Elvis Presley's Impact On Society

To quote the great John Lennon, “Before Elvis, there was nothing.” And it’s true; without Elvis, the world today would be extremely different, but definitely not in a good way. Most people don’t realize it, but Elvis was actually one of the first leaders in the struggle for racial equality. He incorporated both black and white culture into his music, allowing people of all races to experience something completely new, even though a lot of people were against it. Not to mention the fact that he also showed the teenagers of that time a new way to express themselves, and show their independence. Through his music alone, he revolutionized the media, the mixing of racial cultures, and the future generations’ ideas and morals. It is for these reasons

that he will always continue to affect future generations, even if they don’t realize it.
Morally, Elvis was seen in a lot of different ways, though now he’s mostly seen as simply “The King of Rock ‘n Roll.” Some saw him as a polite young man who was destined for greatness; some saw him as the devil himself; but most of all: he was a talented force to be reckoned with, and no matter how much criticism he received, his fanbase only grew. He was “a symbol of teenage rebellion and was condemned because of it,” says Marcie Wallace in her article Elvis Presley: A Revolutionist, as she talks about how during those times money wasn’t as tight, so teens were able to spend more of their money on themselves; rather than putting every penny towards the survival and//or well-being of the family. Also, even though Elvis was seen as a sex symbol (earning the nickname “Elvis the Pelvis” due to his erratic dancing style on stage), he didn’t actually encourage sexual activity for teens. Really, he just encouraged youths in their desires to express themselves, and show that they’re different from their parents and generations past. Presley was actually a pretty good role model for teens; he was a genuine Christian boy, even though he didn’t quite agree with all that the church had to say. In fact, there is a book called The Gospel Side of Elvis, by Joe Mosheo, where Elvis’ gospel roots are discussed, as well as a foreword by Priscilla Presley, Elvis’ wife.
Since he belonged to the group of the poorer white people while growing up, Elvis’ family would move around a lot, since his parents’ work would take them to different places, one of which happened to be a black community. Of course, he faced his share of disapproval from his white peers at school, however, it was there that he discovered the music of black culture; and boy did it inspire him in his singing! So, as he rose to fame, he would take the best of gospel, country, and creole, before mooshing it all together; as well as adding his own attitude and flare to it, making a new genre, now known as either Rockabilly or Rock ‘n Roll, which took America by storm. It was enjoyed by all, be they Black, White, Hispanic, or any other race; especially among teenagers who sought to rebel against their parents. And who better to rebel with than Elvis Presley? He was sensual, dreamy, and not to mention a cutie patootie; who also happened to incorporate a lot of creole culture and rhythm into his songs, giving the white community an intro into other cultures, and began trying to “open the door” to black music, as said by Little Richard, a popular African American singer at the time who spoke very highly of Elvis, seeing as he opened up the white teenage audience to the black singers and groups of the time, giving them a wider group of fans. Presley took the best of black music, and presented it to his white audiences in such a positive way, that they had no choice but to love it, much to the segregationists’ dismay. According to Rock History 101: Elvis Presley Shakes Up American Culture ,”With a voice that echoed the gospel of church and a rousing physicality that appeared as a spiritual possession, Elvis personified a God that both blacks and whites had in common, thus striking at the foundation of Jim Crow by offering a chance for communal cultural reconciliation.” Basically, Elvis brought a new type of music that reached out to everyone and brought all races together, which wasn’t a good thing for the racists who wanted everything to remain segregated. His music took the normal racial barriers and cast them aside, making way for a new generation of teens who were more open to racial equality; which kick started revolution.
Obviously, Elvis had, and still has, a pretty big impact on the media; between his scandalous dance moves and his eccentric style, it would be hard for him not to.

“Presley’s music spoke to teenagers and provided a way for them to let loose, go crazy, and express themselves,” claims Marcie Wallace in the same article as mentioned before, Elvis Presley: A Revolutionist. Given that the main point of Elvis’ success seems to be because he was an attractive man who sang well and was perfect for rebelling against parents who were against him, teens everywhere loved him. Girls went crazy for him, and guys wanted desperately to be him. As a result, guys started styling their hair like him, dressing like him, heck, even acting like him in the James Dean fashion that Elvis tried to imitate because he loved James Dean and the ways he dressed and carried himself. In this way, Elvis directly influenced the media during his time; but nowadays his influence is more indirect. For example, one of our very own American pop artists, Bruno Mars, was influenced into singing by his uncle, who was an Elvis impersonator. Also, a certain famous singer, Buddy Holly, the singer for whom a song by Weezer is named after, was also influenced by Presley. There are definitely a lot of other singers and/or groups that could be named, but that could easily take up two whole pages, at least. The point is, he left a huge impact on the world of music, one which was only surpassed by the Beatles with the Beatlemania craze in the 60s and

70s.
When he walked into a recording studio for the first time, allegedly to make a record for his mother for her birthday (which was later found to be incorrect), the lady running the place at the time asked him what he sounded like, to which he replied, “I don’t sound like nobody.” She evidently didn’t believe him, until she heard him sing, that is; and she ended up recording it so that she could show it to her boss when he returned. Long story short, his career as a singer/performer started, and the rest is history. At one point, he was known as a "white man...singing Negro rhythms with a rural flavor," as said by Susan Doll, PhD, in her biography of the King. Overall, in his prime years, Elvis was truly the star of the show that was American media. Furthermore, any criticisms he faced only fueled the fire that was his fame, and he continued to gain fans till the day he died, and even a little bit afterwards.
To this day, Elvis is referenced in countless movies and TV shows; just one example of this is the Disney movie: “Lilo and Stitch,” a movie about a young girl named Lilo who unknowingly adopts an alien who she names Stitch. As the movie progresses, Lilo teaches stitch how to be a good member of society with none other than Elvis Presley as her model for what’s good and what isn’t so good. It’s pretty clear that the Hawaiian girl idolizes Elvis, and at such a young age, she would’ve had to have been introduced to his music by someone else; even though it isn’t clear who does so in the movie. Therefore, the movie would also introduce the youth of today to Elvis’ music, because Lilo and Stitch is still a popular movie among most kids, there’s the indirect influence right there, prime example.
So even though Elvis wasn’t always seen as a saint, or even a good guy, he was/is still a huge impact on every generation since his glory years, whether people realize it or not. He brought a whole new type of revolution: a revolution through music. His most positive influence, however, was his influence on racial equality. With his powerful music, he blended the best of various music genres and made his own genre that sparked a new era of music: Rock ‘n Roll. By doing so, Elvis gave his fans the opportunity to experience other cultures, though segregationists were completely against him. No wonder they call him the King! He also symbolized teen rebellion and showed the young people new ways to express their individuality, allowing them to give themselves independence from their parents. And on top of all that, he influenced future musicians such as Bruno Mars, Johnny Cash, Buddy Holly, as well as many others. He was a true inspiration to us all; going from a poor white boy to being the King of Rock ‘n Roll, and being the person to completely change up the music game.