When in Rome (Er, Or Memphis)
I should have posted this yesterday, what with it being the anniversary of the King's demise and all. Oh well.
While we were in Memphis we did end up going to the home of the most famous Memphidelphian* ever. Due to time constraints we did not take the tour, we just went to the gift shop and up to the gates of the mansion. I was OK with not taking the tour, primarily because the bare bones tour cost $22! The "VIP" tour costs $55!! Also, I have been inside before on a trip with my parents when we passed through Memphis. Mom is an Elvis fan, but not one of those crazy Elvis fans that eats peanut butter and banana sandwiches every day, wears Elvis pajamas, and uses an Elvis toothbrush.
Speaking of Elvis fandom, when it comes to the crazy fanatics, I guess I just don't get it. I can appreciate Elvis from an academic standpoint, as someone who had talent as a singer. I like some of his songs, but I don't have any Elvis CDs and I doubt I ever will. But man, some of these people are just way into Elvis. For one thing, I think it is partly generational. I am too young to have seen Elvis in his heyday, so that's part of it. However, there were lots of people younger than me around there who had the "Love Me Tender" temporary tattoos and whatnot, so that's not the whole story. I suspect there's some camp appeal for some of these people. I just can't imagine getting that worked up for anybody, I know when I'm 50 I'm not going to be buying a Tom Waits coffee mug (which would never be available in the first place)!
The gift shop was pretty interesting as far as people watching. There were lots of Europeans there in addition to your garden variety yokel. I didn't buy anything, but one of my friends bought some stuff. I wanted to try a peanut butter and banana sandwich, but the only place that looked like it had food was a sit-down restaurant and we didn't have time for that. I did scope out the postcard with the recipe for said sandwich, it is pretty easy to make. Hmm, I see a future blog post!
While we were in Memphis we did end up going to the home of the most famous Memphidelphian* ever. Due to time constraints we did not take the tour, we just went to the gift shop and up to the gates of the mansion. I was OK with not taking the tour, primarily because the bare bones tour cost $22! The "VIP" tour costs $55!! Also, I have been inside before on a trip with my parents when we passed through Memphis. Mom is an Elvis fan, but not one of those crazy Elvis fans that eats peanut butter and banana sandwiches every day, wears Elvis pajamas, and uses an Elvis toothbrush.
Speaking of Elvis fandom, when it comes to the crazy fanatics, I guess I just don't get it. I can appreciate Elvis from an academic standpoint, as someone who had talent as a singer. I like some of his songs, but I don't have any Elvis CDs and I doubt I ever will. But man, some of these people are just way into Elvis. For one thing, I think it is partly generational. I am too young to have seen Elvis in his heyday, so that's part of it. However, there were lots of people younger than me around there who had the "Love Me Tender" temporary tattoos and whatnot, so that's not the whole story. I suspect there's some camp appeal for some of these people. I just can't imagine getting that worked up for anybody, I know when I'm 50 I'm not going to be buying a Tom Waits coffee mug (which would never be available in the first place)!
The gift shop was pretty interesting as far as people watching. There were lots of Europeans there in addition to your garden variety yokel. I didn't buy anything, but one of my friends bought some stuff. I wanted to try a peanut butter and banana sandwich, but the only place that looked like it had food was a sit-down restaurant and we didn't have time for that. I did scope out the postcard with the recipe for said sandwich, it is pretty easy to make. Hmm, I see a future blog post!
Look at this! What inspires this kind of devotion? The entire wall was like this, and it's a long wall.
I had to get a picture of this freaky-looking raised lettering, it looked like strawberry preserves or something.
* I'm pretty sure that "Memphian" is the proper term, but Memphidelphian is much funnier!
Labels: Travel
posted by JC at 8:12 AM
4 Comments:
my grandma was really into elvis. she had a bust complete with his birth and death dates in her living room. and i really want it now, but i think my grandfater got rid of it after she died. or maybe his second wife did.
so elvis has senitmental meaning in my life because my grandma loved him so. and we'd listen to his singing, expecially at xmas. there's nothing quite like hearing elvis croon "blue xmas."
i remember hearing that he died while i played outside... one of our neighbors had her front door open and the news leaked out, onto us.
now though i love elvis for the kitsch he symbolizes. even wrote about three dozen elvis-inspired haiku a year or so ago.
stood outside the gates of graceland, but haven't been inside.
aaaaaah elvis. so sad that i missed yesterday. NO! actually, you won't believe this, but i bought a faux elvis wig thing at walgreens yesterday. it's made of some type of molded plastic? fits much like a helmet. if ever there's a SPC i can feature it in, you'll get to see....
I don't understand it either. He was just a man. Who played some music and did drugs, etc. What is the big f*cking deal?
Interesting. My step dad is a pretty big Elvis fan and went to see him in concert back in the day. So, we used to watch all the old Elvis movies which are terrible but fun in a campy kind of way. Boy, did I think he was good looking though when he was younger and thin. I would love to go Graceland just to people watch. I wouldn't need to take the tour. I think sitting outside and watching people would be quite an experience.
The peanut butter and banana sandwich I split in Memphis was just plain nasty. It was at a diner just down from Graceland but in a plaza with a bunch of tchotchke shops.
Did I mention it was nasty?
I went to Graceland a couple of years ago and actually toured (unlike this time). Eh. It's an old house decorated mid-70s. It'll bring back memories to anyone who grew up then.
Did you pick up the Elvis Week paper and see all the bingo and scrapbooking events? Sheesh.
Anyway, my intrigue in Elvis culture started with my best friend in elementary school's mom, a wonderful woman who died of alcoholism a decade ago. She was a total fanatic, and spending the night at her house was a hoot. Elvis mirrors, Elvis pictures, Elvis records - it was a total shrine. Ever since I've been fascinated with that whole subculture, not so much Elvis himself.
Oh! And why the importance, Banana? Unlike JC here, we spent the rest of our post-Waits trip investigating the roots of the blues in the Mississippi Delta. Elvis was basically the first white musician to introduce blues-inspired music to a mainstream white market. I don't think he was singlehandedly responsible for rock and roll, but one big step in a series of steps that integrated musical styles that led to R&R.
And yes, I own that the last sentence is convoluted.
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