I am indeed feeling all shook up these days…
Mm mm mm, mm, yay, yay, yay
Mm mm mm, mm, yay, yay, yay
I’m all shook up!
I went to the latest Elvis movie with my Mom, both my parents were huge Elvis fans and we were introduced to The King at a very young age. Baz Luhrmann isn’t always my cup of tea, but with this movie he outdid himself or maybe Austin Butler’s performance just overwhelms any “issues”.
I felt Tom Hanks (whom I generally adore) gave a choppy performance. Maybe the subject of his attempt was just too repulsive to convey. The film was lovely, but chilling with it’s overwhelming theme of exploitation.
I loved Austin Butler in The Shannara Chronicles so I knew he’d be brilliant, but this was absolutely stunning, Warning: Bring tissues. A grand movie about a talent beyond measure and exploitation beyond reason. I hope fame doesn’t chew and spit out Austin Butler the way it did Elvis.
- My memories of Elvis begin with Saturday morning chores. My parents were young and hip, and my Dad would do a “playlist” of 45s which he’d stack on our old giant stereo cabinet. The music designed to keep us all moving so we’d get our chores done quickly to get on with the weekend. This playlist always included some solid Elvis classics.
- I remember where I was when I heard Elvis passed. We were in Kingston visiting family, my brother and I were watching TV when the Breaking News of Elvis dying was announced. I went into the other room where my parents, aunts, grandparents were and said Elvis was dead. My Mom told me that wasn’t a funny joke. I said I wasn’t joking. My brother then confirmed it. We all went into the living room and there was a lot of crying.
- I don’t know how many times I’ve watched Elvis movies, ironically and unironically.
- My Mom thought my Dad looked like Elvis…my Dad was ok with that.
- I know the lyrics to many but not all 710 songs Elvis recorded.
- I like many but definitely not all covers of Elvis songs (though many of his songs were also covers…whoa, sounds like a cover-up to me).
- Elvis died at 42. That sucks.
But we can learn, can’t we? I hope we can. Stop falling for the snowmen, the con men, the ones who want to take our rights, scam us, snow us, trick us, diddle us, swindle, boondoggle, flimflam, all the grifters, including the ones in fancy suits with fancy cars in fancy offices and fancy bars. Stop arguing with each other on the internet. It’s not us versus them. It’s us being pummeled and saying yes sir, may I have another.
I was crying during the Elvis movie, partly because what was done to Elvis was awful but also, because it’s being done to me, to many of us every single day. We’re being chewed up and spit out, and all we do is blame other citizens, many of who are also suffering. We need affordable, secure, hopeful housing; we need affordable, secure food; we need affordable, accessible, consistent healthcare; we need transparency; we need politicians to keep their promises; we need a basic income, and above all, to be treated with basic human dignity, all this, for all. Times change. If something isn’t working, we need to change it. If we don’t change with them, adapt, well, survival of the fittest actually means survival of the most adaptable.
And I’m all shook up and I’m screaming at the top of my lungs (in my head)
Pretending the echoes of today, tomorrow, and yesterday belong to someone (they belong to all of us).
Mm mm mm, mm, yay, yay, yay
Mm mm mm, mm, yay, yay, yay
yadadarcyyada 