The Coolest American Ever

[EarlJam]

Some were smarter. Some had more impact on the technology front. But for raw coolness, nothing tops the king. Had the looks, the moves, the voice, all of it. This stuff rocks....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5JALwwaASg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpCU7YeTikc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1Qo1eaWF8c

Then it all started going downhill..................

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VI94AsuvUUA

Until finally, this, which I think was his ultimate goal all along after the divorce and the death of his mother...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueSetZvE ... re=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KOlb1Dk ... re=related

Okay, in short, I'm an Elvis fan. Coolest American ever. Big heart too.

-EJ, who posts this for all other E fans out there.

[bjornolf]

He's a hysterical character in the Charlene Harris Southern Vampire novels. He's Bubba, the slightly crazy vampire. His "change" went wrong from all the drugs in his system and now he likes cat blood best and goes around doing crazy stuff. Also explains all the sightings of him since his death.

[cl15876]

Not sure I would call him the greatest/COOLEST American EVER (remember FONZIE?), but I am a HUGE ELVIS fan also.... I love the way my little man says "THANK YOU, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!!!" in his deepest 7 year old voice!!!!!!

[Miles]

EJ, Elvis was definitely one of the coolest Americans ever. Have you had a chance to go to Graceland?
A lot of people warned me that I was going to be disappointed and that there really wasn't much to see. But I was like a kid on Christmas Eve when the bus was pulling up to the front of the house. I thought is was wonderful and I had a blast.
If you haven't been, then you need to go. If you have been, then WE need to go again. Maybe crazietalk guys weekend in Memphis? Elvis, Graceland, Beale Street, ribs...

[Miles]

Not sure I would call him the greatest/COOLEST American EVER (remember FONZIE?), but I am a HUGE ELVIS fan also.... I love the way my little man says "THANK YOU, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!!!" in his deepest 7 year old voice!!!!!!

Fonzie was a character, though Henry Winkler is a badass. But Elvis was the real deal!!!

[bjornolf]

Elvis was a character too. He started as a man, but turned into a caricature of himself, IMHO.

[Miles]

Elvis was a character too. He started as a man, but turned into a caricature of himself, IMHO.

In what ways was he a caricature? Can you please elaborate?

[bjornolf]

Every year on the Don & Mike show, they used to celebrate Elvis Death Day. They'd read stories from the books about the King, things about his diet and the craziness his group participated in. The things that happened in his pool. The wild drug parties that they threw. His chimp named Scatter that he allowed to get drunk and sexually assault women. It ended up dying of a damaged liver from heavy drinking. The comments about being a government agent to help the DEA with his black belt when he was really taking enough drugs to float a cartel. His treatment of very young women. They were like gangsters, ruling Memphis. It was insane all the stuff they did. By the end, he was so drugged up and he couldn't even remember the words of his songs. It was embarrassing. Then there were the costumes and the capes and the sparkles. I don't know, just seemed like he became a caricature of himself to me.

[Miles]

Every year on the Don & Mike show, they used to celebrate Elvis Death Day. They'd read stories from the books about the King, things about his diet and the craziness his group participated in. The things that happened in his pool. The wild drug parties that they threw. His chimp named Scatter that he allowed to get drunk and sexually assault women. It ended up dying of a damaged liver from heavy drinking. The comments about being a government agent to help the DEA with his black belt when he was really taking enough drugs to float a cartel. His treatment of very young women. They were like gangsters, ruling Memphis. It was insane all the stuff they did. By the end, he was so drugged up and he couldn't even remember the words of his songs. It was embarrassing. Then there were the costumes and the capes and the sparkles. I don't know, just seemed like he became a caricature of himself to me.

I believe you might need to check some of the facts in your post:
Elvis died of heart failure, not because of his damaged liver. It wasn't heavy drinking that lead to his heart attack, it was a combination of abusing prescription drugs, alcohol and a serious issue with his diet.
Elvis became interested in martial arts while he was in the military. He earned his black bet after leaving the military. Elvis was invited to the White House and appointed an honorary member of the DEA, I don't think he took that role very seriously.
The Memphis Mafia were no more like gangsters than the Rat Pack were, and most of their "famed" exploits occurred outside of Memphis.
And the suits man, could Elvis really help it that it was the 70's?

Look, Elvis definitely had some issues and exploited his fame but what you're missing is that he was a tortured soul. Elvis struggled with his fame and was never the same man after his momma died. The guy could've used a few more hugs instead of pills. Sure, he had problems but I don't think he was a caricature of himself, I'll leave that distinction to all the impersonators around the world.

[wilson]

I believe you might need to check some of the facts in your post:
Elvis died of heart failure, not because of his damaged liver. It wasn't heavy drinking that lead to his heart attack, it was a combination of abusing prescription drugs, alcohol and a serious issue with his diet.

bjornolf's original point was that the boozing chimp, not Elvis, died of liver failure. And anyway, is it really any better to die on the shitter (which, yes, Elvis actually did) from drug abuse, unhealthy living, etc. than by drinking to excess?
I'm a big Elvis fan too (and for the record, I also loved Graceland), but I'd tend to agree with bjornolf's assessment of his twilight years.

[EarlJam]

Look, Elvis definitely had some issues and exploited his fame but what you're missing is that he was a tortured soul. Elvis struggled with his fame and was never the same man after his momma died. The guy could've used a few more hugs instead of pills. Sure, he had problems but I don't think he was a caricature of himself, I'll leave that distinction to all the impersonators around the world.

This is spot on. His divorce and the death of his mother destroyed him and he could never bring himself to recover. His self-destructive behavior, I believe, was a pre-meditated lifestyle designed to run the plane into the ground at full speed and end the suffering once and for all. In short, he stopped giving a sh*t.

-EJ

[bjornolf]

I believe you might need to check some of the facts in your post:
Elvis died of heart failure, not because of his damaged liver. It wasn't heavy drinking that lead to his heart attack, it was a combination of abusing prescription drugs, alcohol and a serious issue with his diet.

Chimp, not Elvis.

Elvis became interested in martial arts while he was in the military. He earned his black bet after leaving the military. Elvis was invited to the White House and appointed an honorary member of the DEA, I don't think he took that role very seriously.

The Don & Mike show used to play tapes on their show of him bragging about his black belt at concerts and threatening to come with the DEA and take out drug dealers and telling kids not to take drugs and stay in school. All the while, he was getting lit out of his mind with his buds.

The Memphis Mafia were no more like gangsters than the Rat Pack were, and most of their "famed" exploits occurred outside of Memphis.

There were a LOT of rumors of ties between Frank and the mob, actually. And with the Memphis Mafia, there were a LOT of stories about beating guys up and then buying them off, trips to hospitals with members that were nearly comatose from drugs and alcohol, again buying people off to avoid press, and other hi-jinx. A LOT of their craziness went on behind the closed doors of Graceland. I'm not worried about their more famous exploits. I'm talking about the day to day dirtiness of their actions.

And the suits man, could Elvis really help it that it was the 70's?

Didn't say I blamed him. They were kinda cool. But they DID add to my caricature opinion.

Look, Elvis definitely had some issues and exploited his fame but what you're missing is that he was a tortured soul. Elvis struggled with his fame and was never the same man after his momma died. The guy could've used a few more hugs instead of pills. Sure, he had problems but I don't think he was a caricature of himself, I'll leave that distinction to all the impersonators around the world.

Again, just my opinion. He was definitely a tortured soul. But he also treated a lot of women like crap, flaunted the law, and got into a lot of trouble and then bought people off. I still say he because a caricature of himself by the end, but that's just my opinion. You're welcome to disagree.