Megan Sullivan-- Core Response #3

    Chapter One, Elvis Culture by Erika Doss presents a relationship between television, music, stardom, fandom, and scopophilia that I found to be particularly interesting in understanding how a star’s image influences their career. The article asks the primary question “Why does Elvis's image prevail in contemporary visual culture?... Why should any of us even bother with looking at and trying to make sense of Elvis Culture?” (Doss 1). In the words of 2024, why is Elvis so many Americans’ Roman empire? 

I think Doss sums this nicely when she says “listening to Elvis is never far from looking at him” (Doss). While Elvis’ music was pivotal and important in broadening his fanbase, people also fell in love with the image of him. After his initial appearance on television, people continued to anxiously await for his next appearance. After several television appearances, Elvis quickly developed a rather obsessive fandom that was obsessed with his music, but also “the way he moved, his body, [and] his image” (Doss). The interesting point of analysis here is why television caused Elvis to become this insanely popularized, sexualized, and idealized. I believe it is a result of the concept of scopophilia, a pleasure in looking. Prior to television, Elvis was a fun sound to dance to and enjoyable music to feel a certain way. Once his image was plastered across television, he was brought into the homes of thousands of Americans. This sense of closeness gave Americans a pleasure in watching Elvis, idealizing him, and, in some cases, wishing that they were him. 

Doss also describes that Elvis remains relevant because his image is “continually renegotiated and remade in order to mesh with individual and institutional preferences” (Doss). As American popular culture continues to fluctuate and change, Elvis remains a figure to Americans to fawn over and escape conflicts, despite appropriations and impersonations. In years following, I am interested to see if modern stars of today will remain a popular icon in the way that Elvis has despite much change and fluctuation. 



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