Presleystroika: A comparison
"Presleystroika" is an essay about the effect of pop culture on the development of a person, as well as the development of a generation. The Elvis threesome represented the ideal world, in which life was enjoyable, in which women no longer had to be subject to the injustices and expectations of reality. By using the troika, the real Elvis and Vlado as the Leningrad and Moscow Elvis, the narrator seems to be making a comment on how one's social standing and culture shape our perception of entertainment. Whereas Brother Baker, as an American, considered Elvis a Communist, the Russians saw him as a change to their communist ways.She describes the real Elvis as the "Lenin of Lust", joining the different cultures and portraying their similar effects on the audiences. Whereas in America he was responsible for making girls realize that there was more to life than "Betty Crocker cake mixes and crying babies" (pg. 209), in Leningrad and in Moscow "Elvis" brought to them a sense of hope for change, where breadlines would not always be the reality. This icon, be it real or an impersonation, made them realize that they could break the cycle and not lead the lives thei
He did not conform to society's expectations of a singer; he brought about a new era in music and a brand new way of thinking to the masses. The difference between the Elvis that appeared in Biloxi and the "Vegas Elvis" is not explained either, it is presumed that the readers are aware of his physical and behavioral changes. In Russia, he stands for everything that the American Elvis did, the fame and glamour and sparkling jumper suits. The essay assumes that readers are aware of the situation in Moscow during the early nineties because it does not delve into details of the country's problems, nor does it give details as to the outcome. Readers are also expected to know whom the "old-line Communists" were and what they stood for. The essay assumes that the readers will know that Elvis was a white man singing the blues and that he set himself apart from society's norms, just by being himself. As well, the essay does not mention the consequences of the "coup d'etat;" stating if it could lead to a civil war or not would have put it in the right context. I believe I am closer to understanding the American Elvis. Vlado, on the other hand, is simply an impersonator. It also does not lend any insight to Gorbachev's health problems and it does not confirm or deny that he is actually alive. The iconic Elvis can be best described by, "Elvis let the black cat out of the pink bag, and it was a slinky, sexy cat" (pg. In America, people brace change because they live in country where political ideals are not punishable. And once hope was part of them, his fans, like the narrator, had the courage to change their lives and head to New Orleans at the young age of eighteen.
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Acceptance Essays
