Harlee Buford - Core Response #3

    In Sweeney’s reading, the following passage stuck out to me: “And that was the true fear: the message of pure sex, received like an arrow, straight into the White, middle-class heart of America. But as Elvis prescienty answered his critics: ‘I don’t mind being controversial. Even Jesus wasn’t loved in his day’” (254). 

Growing up near Cleveland, Ohio (aka the birthplace of rock n’ roll), I have visited the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame several times, most recently over winter break. I find the association of rock n’ roll with ‘social ills,’ such as explicit sex, deviance, and rebellion, to not only be representative of the societal shifts and concerns during the time of rock n’ roll’s origin, but to reflect major societal contradictions that have persevered throughout decades. Although our society has overall become more liberal and accepting of talking about sex, engaging in casual sex, and having sex before marriage, there is still the idea that mentioning sex is almost sinful and should be hidden behind closed doors despite the act being normal, natural, and healthy.

Although sex as a whole was a lot more hidden in the mid-twentieth century, especially in film with the restrictive production codes, it was still happening as much as it is today. Nevertheless, the fear of displaying sex in the public eye, in this case Elvis’s pivotal role in rock n’ roll and his sexual image, is partly rooted in the fear that kids or young adults will start having sex (as if they are not already). As sex is associated with deviance and rebellion, especially in rock n’ roll, it ties into Sweeney’s argument of concepts of “white trash” as sex often has a negative connotation, indicating that someone overtly sexual is trashy, rebellious, and overall bad news. Yet, especially today, stars, such as Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, and Kesha, have developed a fan base who embraces their ‘party girl,’ reckless image as something fun, exciting, and desirable. I think this effect can also be seen clearly with Elvis as his association with sex, rebellion, and chaos is refreshing from the conservative and restrictive ideologies infiltrating American society, which were (and continue to be linked) to religious beliefs and ideologies.

Moreover, I find it interesting how a certain star is chosen by the public (almost impulsively) to be a legend and icon for years to come. When comparing this to how many stars or celebrities become famous today, social media rapidly speeds up this process, allowing people to become famous overnight. Yet, with this comes cancel culture and the ability for stars to go from loved to despised overnight. Most recently, an example is Gypsy Rose Blanchard. She achieved a massive fan base before even being released from prison, now having millions of followers; nonetheless, within the next couple of weeks, she was quickly canceled by much of her audience and has significantly dropped in popularity. I can imagine the instant rise and fall of a star or celebrity’s identity to be much more emotionally damaging today due to the increased instability of becoming—and staying—famous. In addition, another example can be seen with Alix Earle and Tarayummy, two influencers who blew up on TikTok as being the next ‘it girls’ simply from someone classifying them as such and this classification being spread on everyone’s for you page and accepted by the public in a matter of days. 

Additionally, many celebrities have become famous from a leaked (or uploaded) sex tape, most notably Kim Kardashian. Kim has transformed her image from a trashy, spoiled, party girl to a more respectable, business savvy woman, as well as a cultural icon. Although many people still do not love the Kardashians, millions adore the family with the changes in their star/celebrity image. When compared to Elvis’s star image, both celebrities blew up due to their associations with sex and being considered ‘bad news,’ only to become beloved stars with a fan base who adores them for so much more than their associations with sex.