Elvis People: The Cult of the King
Harrison
1992
Thank you, thank you, anonymous, for this submission. I know, I know, there are a bajillion Elvis fans out there, and they are all banging down the library doors to get at this book. Look at the cover, though! The cover artist has elevated Elvis to god-like status: halo, wings, and all! Creepy.
It’s all about how Elvis fans are so intense – so fanatical about Elvis that it’s like a religion. People collect relics – things he touched, things he wore, etc. People visit his home (Graceland) like a shrine. They treat his music like scripture. Worshipping Elvis, the book implies, is akin to worshipping any other deity.
The same could be said for Michael Jackson. I see a series in the author’s future!
Holly
20 responses so far ↓
zhoen // November 4, 2009 at 7:07 pm |
I thought it said Pelvis People, but I still knew who it was written about, so that’s alright.
TF // November 4, 2009 at 8:11 pm |
The cover of this book is bloody awful, but
I wouldn’t necessarily weed this book unless the information contained within was outdated or inaccurate.
marykelly48 // November 4, 2009 at 8:45 pm |
I would also add to the above criteria, if no one checked it out. Frankly, it might work in my library! Maybe Holly has a “problem” with Elvis people!
LOL!
Mary
Melissa // November 4, 2009 at 8:17 pm |
I just discovered yesterday that on the U.S. Copyright Office’s website, one of the Frequently Asked Questions they address is, “How do I protect my Elvis sighting?” The answer is, of course, you can’t protect a sighting; you can only protect a picture or representation of the sighting. Keep a camera with you at all times, folks!
jamisings // November 4, 2009 at 9:54 pm |
You know, I’m an Elvis fan, I’ve seen a lot of his movies, love his singing – I’ve even learned to sing some of his songs.
But geez, I don’t worship the guy! That’s taking things a little too far. He was a human being, not God.
Glow-orb // November 4, 2009 at 10:48 pm |
I have this book.
o_O
rolliwrites // November 5, 2009 at 1:13 am |
You know, from their angle, the worshippers on the cover can see right up the King’s bellbottoms. And it doesn’t look like they mind, either.
Amanda // November 5, 2009 at 2:26 am |
I must have this book. My father would find it hilarious.
Dominic // November 5, 2009 at 3:16 am |
There are numerous books about this very subject–many of which seem to have been written in the 1990s. The 90s seems to have been a flowering of various kinds of pop culture analysis, a lot of which was directed at Elvis and his fans. I actually like the cover on this one–it communicates the subject in a clever and colorful way. I’ve been to Graceland… I can dig it!
Mari // November 5, 2009 at 5:09 am |
I want this book…
Harry // November 5, 2009 at 7:18 am |
What’s so ‘awful’ about that? Sounds interesting.
FrankN.Stein // November 5, 2009 at 10:43 am |
Well – at least nothing new is going to happen to elvis, so no need to weed it – ever
Elisa // November 5, 2009 at 12:02 pm |
Reminds of me of the story about dead celebrities on ‘60 Minutes’ last month.
shushie // November 5, 2009 at 1:22 pm |
If it still circs and the information was still accurate (though obviously not complete), I’d say keep it. The three most reproduced images in the world are Jesus, Mickey Mouse, and Elvis.
Winona // November 5, 2009 at 2:20 pm |
It’s definitely an intriguing subject… and now I’m wondering A. if there’s a similar book on the Beatles, and B. if I am in it somewhere.
El // November 5, 2009 at 3:52 pm |
I wrote an essay in college about secular sainthood using Elvis as an example and Graceland as a site of modern pilgrimage. As a medievalist forced to take modern-topic classes, this was me pulling something totally out of my bum! Now I find I could’ve published that stuf…. *sigh*
Em4Tango // November 5, 2009 at 5:08 pm |
This looks more like it’s analyzing or mocking the cult of Elvis. I’d probably at least read the blurb if I came across it.
silverrod // November 5, 2009 at 5:23 pm |
The Elvis book stays–unless you want to auction it off to support the library!
You could save a lot of these weeders and do book modification projects with teens. They might get a kick out of it. Check out http://www.instructables.com for ideas!
Ralph // November 6, 2009 at 6:53 am |
I got into trouble when I bought DEAD ELVIS for a large library in London, England, some years ago. My bosses didn’t understand deconstructionalist irony… I tried to explain, but they told me that the library users wouldn’t get it either!
Don // November 12, 2009 at 11:31 pm |
There was a little sale book I bought about 10 years ago about “Elvis & The King” which put quotes from Jesus and quotes from Elvis on facing pages, with cartoons. I read it to a party and most people laughed, except one person who demanded I stop because he was offended. I kept going and he stomped out. Jesus was actually treated with respect & reverence.