Josie Andrews Core Reading Response 3

Josie Andrews

Core Reading Response 3

March 6, 2018

In Elvis Culture, Erika Doss explores how and why Elvis is an American icon in contemporary culture long after his death.  Why do millions of people make, collect, and gaze upon Elvis’s image, almost religiously, and almost 20,000 people “impersonate” him as “Elvii.”

Doss interviewed hundreds of Elvis fans and sifted through thousands of narrative and images, as wells social media, films, songs,  fan clubs, narratives, and even engaged in a candle light vigil at Graceland (the second most visited American residence after the White House). Her research evinced that Elvis’s  fans play a central role in “preserving and controlling Elvis’s history” and “revising and redeeming his historical memory.”

In the Reading, she discusses how Elvis’s multivalent image was carefully constructed and controlled from the start, particularly by his manager. His enduring popularity is attributed directly to the versatility of his image. As such, fans give meaning to Elvis’s “multivalent image” by picking and choosing images of Elvis and reading whatever they want into it.  In this way, fans can reconstruct Elvis into their own daily lives to help them find public legitimacy and meaning in a society that often ignores aspects of their own identity.  It can create a sense of belonging, while allowing individuality in belief.

In the pictures below, I try to show visually (something Doss thinks is very important), a few of the dominant  Elvis constructions that have been made of this American icon. Religious fans can create shrines or create an image of Elvis’s deep faith,  both male and female fans can see him as the object of their sexual fantasy, good ‘ole white boys can see him as reasserting their Western white masculinity and dominance, blacks can claim him for style and his undetermined background, the working class can see him as someone achieving the American Dream … the images created are endless.

 Because this “initial” image allowed for different meanings, posthumous  attempts by Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.  to control Elvis’s image often fail. Instead, in Doss’s words, returning to that original image they gave meaning to, fans believe they can see through this corporate star-making machinery to the “real” Elvis.  And, by creating these images or shrines of “the King,” they can keep his memory alive as they have chosen to socially construct it.

While I agree that his 50 million fans have created meaning at least partly from his images, I am a bit troubled that Doss largely ignores the importance of Elvis’s songs and voice in Elvis’s American legend. I love his music, have visited Graceland, and while not a fan club member, it is his voice and songs that I think of when I say he is a legend. As such, I do not think you can ignore how this long gone legend continues to speak directly to us through his irresistible and smooth, polite Southern voice that covered tenor, baritone and an occasional bass.

     

Heart Throb Elvis                                        Elvis Pelvis

                

Rebel Elvis                                             B-Movie Elvis
                

Religious Elvis                                  “Los Vega” (Big) Superstar

                   

“Black” Elvis                                    G.I. Elvis

         

 

“Good Dad” Elvis                              Generous Elvis

   

Cowboy Elvis                              And, of course, White Trash Elvis

This last image brings me to the second Reading, G. Sweeney’s  “The King of White Trash Culture: Elvis Presley and the Aesthetics of Excess.” I thought the quote from Film director John Waters that “White Trash” is the “last racist thing you can say and get away with” interesting and actually went back to see the date of the article. Trump and social media somehow missed this message of respect. But, in thinking about this quote, I think the reason it is okay to say this “racist” statement is because it actually reinforces the dominant white superiority culture of mainstream American.

In another class, we discussed how by putting the word “white” in front of trash, we imply that this is the “exception,” not the rule for white people to be seen as poor, lazy, flashy, inappropriate and even garish.  I also thought that the use of “white” trash shows that we don’t simply want to climb up the social ladder in America, we need to step on some people while doing it to really feel good about ourselves. Gore Vidal once said, “It is not enough merely to win; others must lose.”

In thinking about the construction of star image for “white trash” celebrities, I personally do not see Bill Clinton (who I have met on several occasions), Elvis Presley or Dolly Parton as white trash (Roseanne Barr, if I was going to stereotype, I might actually find her behavior a bit off-putting in real life).  While SNL (and others) might like to ridicule their taste in clothing, food, cars and houses as a bit off from mainstream culture, I actually find it part of their personalities and charming.  And, while Bill Clinton’s affairs were less than desirable, they certainly are not a defining character of social class, as we have seen with the Weinstein and Trump fallout. 

More importantly, I think Elvis, Dolly and Bill seem to be more genuine and nice than so many other “elite” or upper-class people I have met. As such, I would rather spend time with them than anyone else. Obviously, a lot of other people agree, or they would not be as popular as they are.