Ever get the feeling that the caricature of Elvis (the Joke) is more well-known than Elvis himself? The average person's knowledge of Elvis seems to extend to his eating habits (those pesky fried peanut-butter-and-banana sandwiches), his drug problems, and his inclination for shooting out televisions. And then there's the "Elvis is Alive" junk. Most people are completely unaware that Elvis did anything important for 20th Century culture -- he's simply regarded as a dumb popstar from a bygone era.
Why is 'Elvis the Joke' so powerful? I mean, little kids who otherwise don't know anything about him will laugh if Elvis is made fun of on some cartoon show. But if you made fun of any other celebrity who was popular thirty to fifty years ago (heck, even five years ago), those same little kids would just stare blankly, uncomprehending. What gives?
I totally agree with Lee82
being only 18 years old myself, Its very rare for me to say I like Elvis to someone and they dont say something like fat or burger king etc
even my 7 year old cousin called him a fat burger king who died on the toilet,
which has upset me because they're too young to know the truth and they're already being tought the wrong facts
Its a sad world sometimes
Mark
Revolution-9@hotmail.co.uk
feel free to add me
me being 15, and the only Elvis fan in my class, i get teased for it. they're wearing blinders. if only they knew how great he was
sincerely, Scott, a 15 year old Elvis fan
prayers to Jackie my auntie in law, and R.I.P Charlie Hodge, both victims of cancer
It's because of the strong image he still has. You can put some guy in a jumpsuit, stick sideburns on his face and let him walk down the street. Everybody knows what it's all about. When I tell someone, that I am an Elvis - Fan, I have never been asked "Elvis Who?" or even "Yea, Costello is great!". Even thirty years after his death the image is so strong and recognizable, that it's the most easyest thing to do an Elvis joke. It may be working with Michael Jackson, too. But I guess when he'll be gone for three decades it wouldn't be working anymore. It's the easyness. Elvis is larger than life. And so are his weight, his drugproblem, his eating- and spendinghabits. I have no problem with Elvis jokes, at least I'm not bombing away the american embassy
According to the Holy Bible that what is wise in the eyes of men is foolish in the eyes of God and what is foolish for men is wise for God - can you follow me?
Yes, I am familiar with all the slanderizing stories. It always comes down to: fat, drugs, shit, white man who has stolen from the blacks and so on... I have to say that a lot of the strange stories going around is just Elvis according to Priscilla and some other folks.. I just can't take this anymore!! I am beginning to wonder if Priscilla is indeed the axis of evil ?nd a devil in disguise.
Elvis was a great musician and few can compare. I think he could have gotten along with other musical geniuses such as Mozart.
Well, folks are trying to bomb away some European embassies as well. Just like the Elvis jokes, meanness towards christianity and the western world seems to be cultivated. I am not allowed to speak out, but it's seemingly okay for others to insult my religious tradition and my musical hero Elvis - when does the hurting stop?Originally Posted by orwell1976
I have no problem with Elvis jokes, at least I'm not bombing away the american embassy
Anyway you look at it, Elvis was ahead of his time - he addressed the theme of enforcing racial and cultural mixing and the trouble it has given; did anyone see his movie Flaming Star? I didn't really turn out very well in that movie and the same thing is happening now in the world: one has to rule over another, which leads to religious tension. The problem is that there are no winners after such a battle, only losers.
Well, I don't seek to go off-topic here. I also say it because I think that Elvis himself would have been proud of both his Christian upbringing and his Native American roots. I also feel that we shouldn't accept the fact that people make cruel jokes about Elvis, because it is my impression that he's a man the western hemisphere can be proud of.
Last edited by EnigmaticSun; 02-06-2006 at 08:14 AM. Reason: minor error
as i am only 16 (nearly 17!), i get a lot of grief from people at my school about elvis. constantly comments like "he died on the loo", "he was fat", "why do you like a dead guy", "he was a joke" and "he was a drug addict" constantly come up. i used to angrilly fight back and have a go at them for being so narrow-minded and immature but now i don't really care. if they say something that hurts elvis, is damaging to legacy or simply untrue then i have to defend my king but otherwise... i mean it's their loss really. if they can't face facts and look past trivial matters then they are simply losing out on learning about a great great man and entertainer and in my opinion, the voice of the 20th century (and 21st).
it is easy to see WHY the "joke elvis" has become so recognisable and has in a way become a stereotype of elvis... because, as orwell1976 said, those things are so instantly recognizable as being elvis and are just so wonderfully weird (cannot think of a better way of putting it).
