Elvis Week and the nationwide perception

[vivaelvis]

USA Today http://travel.usatoday.com/destinati...death/824668/1 ran a small article basically covering everything but Elvis. I am actually seeing more of this type of news coverage around the country. They focus on the "old ladies" wearing their Elvis T-shirts instead of the largely growing youthful crowd. They will sometimes interview little children who know nothing about him instead of interviewing the teenagers who do.And they never interview the small black fanbase as if to say it's just for whites only. But, EPE has brought this all on themselves for the way they have marketed and handled the legacy of Elvis, the greatest most important figure of pop culture history. Colonel Parker would be so proud of the image established 35 years later.

IMO, Elvis Week should be more about honor and respect and bringing ALL musical genres together for an Elvis Music festival in Memphis where it reaches a much larger audience and doesn't single out just those crazy die hard fans and freaks who are Elvis wannabes. It should NOT be about impersonators and fat guys dressed like Elvis. If anything that only makes Elvis look like a cartoon character than anything EPE has put out on the man. But money makes the world go round and EPE has always been money hungry. They just don't like to spend it to make even more.

A quote from the above USA Today article that says it all.

"his former Memphis home-turned-tourist-mecca) and, well, kooky (a new "Aloha from Hawaii" Mr. Potato Head, which joins a "'68 Special" Mr. Potato Head and an "Elvis Live" Mr. Potato Head, already available for about $20 each.)"

[KPM]

Viva once again you start a thread that really is nothing more than a forum for you to vent about your idea that EPE is EVIL incarnate....has never done anything which you approve of and is always open to criticism by you for their every breath!
You, I, or they...... can not control the press, and no matter how you might like to "exclude certain fans" from loving and appreciating Elvis....it can not be done. You seem to always want to somehow magically get rid of the older fans and the die hard fans who love Elvis as much as anyone. If they like to collect everything Elvis-(including potato heads0 that is their right in America-and that does not make them "crazy or freaks" my goodness what names to use concerning other fans.
Extremes on any subject (not just Elvis) are what draws attention-politics, religion, philosophy, scientific theory, ENTERTAINMENT, etc.....
You never hear about the center of a political party-you hear of the extreme right or the radical left.....its the nature of mankind that things which are most. That extreme fringe is what is covered by the press-always has been always will be
You market any product based on demographics that are known as the base buyer for that product. Marketing by Sony, by Turner, and EPE is done based on those demographic facts-facts do not lie.
So naturally since you admit-their is a small black fan base the bulk of the marketing is not for them-I will emphasis SMALL as the operative word in your statement.
You can not dictate who is a fan, who is going to be covered by the press, and what angle their stories will take.
Sure I do not like how the press covers many subjects-but that is the nature of the press.

[Snake Eyes]

I agree with KPM. The media will always manipulate a story to fit their version of a "truth". It is also the main reason I no longer watch the mainstream news channels in the UK, so much blatant propoganda it's sickening!

While you are entitled to your opinion, it's also fairly harsh. Everyone with a brain knows that Elvis has fans from all corners of the globe, all different ages, shapes and race. I'm completely normal as I'm sure everyone on this board is too, if Heinekin made fans, it'd be Elvis fans.

[kathy parkinson]

I'm 60, been a fan forever, love his music,and i'm not going anywhere,that's all.

[buttonhead]

Alas, I dont care with media...they can be deceiving and manipulative,..and whos on earth Mr Potato Head ? ... If you want to know the real experience of Elvis Week...go to one,..believe me you will have a BLAST !!! you will meet the young generations of Elvis fan, But those whose a little older are nice too, To me Elvis fans are the nicest people you will come across with .. and oh .. I am planning to go back there with my girlfriend, we just need to find time on which Elvis week we are going.

[Tommy]

Alas, I dont care with media...they can be deceiving and manipulative,..and whos on earth Mr Potato Head ? ... If you want to know the real experience of Elvis Week...go to one,..believe me you will have a BLAST !!! you will meet the young generations of Elvis fan, But those whose a little older are nice too, To me Elvis fans are the nicest people you will come across with .. and oh .. I am planning to go back there with my girlfriend, we just need to find time on which Elvis week we are going.

[vivaelvis]

Viva once again you start a thread that really is nothing more than a forum for you to vent about your idea that EPE is EVIL incarnate....has never done anything which you approve of and is always open to criticism by you for their every breath!
You, I, or they...... can not control the press, and no matter how you might like to "exclude certain fans" from loving and appreciating Elvis....it can not be done. You seem to always want to somehow magically get rid of the older fans and the die hard fans who love Elvis as much as anyone. If they like to collect everything Elvis-(including potato heads0 that is their right in America-and that does not make them "crazy or freaks" my goodness what names to use concerning other fans.
Extremes on any subject (not just Elvis) are what draws attention-politics, religion, philosophy, scientific theory, ENTERTAINMENT, etc.....
You never hear about the center of a political party-you hear of the extreme right or the radical left.....its the nature of mankind that things which are most. That extreme fringe is what is covered by the press-always has been always will be
You market any product based on demographics that are known as the base buyer for that product. Marketing by Sony, by Turner, and EPE is done based on those demographic facts-facts do not lie.
So naturally since you admit-their is a small black fan base the bulk of the marketing is not for them-I will emphasis SMALL as the operative word in your statement.
You can not dictate who is a fan, who is going to be covered by the press, and what angle their stories will take.
Sure I do not like how the press covers many subjects-but that is the nature of the press.

