Pre s ly as Paradigm e

DEAD EL IS: A Ch ronicl of a Cul V e t ural O b se ssion By Gre il arcus M D oublday: $ 235 pp., il t e d e 25; l rat us by D av Fos t r W al id e l ace h is re v w m ay w e l be s ubj ct e t t e ie l e iv o h point of ick ine s s , be caus e t is re v w e r h ie h as be l v d Gre ilM arcus is a ge nius e v r ie e e s ince I firs t re ad t e e s s ay on Elis in h is h v 19 75 "M ys t ry Train: Im age s of Am e rica in e R ock 'n' R olM us ic." l Th at book , l e al M arcus ' be s t w ork , is ik l a st udy in s ocial s t e t , an e nt rpris e conae h ics e ce rne d not s o m uch w it w h y ce rt h ain art w ork s are e nt ld t ce rt pre dicat s , but it e o ain e w it j t h ow and w h y s om e v ry fe w art t h us e is s are abl t m ov audie nce s , m ov t e m radice o e e h al t rribl re de m pt e l and fore v r. Be l e y, y, iv y e caus e h e is int re s t d in art t at is j e d e e h ack pre t y m uch dire ct y int pe opl's e m ot , t l o e ions M arcus w rit s about m us ic, and be caus e h e e is int re s t d in t e s e t fe re nce s of fe e l e e h rans ing and v ue on a l al arge s cal (and be caus e h e is e an Am e rican), h e s pe cial s in popul m uize ar s ic, rock and it proge nit . s ors Th e ce nt conce rn of M arcus ' w ork ral w h y s om e pop m us ic m ov s audie nce s and e h as m e aning for t e m -de v v s int t o big h ole o w q ue s t . Th e firs t is w h y ce rt s e m inal ions ain rock 'n' rol pe rform e rs are abl t ch ange l e o t e w ay w h ol groups of pe opl fe e labout h e e t e m s e le s in t e w orl M arcus ' 19 75 h v h d. "Elis : Pre s l v iad," one of t e gre at s t e s s ays h e e v r w rit e n about m us ic, t s t e care e r e t race h and appe alof Elis Pre s ly as a s yne cdoch e v e ofAm e rica it e l s f. R at e r t an j t be ing t e l y w h it h h us h uck e guy w h o firs t dis cov re d h ow t bre e d e o Ne groid bl s w it Caucas ian count M arue h ry, cus ' Elis il t e d t e Am e rican t ns ion v l rat us h e be t e e n t e confirm ing com m unit of w h it w h y e pop and t e dange rous adre nal of de l h ine t a bl s . M arcus l e s Elis ' e arl ge nius in ue ocat v y h is abil y t focus t ns ion rat e r t an re it o e h h s ole it and in al s e rious ne s s and w it im v , l h pre s s iv argum e nt ion, M arcus port e at rays Elis as no ls s an e nv l v e e oping Am e rican s ym bol t an M e lil 's w h al or Faulne r's h vl e e k Yok napat ph a. aw W h at w as bril l in t e "Pre s l iant h iad" w as M arcus ' abil y t pre s e nt Elis as e m blm at it o v e ic of Am e rican popul cul and t e n pop ar t ure h cul t ure it e l as Am e rica's de e pe s t s e l rs f f-pe ce pt w rit l and brigh t If pop is t e arion arge . h gum e nt be t e e n s ub-cul w t ure (as conce iv d e by t e cul h t uralout ide r w h e n t at out ide r s h s h appe ns t be a ge nius ) and t e re de m pt e , o h iv re lnt e s s l cons um ing appe t e of t e com e l y it h m unit t e n t e arc of Elis ' care e r, from y, h h v s t ing w h it t h t m us icalins urge nt t arv e ras o o h e art h rob t B-m ov m ains t t corpulnt t o ie ay o e V gas s ch m al ing "pe rform ing a k ind of e t z-k e norm ous v ory rat e r t an w inning it ict h h " ("M ys t ry Train"), l ns alo t e l ing and e im s h iv fat paradox of al popul U.S. art t at t is al l ar : h h art w h ich is produce d v raw diffe re nce , , ia t e s pe cialfe cund anguis h of non-incl ion, h us

