AMST 384 1st Edition Lecture 31Elvis and Michael Jackson Memory Imaginary Relationship - We feel like we know celebrities, people on the media even though we have never met them- What is the weight of these virtual relationship? - Facebook talking vs. talking in real lifeo Never met but relationship with them - Ex: Shrines of MJ, lots of pics and candles laid on siteso Immediate collective grief - Ex: Elvisozieo Elvis is apotheosizedo Elvis seen as a king or god o Elvis as a transperson- transgressive and ambiguous Bringing together new forms of music in rock and roll Elvis Presley - 1937 born as a poor, white boy- SOUND as an element of memory o Memory happens through all channels of our senseso Elvis was the “King of Rock & Roll”- Colonel Tom Parker was Elvis’s agento Helped the star make business decisions - Jailhouse Rocko Famous for his dancing and using his body to shake o His dancing movement was crossraced Segregated culture of Mississippi - Dances like an African American “Black man’s voice in a white man’s body”- Mixed genre- Honors experience of African Americans in the South- Roy Brown- African American singer who sang “Good Rockin Tonight”o Elvis did a cover of this song and made more money off this song than Roy Brown dido Honoring but also exploiting the cross-culture - Hound Dog on TVo TV adds a new dimension that the radio could not show beforeo Night Tv was a collective way to watch o Open sexuality and innuendos in his performances o *However, that song was done after an earlier performance by Big Mama Thorton (African American) still good but not as big of a hit in the American culture o Elvis says he has no idea what that song means “they want Thorton’s song but not her herself. They want what she gotin but not her.”- ***The influence of which gender/race is performing the song o Irony of this song: 2 Jewish guys wrote this song in 12 minutes and Thorton recorded it the next day They wrote this song specifically for her and her voice Distortion of memory - How this song was actually written is barely known to the public - People think it is Elvis’s song, not Thorton’s Songs are a site of memory - Through one song, many coverso This shows how times are changing in one song that is changed overtime Elvis ends up joining the army - Stars in many movies that capitalize on his sexuality o Ex: Love Me TenderElvis Marries- Marries Lisa Marie?Elvis’s Return- His look is differento Much more masculine - The Las Vegas Elviso White jumpsuitElvis comes Conservative - Wants to stop drinking and alcohol- Meets the president Memory of Elvis:1. Matierial MemoryWhich picture to be on the US Stamp?- The earlier form of Elvis when he was transgressive and younger- “Elvis’s image is used by different people and media that use him in culture production and consumption”2. Elvis is Apotheosized- looks like king or god in paintings3. Graceland- his home is turned into a museum- private, vernacular shrine - died in the bathroom there- Graceland becomes a site of tourism and memory material o Continues his popularity to continue and be capitalized upon even after his death 5. ImpersonatorsMichael Jackson- Started career in Jackson 5o Music o Jackson 5 show on TV Collective, cultural icon because everyone would watch this show- Thriller performance o Most popular/most sold album still - 1980 starts to change the way he looks (nose, skin color)- Facial Morpho taking control of his appearanceo freeing from his race - Then, MJ marries Elvis’s daughter - MJ dies from heart attackHow is MJ Remembered after death?- Neverland Valley Rancho Boy who never grew up o Amusement park out of his home - Shrines in the south and all around the world - “This is it” movie o this was created to compensate for the places he wasn’t able to get to on his last few days of tour before he died o all the places he wasn’t able to get
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