The Hypocrisy of Elvis Presley's Legend

CLEVELAND - In recognition of Elvis Presley's 75th birthday, I have been thinking a lot about the seismic scope of his everlasting legacy. Without question, the man was a true American institution and well deserving of the rabid fan base that he still possesses more than 32 years after his sudden death. But one thing troubles me.

His negative side is rarely discussed.

I'm not saying Presley's legacy should be tarnished because of the character flaws and inner demons that he battled. I'm simply saying that most of what gets celebrated is his iconic career as The King of Rock and Roll, with barely a mention of his flip side. In contrast, an equally iconic yet troubled star named Michael Jackson gets wide praise for his legend, but almost equal disdain, criticism and vilification for his shortcomings.

Unfair.

Presley first became super popular because of his highly controversial gyrations on stage during television performances. He was criticized and panned by the media and his fellow singers. Even the great Frank Sinatra offered a scathing review of the man at his mid-1950's beginning as a pop culture giant. When Elvis appeared on the Steve Allen and Ed Sullivan shows, he appalled the hosts with his brazen and sexualized dance movements. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1960, only a few months after meeting a 14-year old girl named Priscilla Beaulieu, whom he dated and ultimately married. His legacy amazingly omits the fact that he had a romantic relationship with a girl barely into puberty and thus, he remains deified.

People speak of Michael Jackson's long stretches of inactivity musically, but Presley spent nearly the entire 1960's focusing, not on his music, but on making horrible Hollywood films. When he made his much ballyhooed return in a famous 1968 television special, the music industry had practically passed him by. Sure, he still had major appeal to his fans and he still made a few hits, but he was at the time, pretty ordinary as a musician.

During his final several years, Presley became an erratic, unfocused shell of his former self. He committed adultery on his wife, even impregnated another woman while married. He became grossly overweight and heavily dependent on drugs, mostly prescription meds. He upped his touring schedule greatly early in the 1970's, and began to act as though he were a God-like figure during his performances. His life had become wildly out of control and his excessive indulgences expedited his downfall.

What a King.

When he tragically died late in the summer of 1977, his popularity and acclaim were based more on his past than anything he'd done or stood for recently. In the three decades since, he has been canonized as a cultural treasure with nary a flaw or blemish. Yes, there is some talk of his flaws, but those aspects of his life have never been put front and center like Michael's has. To legions of Elvis Presley fans, he is and always will be just perfect.

And that's a damn lie.