Monday, April 01, 2024

What is the general opinion about Elvis? What makes him a controversial figure?

Generally, he’s admired as musician and with good reason. But in today’s hyper-aware society, people look at the personal life of Elvis Presley. And young would-be fans find it rather disgusting. What everyone keeps bringing up is the whole “started dating his would-be wife Priscilla when she was 14” thing… to the modern sensitivities, Elvis is a ‘groomer’ for that.

Because he seduced a very young girl, when he himself was ten years older, sexually and romantically experienced and already a major star. And then there was this weird part to his personality, too. A part some have described as the “Madonna-whore complex” wherein, the moment he “got” a woman… he lost interest. As her purity and cleanliness was somehow ‘defiled’ the moment they did the deed.

 As a result he reportedly waited until marriage before he and his young bride did the deed, only to lose interest soon after the wedding. She got pregnant almost immediately, after which Elvis barely touched her, and moved on to other side-chicks.

About twenty years ago, the go-to critique of Elvis Presley was “he stole music from black people, he’s a culture vulture!” and nowadays, the prevailing idea is to disown him on moral grounds — he was perpetually unfaithful, liked his partners uncomfortably young and was a drug fiend. Great songs, complicated man, wicked life.

Footnotes

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