A hero to most?: Elvis, myth, and the politics of race

Writing on the Graceland Wall: On the Importance of Authorship in Pilgrimage Landscapes

“…As Doss (1999) and Rodman (1994) found in their studies, Elvis is often represented as the embodiment of the American Dream of social mobility. Fans embrace him as someone who made tremendous gains in wealth and status without forgetting his working class roots.…”

“…As suggested by scholars such as Rodman (1994), Chadwick (1997), and Doss (1999), Elvis' cultural importance is rooted in the very fact that his image is multifaceted. Elvis continues to have an active posthumous career, according to Rodman (1994), because his life story dovetails with a series of important cultural mythologies or narratives about race, gender, and class.…”

“…The imagery of Elvis has found its way into "struggles between high culture and low 30 culture, youthfulness and adulthood, the country and the city, rebellion and conformity" (Rodman 1994: 458). References to Elvis have surfaced in the most unlikely of discussions, such as those about the Gulf War, the fall of Communism, and abortion (Rodman 1994). Doss (1999) also noted the versatility of Elvis' image and how he can exist at many different levels to many different people depending on their personal and social identity.…”

“…Elvis continues to have an active posthumous career, according to Rodman (1994), because his life story dovetails with a series of important cultural mythologies or narratives about race, gender, and class. Images of Elvis can be contradictory, such as seeing Elvis as a musical/ racial integrator versus seeing him as an appropriator of black music and heritage.…”