i sometimes help at the local prep school and when i was there elvis came up (my school hoodie says elvis on the back lol). the seven year olds INSTANTLY knew who i was talking about and immediately started swerving their hips and singing hound dog. to be honest i was a bit amazed and then it turned into pride- so in a way i am pleased that the "joke elvis" exists, as without it maybe the younger generations won't know so much about the king and thus maybe his legacy would die out.
as i have liked elvis and introduced my friends to his wonderful world, they are being converted. one of them is now a huge fan and asked to borrow my dvd of jailhouse rock last week. i showed one of them a video of elvis singing heartbreak hotel in the 50s and they were overcome by how good looking and talented he was... i then showed them the video of unchained melody from 1977 and i was a bit dubious about what the response would be, but all they said was that he still had an amazing voice and it was just so tragic what happened to him.
the reason i think that elvis, and particularly the cliche of him- the sideburns, jumpsuits and sandwich- have lasted so long and imprint such a lasting impact on the people of all generations is that elvis was such a huge huge talent. he was so larger than life and everyone is compelled to know his name because he had the most amazing talent, life and legacy. he freed the teenagers of the 1950s and still that sense of freedom and rebelliousness resonates to this very day. he was so individual, talented, extraordinary, magnificent and handsome that people can't help but know who he is. everyone knows him simply by his first name in every country of the world and that it is a remarkable and amazing achievement. by the end of his life, elvis, though it makes me sad in a way to say this, was virtually becoming the very first elvis impersonator. he had become so associated with jumpsuits, sunglasses, sideburns and amazing jet black hair that they will last as long as he does- which i hope, and believe, will be forever.
I've often thought that myself. In fact, when I was a kid (the late 80's, early 90's) I thought of Elvis as this cartoonish figure, but at the same time I was fascinated by all the hoopla that surrounded him, and wanted to find out just why he was such a big deal.
I'm not really against people making fun of or telling jokes about Elvis -- or any of my other favorite singers, for that matter. I think Elvis fans need to have a sense of humor and not take too much offense, but at the same time, some of the jokes they tell about him are really stupid -- like, "Elvis was fat, ha ha ha" -- I mean, they could at least try to be creative! And I guess I'm just kind of annoyed that more people know about Elvis dying on the john than know why he was famous in the first place...
I think part of the white suited fat guy and younger kids is from the M&M video where he dressed up like that and was setting on the toilet in the suit. Disgusting. Jokes are okay about anything but sometimes they cross the line(and there is one) Ask yourself if you think someone is just a punch line- can most ever take whatever they did truely seriously? If they don't take it seriously will they ever bother to explore beyond the joke? If they don't explore and listen they will never see the greatness and talent. Thats my problem with the jokes.
Lilo and Stitch brought a lot of kids to the Elvis sound, but I guarantee if the stereotypes continue as they have when these kids reach their teens they will just see the joke. I hope most of us are not judged on our worst moments over our lifetime as he is.
Well said, KPM (quote: I hope most of us are not judged on our worst moments over our lifetime as he is). I just happen to feel the same way - I do hope that the cruel jokers are of a dying breed, like people who can name all 50 states.
A lot of the cruelty is from cartoons, books and tabloids - there is money to be made and in this context not by fair play; we as Elvis-fans should definitely not be to accepting when it comes down to words of evil intention. I don't mean that you should beat such a guy/gal up (although I may sometimes feel that way), but I would recommend some fiery words to defend our King.
Elvis was a better and more talented musician than the majority of 'stars', even in his very last hours. And remember that Roman-Catholics don't take it very lightly whenever a Pope is being insulted, not even if that man is terribly ill; Elvis has got a range of global influence that only popes can compare to and we shouldn't hesitate to be proud of him.
Last edited by EnigmaticSun; 02-06-2006 at 04:25 PM. Reason: minor error
Show them the 68 special, or clips from the fifties, that stops that nonsense. Once they discover his genius, his incredible talent, his coolness, his greek-god looks and charisma, they will also appreciate and love the seventies as we do.
I was watchign Mad TV Last night and some clown was on doing some stupid skit abotu elvis that really didnt make any sense.. like they did clips form diff years 68 74 77 all in the back of a limo 'elvis' was all inebriated on god knows what repeating himeslef talkin some crap about a hot dog and I mean I sorta smiled.. not because it was funny but because people just dont knwo when to let go..
