Elvis Presley's Poor Acting Skills in Film

796 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Mass media influence on pop culture

Elvis Presley's Poor Talents Paying Bills

Elvis Presley, the King of Rock and Roll, is an American Pop Culture Icon who influenced his audience with his commanding voice and dazzling sex appeal. In the 1950's, Elvis devoted his career to singing and making music. In the sixties, however, he dedicated his time towards making movies and appearing in motion pictures. As many critics agree, Elvis had poor acting skills in his films, generally showing apathy and/or dull facial expressions. Yet, through entertainment media, Elvis was able to inspire a generation of youth to "take action" in American society from his "poor actions". Moreover, film in the age of mass media neutralized Elvis' "bad acting" by redirecting the audience's attention towards his dynamic singing and sexual physique, heavily appealing to the social trends of the 1960's decade.

In the decade of the 60's, Elvis starred in over 34 motion pictures, averaging more than 3 films released per year. In these films, Elvis generally had the lead role, allowing the center of attention to fall on his shoulders. Unfortunately, Elvis had poor acting skills, usually displaying bland facial expressions or lethargy. According to the New Yorker magazine, Elvis' acting talents were thin: "Thicklipped, droopy-eyed and indefatigably sullen, Mr. Presley, whose talents are meager but whose earnings are gross" (Raaphorst). Thankfully, Elvis had extraordinary singing talents to make up for his poor acting skills. Knowing his strengths, Elvis and his producers began placing songs into his movies to gain a greater acceptance from his audience: "Statistically, he holds records for the most Top Forty hits (107), the most Top Ten hits (38), the most consecutive #1 hits (10) and the most w...

... middle of paper ...

...ire a youth generation to take action in American society. By redirecting his movie audience's attention away from his common acting skills, Elvis was able to successfully increase his popularity from his dramatic singing roles, his sexual attractiveness and his rebellious attitude. Truly, mass media neutralized Elvis' "poor" acting skills and transformed them into a "rich" lifestyle, enabling Elvis Presley to still live large today in the entertainment capital of the world--Las Vegas, Nevada.

Works Cited

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum. Cleveland, Ohio. 01 November 1999. http://www.rockhall.com/induct/preselvi.html.

Yahoo!: Geocities. TCB Ring, Elvis in Hollywood. 31 October 1999. http://www.geocities.com/~arpt/hollywood/nsindex.html.

Yahoo!: Geocities. TCB Ring, Elvis in Hollywood. 31 October 1999. http://www.geocities.com/~arpt/hollywood/nsindex.html.

Show More
Related

  • A Nation that was Rocked: How The Ed Sullivan Show Contributed to the Success of Elvis Presley

    1592 Words  | 4 Pages

    Elvis was like no other entertainer in the world. The talented man’s success and music will live on as some of the best in history. Elvis inspired a generation and overall transformed the way we see and listen to music today. John Lennon’s son, John Lennon Jr., even states, “Before Elvis, there was nothing” (Klein 291). However, without the help of The Ed Sullivan Show, Elvis’ influence would not have been able to spread across the nation. Television still has that impact in today’s society. One learns of new artists and up and coming celebrities through the world of social and mass media. Today’s generation relies on the power of mass and social media to express their opinions, thoughts and creativity. Without it, this world would be stuck in a non-innovated and non-expressive culture.

    Read More

  • Comparing The Rodney King Trial And The Play Twelve Angry Men

    1369 Words  | 3 Pages

    Zook, Kristal Brent. "King, Rodney (1965?)." St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture. Ed. Sara Pendergast and

    Read More

  • Elvis Presley Influences

    994 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...sley performed his music in all types of genres. Presley allowed musicians to step out of the box and be their selves. He had hit songs in gospel, rock, pop, and country. Although he lived a short life, he is still famous in some people’s eyes. I met a woman who had attended one of Elvis’s performances and she said it was the best concert she had ever been to. During the concert she said Elvis was dancing and all the girls were going crazy as always. He removed his scarf and threw it into the crowd she was the lucky one who caught it. She still has his scarf in her house, and will never forget the memories of that night. Elvis passed away on August 16, 1977 in his home from heart failure. The King still lives on in many people’s lives and his music career helped many people. Elvis Presley led the way for many musicians, and has impacted the lives of many people.