I'm not calling EPE evil. I'm calling them what they are, cheap and money hungry. Btw, no coverage of the candlelight vigil on Memphis news tonight but a story about the Elvis oreo. http://wreg.com/2012/08/15/have-you-...he-elvis-oreo/

Yep, EPE is keeping his memory alive. Too bad you and others can't seem to understand what IS wrong with that picture.

[Turbo]

Yep, EPE is keeping his memory alive. Too bad you and others can't seem to understand what IS wrong with that picture.

This is normal, trying to appeal to the majority.

That doesn't make it right at all, though.

[debtdbruno]

it comes back to the same theme........EPE only have so much at their disposal......they don't own the music..........they're left with his name and image

[KPM]

I'm not calling EPE evil. I'm calling them what they are, cheap and money hungry. Btw, no coverage of the candlelight vigil on Memphis news tonight but a story about the Elvis oreo. http://wreg.com/2012/08/15/have-you-...he-elvis-oreo/

Yep, EPE is keeping his memory alive. Too bad you and others can't seem to understand what IS wrong with that picture.

Of course that is "YOUR opinion" of the situation, and I might add again, they did not own the music nor the films-they did not even get artist royaltees for 90% of the Elvis catalogue-artist royaltees are the mainstay of any singers financial career. They would have provided hundreds of millions over the last 35 years of sales, reissues, box sets, Time Life sets etc......that would have kept the options for "trinket sales" to a higher standard. You refuse to see this point-which is central to why things are as they are. It was Elvis's will, not constructed by Priscilla, Lisa or EPE.
Instead you would rather play the blame game for some reason.
By your way of thinking You would prefer that Graceland closed in 1982 and was sold at auction- in order that "trinkets and ticket sales would never be done" ....sell his house, his property and get a finite amount-in the guise of saving the memory of Elvis????
You somehow would have seen some mysterious option that alluded everyone else and been able to save the estate, get back the artist royaltee rights, buy up all the films from many different companies and do it all without some compromise in how it would be done??
Too bad "YOU do not see the light" in regard to what the will stated, what were the options at the time, the probate judges considerable investigation and recommendations for action-to grow the estate for Lisa.......its a shame you do not seem to have the capacity to understand that situation fully and without somehow placing blame on Lisa, Priscilla and EPE for how things have had to be accomplished.
You obviously it seems (to myself and others) have some personal grudge about EPE not sure why or what-but it comes through within your every post that somehow ends up with some negative tone toward them.
You complain, you criticise anything that EPE does-without a moments hesitation.
If something good is announced, your credit is given to Apollo, or before them Sillerman and his company, if something then ends up not happening-it is EPE that you leave holding the bag with criticism. ( when you I and everyone knows the 85% owners are now in charge)
You brush over the fact that EPE has been "the model" for families of dead celebrities on how to protect and grow their estates for those families......if they felt that EPE was not respectful of Elvis's memory they would not seek their advice because people like Ricky Nelsons family, John Waynes family, even the Jackson family do want some respect for their loved one who died.
It is your total disregard for anything accomplished (under circumstances that were dictated by the situations they inherited and did not create) that tells me you just have an ax to grind against them.
I do not see them as perfect, I do not see anyone or thing as perfect....but I give them credit for saving the estate and yes getting more and more respect for Elvis over the years.........
This morning on the Today show during the interview with Priscilla and Lisa-the host said she had talked to the Memphis police and they said 75,000 people were in Memphis for the week and Candlelight service-perhaps Memphis News had no coverage-but it seems others of slightly bigger stature in the new business took notice.
The funny thing is you call me the negative one? I am not negative I have no ax to grind against Lisa, Priscilla or EPE nor Sillerman or Apollo.
I have seen what EPE has accomplished in 35 years I think they have done good things and made mistakes-SIllerman and Apollo are still waiting to be proved so I am skeptical.

[KPM]

I will add that my aunt bought Teddy Bear Pink lipstick in 1956, and Elvis Hound Dog houseslippers-not sure how they increased the respect for Elvis the artist-but she bought them, Elvis signed the papers for all kinds of merchandising with his name and face on it-and my aunt loved buying those items along with millions of others.
This is nothing new, not one iota.

[Diane]

As much as I don't care for all the cheap Elvis memorabilia, to me it's a sign that they consider him big enough to market it. Not many other performers get that treatment and none in such volume...so there it is, Elvis is still highly remembered and that's enough for me.