Ok so he had a drug problem had an eating problem and just generally didnt take care of himself
the celebs these days do the same thing only for some reason its ACCEPTABLE for them to nto take care of themselves but someone like elvis does it and suddnely people are making jokes and saying mean ignorant things..
to quote a favorite guitarist of mine Mick Mars of Motley Crue "people Suck; Music Doesnt"
elvis was a rock god, he changed so many things.. he intertwined cultures and made things more fun.. why cant people look passed all the bullshit and see him for what a talent he was
Ashe
when i visited graceland and i finally got up to his grave there were some
people there and there was this young girl and this guy-they were both very young, just like i was and just like me they were sitting there crying
i was happy to see that there were young people there who are fans of elvis
and it's good that not everybody considers elvis a joke
the people that do thing of him as a joke don't know anything about him.
if i can dream of a better land
Excellent point, KPM! I may have been curious enough to look beyond the joke when I was a kid -- but I don't know if most other people would be as interested or willing to do so. I think most people, particularly young people, are ignorant about Elvis, and EPE should try to educate the public a little better. The upcoming Elvis-themed episode on American Idol would be the perfect opportunity to do so. Not so much through the performances of the Idols -- I'm afraid those will be pretty bad. But I was thinking they could take some time, maybe at the beginning, to explain to the viewers just why Elvis was so important. They could throw in some clips of Elvis performing, too. It would also be the perfect opportunity to dispell my least favorite myth about Elvis -- that he was a racist. Somehow I fear that they won't make good use of this opportunity, but only time will tell...
i hate that all my friends assume he was just a fat old bloke who ate too much and died on a toilet! that's teenagers for you!! lol!!!!!! he was such a great person!!
Life is beautiful, enjoy every second of it!! And don't forget to love!!
Yes, i went through the same thing when i was young, eg, being the only elvis fan in my class etc. Now, about 15-20 years later, i have bumbed into some of the old school mates.It's funny how just about all of them have commented on how much they like Elvis now!
Us (EP fans) special people just relized how much of an amazing person Elvis was at a very young age. Its a gift we were given....
It's easy for people to mock what they don't understand. Over the last 12-18 months there has been a huge boost in people wanting to know Elvis the Legend, the release of the Deluxe DVD's was a great success. Unfortunately the recent success has been left floundering simply because EPE have sold out and sillerman doesn't seem to have engauged the public whilst the positive image of Elvis was at it's recent peak.
Success in Elvis' image is always a double edged sword...... "Tribute Artists" as they call themselves come crawling out of the woodwork at such times and make a mockery, don't get me wrong there are some great tribute artists out there but there are many, many more who feed the myth.
Looking back 70's fashion is laughed at by those who went through this time period, so god only knows what is made of such styles and fashions by younger generations whos only link or connection to Elvis is a bad parody seen on T.V. or newspapers.
Taken out of context some bejeweled jumpsuit clad guy is amusing, it's when that is then skewed with any number of negative slants by the media that it becomes a negative Image.
When I have showed non Elvis fans "That's The Way It Is" or Elvis On Tour" there is never a negative response, usually they ask is that the 70's and when you tell them yes they are surprised and comment I thought he was always overweight in the 70's.
Unfortunately the Myth is the Legend for some.
Matt
I used to also think Elvis was overweight during all of the 70s. But that was before I was a fan. But I never made any Elvis jokes or anything.
A couple of other people on this thread said that people at school make Elvis jokes, but I guess my school is way different, because a lot of people somewhat like Elvis. I mean, they're not like huge fans, but since half my school is into classic rock (they all wear the same Led Zep t-shirt lol), they respect Elvis for being the kingAnd just about everybody I know loves the A Little Less Conversation remix.
The overweight thing are in the heads of many people. Simply, because it's too easy: In the 1950's he was the rebel (or the true Elvis as many people think), in the 1960's he made stupid movies and in the 1970's he was fat and drugged. Some years ago I was visited by a friend when I was just watching "Elvis In Concert". My friend looked at the screen and said, that Elvis was already overweight. When I told him that this special was filmed eight weeks prior to his death and therfore Elvis had no time to put on a lot more weight he was astonished. He thought, that Elvis was unbelievable fat during his last years and than he had to realize that quite a few people he knew where much more overweight than Elvis was. So you see, the press is creating an image and in the people's minds a new picture is created, witch has nothing to do with the reality. The same goes for the music. Only a few people know, how much different styles Elvis sang and how good he was as an entertainer. The most people are surprised when the really listen to Elvis or take the time to see "Elvis" or "Aloha". Even "Elvis In Concert" has impressing performances.
Even though Elvis struggled with his weight throughout the latter 70's I personally think it's only the later part of 1976 and 1977 where he looked particularly ill, if you look at 1975 even though Elvis had weight problems he looked well (see pictures attached).
Matt
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