been phony.

Elvis (and the Beatles) changed music forever.

*sings*

I was floating through the cemetery late last night,
When I saw a ghost who was out of sight.
He said 'Down in the graveyard there's a party going on,
So get down, get down, six feet and sing a spiritual song.
Everyone's invited, we would be delighted,
If you'd grab your favorite corpse and come along.'

You don't move your arms and you don't move your legs,
You just do the do the dead Elvis.
You don't grind your pelvis,
It's the dance of the dead,
C'mon and do the do the dead Elvis.

You're old hound dog's sniffing at your tomb,
Trying to find a bone that ain't been consumed.
You can't jailhouse rock in your blue suede shoes,
When you do do do the dead Elvis.

I'll bet you're lonesome tonight in your hole in the ground,
Old Shep's so shook up that he pissed on your crown.
No one's crying in the chapel, get wise, get hip,
There's some pretty heavy shit going down- YOU'RE IT!
Priscilla was delighted, all Dallas was invited,
To poke fun at your corpse and kick your dog.

You don't move your arms and you don't move your legs,
You just do the do the dead Elvis.
It was a terrible day when you had your cardiac arrest,
They tried to find your heart but couldn't cut through the flesh.
You can't Viva Las Vegas when there's no viva left,
C'mon and do do do the dead Elvis.

Thangyaverahmuch.

What a nasty person you are :!: :evil:

Elvis was a good musician, BUT...whether he did it willfully or not, he basically stole the music from black Americans. But white America was stupid at the time and found Elvis to be new and original, while blacks were making similar or often better music. Good music? Yes. Legend? No. Damn them thieving honkys!

Elvis was a good musician, BUT...whether he did it willfully or not, he basically stole the music from black Americans. But white America was stupid at the time and found Elvis to be new and original, while blacks were making similar or often better music. Good music? Yes. Legend? No. Damn them thieving honkys!

Are your pants up? Because you appear to be talking out of your arse :!: :!:

Actually, I am currently boycotting pants.

Actually, I am currently boycotting pants.

That would explain your negative comments on Elvis then.

If you're an Elvis fan, no explanation is necessary.
If you're not an Elvis fan, no explanation is possible!

he basically stole the music from black Americans... Damn them thieving honkys!

What's this 'stealing'? Can a person not hear something they like and go 'hey that sounds really good!', then build on it to create a piece - that to them - sounds even better? Someone once said, 'There are no original ideas', at least in modern times. Best to mutilate then create, waffle, waffle... :)

A forum chat about Elvis. Great!

Quite simply, Elvis was the best. A legend. An icon. A wonderful, fabulous entertainer and it is to my eternal regret that I never got to see him perform.

Elvis didn't steal a damn thing from other musicians. He just added them all together. He didn't invent rock n roll but he was definitely better at it than anyone else. To call Elvis the King of Rock n Roll is to demean him. He had far greater breadth than that. He could sing anything. His voice was so powerful and so rich that he was able to rival operatic singers!

A person of Elvis' ability is a massive rarity. There will never be another like him. Even at the end of his life, when it was fair to say that he looked far from his best, his voice was still brilliant. In the last 9 years of his life, Elvis performed nearly 1,100 concerts. And he never played to an empty seat. Every single concert he performed was a complete sell out! Truly a remarkable man.

Yes indeed. I totally agree with you :lol:

I like Elvis and am saddend at how he died. Yes I think he did have an impact on world culture.
But the thing I can't understand is all this balck music white music sh*te. Nearly all modern music stems in some way from clasical music so could if you want to get all racist and bigotted about it be based on white music. Music is music and music evolves and no one race, culture, creed or indivual can claim all or part of it. It's like saying all songs sung in English are of white origin! What a pile! Why do people insist on all this white black crap! Where do mixed race people fit in? Do they have to choose a side. Christ what a load of racist, biggots. Yeh lets keep racism alive, lets keep pigeon holing people according to skin colour.
Rant over. I feel better now.

Elvis changed the face of popular music forever. He rocked!!

Young dreams, my heart is filled with young dreams and I'm longing to share them all with you.

Young dreams, my heart is filled with young dreams and I'm longing to share them all with you.

Young dreams, my heart is filled with young dreams and I'm longing to share them all with you.

Young dreams, my heart is filled with young dreams and I'm longing to share them all with you.

Young dreams, my heart is filled with young dreams and I'm longing to share them all with you.

"You're either an Elvis man or a Beatles man. You can like neither but you can't like both."

-Mia Wallace

(cut out from Pulp Fiction but on the DVD)

Wrong. I like both.

Elvis was the greatest!