Elvis!

[cangetmad]

Elvis: cultural thief and racist, or "I'd like to teach the world to sing" touchy-feely breaker-down of barriers?

Compare and contrast.

Oh, c'mon. At least it isn't "Elvis, dead or alive?"

Comments

[andypop]

Elvis isn't dead, you heathen.

It's funny, I never 'got' Elvis till quite recently. Little Richard is THE King, though, of course.

We've got an Elvis CD on rotation at work - his early stuff, 'That's Alright Mama', 'Mystery Train', etc. We've had all sorts over the time I've worked there - Frank Sinatra, old soul, weird Xmas albums, classical music, jazz, & so on. The funny thing is, I've now heard this Elvis album dozens of times & it's the one CD (including ones of my own I've brought in to play) that hasn't bugged the shit out of me after a couple of days.

[cangetmad]

Oh, he was great (or should I say, is great? I do think he's dead, though. Like the original Paul McCartney). But this anniversary thing is interesting- it's an anti-controversial kitsch-fest, when he really is a bit more than that, whether it's the "evil appropriator of and profiteer from black music" or "greatest singer ever". I'm up for a bit of both.

Also, I loved this thing lm posted about Elvis as a pagan deity.

[andypop]

McCartney: clone or impostor?

"evil appropriator of and profiteer from black music" or "greatest singer ever". I'm up for a bit of both

Absolutely.

I also loved that pagan deity thing. The evidence is pretty compelling. The supposed Jesus parallels, in fact, just mirror the things the christians nicked from paganism (resurrection, etc).