    Read More

  • Elvis Pressley

    1264 Words  | 3 Pages

    All-in-all Elvis’s career was long and productive. He has sold more records then anyone else ever has. He had many gold and multi-platinum records. Starred in many movies and made a lot of television appearances. Elvis has made his imprint on the American history in many ways. He will always be remembered as “The King”. Almost everyone in the Rock And Roll industry owe their careers to Elvis Aaron Pressley.

    Read More

  • Elvis Presley Conspiracy Theory

    876 Words  | 2 Pages

    Elvis did more to break down the racial barriers separating the whites and blacks in this country than most people will ever realize. That is one reason there was so much resistance to his music in the 50's and 60's and why it remains so popular today. This is not an overstatement. Presley brought music that had previously been played and enjoyed by minorities to the forefront. When people discovered they had music in common, they could talk about that subject and enjoy it together. Then conversations were started on other interests and a

    Read More

  • Elvis’ Cultural Impact on Americans

    700 Words  | 2 Pages

    There is no doubt that Elvis Presley’s impact on American society has revolutionized the world of music and movies, which eventually earned him the name . From truck driver to Rock and Roll icon, Presley’s charismatic attitude and dance moves became forever remembered in American history. His record-breaking career set a higher bar to many more musicians. Talented in both vocals and acting, his image alone speaks for its self.

    Read More

  • Elvis Presley Persuasive Essay

    671 Words  | 2 Pages

    Over 40,000,000 viewers tuned in to hear his R&B meets rock and roll song with his hip thrusts and pelvis shakes and the people lost it. You were either with him or against him, the teenage girls went wild over his moves while the church and elders thought he was everything they feared of the future, sexual, wild and rebellious. In the world facing such bigger issues with the cold war going on and the rise of communism it was easy to listen to Presley’s happy-go-lucky rock music and find an escape from the harsh realities of the world. It goes along with the normalcy bias that society ignores bigger issues in light that they rather not accept the fact that it is happening and deal with

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay: The Death Of Elvis Presley

    565 Words  | 2 Pages

    Elvis Presley was a successful singer and his singing won him many awards in his lifetime. His talent and kindness also earned him millions of fans and he is one of the most important figures of the 20th century in popular culture. When he died, it was tragic for everyone who loved him and his talent for writing music. Even though there are reasons to believe that he is dead, I believe that Elvis Presley is still alive because there is evidence that proves it.

    Read More

  • How Did Elvis Presley Influence Pop Culture

    373 Words  | 1 Pages

    The 1950s had many types popular music with Rock n' Roll being the most influential on the nations youth. Elvis Presley was the greatest Rock n' Roll star and was a symbol of youth rebellion. He was an American singer, actor, and best known as the king of rock n' roll. His successful performances in a variety a genres made him the most popular performer of his day and one of the most influential figures in pop-culture history. "Elvis Presley's 1956 appearance on TV's Ed Sullivan Show touched off a frenzy of teen adulation - and a flood of letters from parents scandalized by his 'gyrations'" (Norton, Mary Beth. Chapter 25: America at Midcentury 1945-1960. In A People & A Nation, p. 767). Other famous and influential singers were Bill

    Read More

  • Elvis Presley's Influence On Pop Culture

    1637 Words  | 4 Pages

    The rhythm and blues that Presley listened to throughout his years, whether in church or on the streets of Memphis, became a part of the way he sang and played. Taking the fundamentals of rhythm-and-blues, giving it a sense of speed, and with a voice full of passion, he popularized this genre of music. With his style of music and stirring performances in concerts, he was a role model for many who would eventually become musicians themselves. With his music that included both white and black-created influences, and his movement when singing, he gathered a multitude of fans and spread rock and roll across America. Elvis Presley changed the way music is today. He gave musicians a more sped up rhythm and exciting motion that intrigued an entirely different generation of fans. Without him, the music that millions listen to today could be vastly or slightly different, but it still would not be exactly what it is

    Read More

  • How Did Elvis Presley Changed Society

    825 Words  | 2 Pages

    Elvis was the only solo person to be inducted into rock and roll, country, and gospel hall of fames another is he featured in 31 films. He was obviously very influential in this hard time for America, bringing blacks and whites closer also showing that not only can anyone serve in the army, but even stars go and serve too, also that it is nice to give back what you get and he for sure did that by all his donations to his charities. Not only was he influential, he was also very successful, he lived the American dream serving his country not only in the army but also emotionally and spiritually through his very uplifting music. Elvis Presley was unarguably one of the top 100 most influential people in America with these points and many others can just be the proof of that. Elvis Presley not only was influential to the people during that time but now he also changed the music culture and made it the amazing music we have in the modern

