"White Trash" Iconic Image

Elvis’s rebellious persona in King Creole was not much different from that of the one he portrayed in real life. At the time of his rise in the 50’s every move he made was critically examined and appalled parents of youthful teenagers. He was criticized for adapting many of the black styles of dress, music and mannerism at time when blacks were not treated with much respect. I find it interesting to see how someone who came from a neighborhood linked to white trash and poor blacks, at a time when it was socially unacceptable, transformed his image to an icon. He is still referenced as the “saint of white trash” (Sweeney) from his scandalous decision to wear a purple jumpsuit when he met with Nixon, but this did not stop him from obtaining his iconic image, it helped him. His rebellious image was so controversial that when he first performed on television viewers were unable to see below his hips because of his scandalous movements. Everything he seemed to do went against the social norms of the time. This may have been because he came from a neighborhood that was not common to white people at the time so he did not have any white social norms to follow.

While I was watching him in King Creole I couldn’t help but think of James Dean in A Rebel Without a Cause and how both of their characters showed the struggle within themselves as an American male. They both provided sexuality in masculinity that made girls go wild and guys aspire to be. They both changed the ideological of manhood they were looked at with a sexually by women and idolized by men (Lott). Their characters pushed them to rebel against the traditional American boy, of following the image of their fathers. It seemed to me that both of the characters in their movies were nothing new to them as it reflected their real life image as heartthrobs that parents all over feared their teenagers would model.

1. What would an artist have to do today to obtain an iconic image like Elvis?
2. Are there any stars or celebrities today paving the same iconic image today?
3. What other stars at the time were on the same rebellious path as Elvis?