at ack s , s e duce s and is de v t oure d by a m as s art m ark e t t at re de e m s and e v n de ifie s t e h e h art t w h il it drains h is product is e ions of t e h de nial pain t atis it v . and h s oice Th e Elis of t e ye ars be fore h is de at , v h h for M arcus , w as t e t ce nde nt purv yor h rans e of Am e rica's Em pt Ye s , an art t w h o didn't y is s o m uch fal int as t riv on t e pop t of l o h e h rap s at fying t e audie nce 's s urface crav for is h ing confirm at ion ins t ad of it de e pe r, m ore e s ragge d ne e d t be m ov d-"H e s ings w it o e h s uch a com plt abs e nce of m us ical rs onal ee pe it t atnone of t e ol s ongs m at e r atal be y h h d t l , caus e h e h as not com m it e d h im s e l t t e m ; t f o h it coul be anyone s inging, or no one . It is in d t is s e ns e , final t at an audie nce is conh l h y, firm e d, t at an Am e rica com e s int be ing; h o l ing any re alfe ar or j it is a t row ack oy, h aw ay Am e rica w h e re not ing is at s t e . Th e h ak div ions Am e rica s h are s are s im pl is y s m oot e d aw ay" ("M ys t ry Train"). h e Since s o m any of t e aw e s om e and h h ide ous publ ph e nom e na t at h av at e nic h e t de d t e de at of Elis Pre s ly in 19 77 w e re h h v e pre dict d and e xpl d in M arcus ' "Pre s l e aine iad," I approach e d "D e ad Elis " fe e l s im ul v ing t ous l t at t e re w as no one m ore ane y h h q ual d t w rit about "t e ubiq uit t e ifie o e h y, h pl ayful s s , t e pe rv rs it t e t rror, and ne h e y, h e t e fun of t is , of Elis Pre s ly's s e cond h h v e l ," and t at M arcus ' v uos o dis s e ct of ife h irt ion t e l ing K ing in t e e arl r book m ak e s h iv h ie any pre s e ntpos t ort m k ind of re dundant -m e . But"D e ad Elis " is n'tot e atal It difv ios l 's . fe re nt from t e "Pre s l h iad," ls s rh e t e orical , m ore a t e l rav ogue t an an argum e nt but no h , ls s pre cious , s ince it carv s out and ade e dre s s e s t e s e cond of M arcus ' gre at inform h ing q ue s t : W h at is it about t e audie nce ions h t at is Am e rica t at m ak e s it re ce pt e t t e h h iv o h com binat of art and j ion unk and appe arance and re al y and de v ion and re pulion an it ot s ide a l e Elis purv ys ? ik v e M arcus obs e rv s -s om e t e s anal e im yzing, but m os t y obs e rv l ing, rapt y, in pe l l l ucid pros e -t e cul t ath as ris e n around t e unh t ure h h ris e n Elis Pre s ly, h is im age 's pe rs is t nce v e e in bl v le t as h t ack e v , rays and l uor bot ls , iq te fil s , nigh t ub im pe rs onat , nov l, M cm -cl ions es D onal com m e rcial, poe t t oids , t e d's s ry, abl h j agge d s pirit it t at s t lde fine s t e m arual y h il h gins Elis cam e from , av -garde art t e v ant , h W h ol Elis Th ing, "a gre at com m on art proe v j ct t e w ork of s core s of pe opl ope rat e , h e ing inde pe nde nt y of e ach ot e r, l e d onl by l h ink y t e ir de t rm inat t s ole t e s am e probh e ion o v h lm : W h o w as h e , and w h y do I s t l ? e ilcare " Th us , l e t e "Pre s l ik h iad," "D e ad Elis " is v ls s about Elis t an it is about our popul e v h ar cul , "t e cul h e inh e rit d, t e cul t ure h t ure e h t ure h e m ade , and t e cul t at t e n t s uch a h t ure h h o gre at de gre e re m ade it e l according t t e s e s f o h prom is e s , com plxit s , cont e ie radict , and ions de fe at ." s "D e ad Elis " is a col ct of Elis -re v l ion e v l e d pie ce s M arcus h as w rit e n from 19 77 at t t 19 9 0. Th e re are "Pre s l o iad"-e s q ue e s s ays l e 19 81's "Elis : Th e As h t ik v ray" and 19 9 0's "St lD e ad: Elis Pre s ly W it out M us ic." il v e h Th e re are s h arp, dark re v w s of book s ie