    Read More

  • Elvis Presley Influences

    1108 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the 1950’s, segregation was a popular lifestyle within the United States. Segregation was the separation between the blacks and whites. Most black people were discriminated against just by the color of their skin, but with the help of Elvis Presley’s music he helped break those barriers between the white and black communities. Presley exposed the new generation of white Americans to the culture of African Americans. Demonstrating in which the ways they were treated and especially the difference in the style of music they listen to. African American music was how they communicated which each other because only the blacks could understand the meaning behind each melody sung. With this, Elvis Presley made an entirely new generation with his music and pelvic thrusting dance moves. Presley was considered one of the most significant figures of Rock and roll changing the entertainment industry completely, making Elvis Presley the American Dream.

    Read More

  • Elvis Presley

    2115 Words  | 5 Pages

    While Elvis Presley had an influence on the attitude, fashion, music, and views on race in the 1950s, he would continue to influence these same aspects for future generations. Presley was a simple man who grew up in a time that was filled with hatred, depression, and war. When no child dared to speak back to their parent, Elvis showed the youth rebellion and when segregation was an issue, he showed white teenagers that African Americans were human just like them. Even though older generations continued to show their hatred for Elvis Presley, he still continued to rock.

    Read More

  • Cultural Impact Of Rock And Roll

    2071 Words  | 5 Pages

    Elvis Presley was a well-known man and loved by many people. Based on http://www.brainpickings.org/2013/04/11/elvis-presley-teens-consumer-culture/Elvis Just like Muddy Waters, Presley timing was perfect as well. He came into and era (1950s) where the devastations of the great depression and world wars were over. People were now starting to have some freedom and enjoy the thing they loved which was listening to music and living life to the fullest. The social change that the 50s brought reflected music significantly, and Elvis Presley arose.. Kids were now starting to rebel against their parents and they had a lot of extra money to spend on records because of prosperity. During the Wars, money was limited and kids and adults had to work extra hard and save for survival purposes, but once the war-ended money could be used for pleasure reasons rather than just for survival. In addition, in the 50s our country had it’s own war, and I’m not talking about the World Wars, but yet human inequality. The civil rights movement was one of the biggest social changes in history and was a time where a lot of great artist prevailed and made songs on the issue. Elvis Presley showed just how social changes could influence or reflect the history of rock “n” roll. Presley started a culture, his hairstyle, the way he dressed all became part of the youth around the country. As I said our country was fighting its own war with segregation, Elvis music help bring people together. His music not on appealed white crowds, but black crowds listened to him as well. He brought people together through music, and proved to the world that he could be successful. He was one of the artist that mastered crossover, bringing every color to liking his music. Based on Larson fourth edition pg 38, it says that his record sales boomed, and then rock “n”

    Read More

  • A Brief Note On Stardom

    1195 Words  | 3 Pages

    Movie stars. They are celebrated. They are perfect. They are larger than life. The ideas that we have formed in our minds centered on the stars that we idolize make these people seem inhuman. We know everything about them and we know nothing about them; it is this conflicting concept that leaves audiences thirsty for a drink of insight into the lifestyles of the icons that dominate movie theater screens across the nation. This fascination and desire for connection with celebrities whom we have never met stems from a concept elaborated on by Richard Dyer. He speculates about stardom in terms of appearances; those that are representations of reality, and those that are manufactured constructs. Stardom is a result of these appearances—we actually know nothing about them beyond what we see and hear from the information presented to us. The media’s construction of stars encourages us to question these appearances in terms of “really”—what is that actor really like (Dyer, 2)? This enduring query is what keeps audiences coming back for more, in an attempt to decipher which construction of a star is “real”. Is it the character he played in his most recent film? Is it the version of him that graced the latest tabloid cover? Is it a hidden self that we do not know about? Each of these varied and fluctuating presentations of stars that we are forced to analyze create different meanings and effects that frame audience’s opinions about a star and ignite cultural conversations.

    Read More

More about Elvis Presley's Poor Acting Skills in Film

Open Document