about Elis and rock m us ic, s ch l and ot v ock h e rw is e . Th e re are parodic s cre e npl , dis ays cus s ions of W il l iam Eggls t e on's ph ot ograph s of a v ry e m pt Grace l e y and, il l t ions , l is h ph ot of Elis w it Ge rus rat av os v h m an w h ore s in 19 59 , Elis as us urpe d and v abs t e d by cont m porary art t , in unde rract e is s ground conce pt ual arch e t ych s -Elis ript v H it e r, Elis Ch ris t v in unde rground l v -Elis com ics , Elis as s ung about by nih il t v is punk s w h o l e t e K ing t w e l for be t ov h oo l raying alh e 'd be e n cons igne d t s t for. l o and A l of "D e ad Elis " is j t l t ning t ot v us is e o a h uge nat ionalconv rs at e ion. Gre ilM arcus is a gre at l t ne r. 19 89 's "Th e L t Bre ak is e as fas t de s cribe s a San Francis co m orning " D J Bre ak fas t W it Elis s h ow , in w h ich 's h v l t ne rs cal in e ach w e e k day m orning w it is e l h m e nus -from t e e xot t t e t h ic o h roubl ing-for fe e ding a K ing "as h e droppe d de ad on 16 Augus t 19 77: a gl t ut on bl e d be yond oat m e m ory." Th e pie ce is h il arious and m ov ing, t e n s cary w h e n count rpoint d by h e e 19 9 0's "A Corps e in Your M out ," a w e ird h dis cus s ion of cart oons , pos t cards , al bum cov rs and unde rground fanzine j e s about e ok e at Elis , Elis -burge rs , Sid-V ing v v icious -pat t s , t e ul at cons um pt ie h t im e ion of w h at ce lbrit offe rs . e y W e coul go on. Th is is a m arv l and d e ous I t ink profound book about a cul h t urals ym bolof cul t urals ym bol ak ing. Th e crit -m ical acuit of t e "Pre s l h as , in "D e ad Elis ," y h iad" v be com e e m ot ionalge nius . M arcus ack now ldge s t at t e cul t at h av "ooze d from e h h t h s e t e fis s ure s of cul " s ince Elis ' de at h t ure v h coul e as il be re duce d and e xpl d in d y aine t rm s of "w ork ing-cl s bad t t or uppe re as as e cl s cam p." as M aybe t e y s h oul be , but M arcus offe rs h d e l ue nt t s t ony t t e cont oq e im o h rary. H e ch as e s and w it s s e s t e s pas m s of l e , ne h ov h at d, de v ion, be t re ot rayal l t and art t at , us h Elis Pre s ly's e xpl ion h as s e nt raining v e os out and dow n, w it s s e s w it ne it e r W arh one h h l fak e -h ip cre dul y nor ironic fak e -h ip ian it conde s ce ns ion. H e w rit s for t o gl s -clar page s e w as e about a w om an w h o div d h e r h us band orce aft r s e e ing "Bl H aw aii" on h e r h one ye ue m oon. Sh e now l e s in M e m ph is , a profe s iv s ional pil . A s ort of prie s t s s . Sh e is grim e k now n as t e But on L h t ady-"Sh e w e ars s o m any Elis badge s s h e cl s w h e n s h e v ink w als . . . . You can't l k augh at h e r; you can't e v n bl ." e ink M arcus ' rapt at e nt t w h at Elis cont ion o v t s t m e an is bot t m it e d and j t inue o h rans t us ifie d in a s plndid pie ce of crit art e ical .

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