Elvis Presley Would've Made a Poor President

Helloo0O Ladies and Gentlemen!

Welcome back to Graceland Ontario, your one stop location for linking the life lessons of the King back to your own future. Today we're going to talk about the other week’s American election. And by the end, even you'll be saying how Elvis, despite his popularity and royal status, could never have made a good president.

So, as most of you probably know (especially you American readers), President Barack Obama made a successful return to office, defeating Republican challenger Mitt Romney. Here comes another fours years of stability.

 

And given the hugeness of the American elections, I couldn’t help link the hype up to my favourite American. That's right - Elvis.

Elvis is an American icon. He stood for what American's pride themselves on - sexual energy, charm, fun, strength, a nice smile. He's one of the U.S.'s best beloved citizens.

 

Bu the more I think about it, the more I think he would've sucked as a President.

"But why? If he's the perfect American and the presidency is the summit for a citizen trying to shape his country, surely Elvis would've made a great President."

Well maybe, at first. But after a while it would've all turned sour. I mean, besides the bad press politicians tend to get (which just sucks in selling records and movies), Elvis would've been penne pasta in a bowl of horseshoes.

You see, Elvis was all about change. You can look at any part of his 23 year long career and it would've looked different to the rest. Sure, there are some similarities between certain years, say 1957 and 1958. But take a good look and you'll realise Elvis wasn't the same. He'd augmented his look, his hair, his music, his clothes. He was a constantly changing kaleidoscope of a person. He never did something exactly the same way twice, and that applied to just about everything in his life.

 

Who knows why he was like this. Maybe it was because he was a bit hyperactive (I mean, have you seen him dance?!) and maybe it was because his manager Colonel Parker was always there to push him in a different direction. But, he certainly never sat in the same spot too long.

From a glance, one would think that Elvis's love of change would've made him perfectly suited to the presidency. Heck, isn't change the point of being the country's CEO? Seeing what’s wrong with things and trying to change them for the better?

 

But the more I look at the election and government in general (unless you live in Sierra Leone), the more I see the point of the presidency and government is to create consistency rather than unpredictably, smoothness rather than insanity.

Whatever the new Obama administration does, it will likely not be radical compared to past changes. I mean, the government of the U.S. does move a little - they never used to have healthcare until the last couple years (though, even that was heavily opposed). But most of the time, you'll hear the same things about presidents - some people love 'em for doing one thing or standing for another and the rest hate 'em for not doing something or opposing something else. There will be wars, there will be suffering and who gets blamed? The guy at the top. The CEO. The President.

 

This lack of change to me seems a reflection of the government's role - to represent the people. Most people don't like change; they're set in their ways. They wonder why change is necessary and are scared when it occurs. And, even when it would be in their interest to do something differently, they'll hide from the idea because they're worried about what the end will bring about.

You notice the other thing about most people - they're not rich, they're not famous, they're not happy and they're not successful.

Now, maybe change didn't get Elvis where he was but it helped. Had he not changed, he would've found himself kicked out by his competition long ago. I mean, not too many fifties stars kept charting hits after the Beatles and the British Invasion came along. That is, except the King. He'd changed so drastically between what he had been a decade before and what he was then he was still able to create interest in his name. And, therefore, his career survived.

So, the government is static, Elvis changed. The government represents a largely unhappy group of people, Elvis was successful. Barack Obama may or may not be a good president, Elvis likely wouldn't have.

 

But, whatever the government does, you still have a choice. You can change like Elvis, given the benefits it offered him, or be like an average Joe - and take all that comes with that, too. You can keep reinventing yourself, living your life on the line so whenever people talk to you, you always sparkle like new, or you can do the same thing day in and day out and take the mediocrity that can bring.

You can be a good President, acting similarly term after term, accepting what is, or you can be like Elvis, like the King. And surf the wave of change that he did, the wage of success.

 

Elvis's Lessons:

Elvis Presley probably wouldn't have made a good President. Presidents maintain the status quo, Elvis was constantly in change. But the President reflects the will of the people and most people don't like change either. Neither are they successful. Elvis took change, reinventing himself so his career could survive even when the British Invasion influenced the musical landscape forever.  You can be a good President and stay the same or you can be like the King and change - staying the same is easier but you've got to pay a price for inertia. And those dollars are made of success. The choice is yours.

P.S. Remember to leave a comment below this post or email me at alexghilson@gmail.com to talk about this post. I'd be glad to discuss its content with you.

P.P.S. If you're interested in listening to Elvis from one of his most different movies, here's a Youtube video of him singing “Change of Habit”.

If you like this update, you might also like these other FR.EE Graceland Ontario posts:

• The Elvisian Diamond Jubilee Special 
• Move On When It's Time
• 35 Years Without Elvis (And Why He's So Popular Today) 
• High Expectations
• Elvis, Sir Isaac Brock and the Success Constant 
• He Who Does Not Sympathize, Loses...

35 Years Without Elvis (And Why He’s So Popular Today)

Helloo0O Ladies and Gentlemen!!!

Welcome back to Graceland Ontario, your one stop blog for learning success lessons from the actions of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Today, we’re delaying the final Olympic Blog Post for one more week to talk about your enduring popularity. I hope you enjoy it!

So, if you’re a big Elvis fan, you probably know that on August 16^th 2012 Elvis Presley celebrated 35 years of no-Elvis. Yep, it was the anniversary of his death. Yet, a crowd still showed up at Graceland, they stilled played Elvis records on the radio, Elvis Presley Enterprises still made money. 35 years after his death, Elvis is still popular.

“Why?”

He’s got a brand; a set of distinctive attributes that can be uniquely associated with him.

“But he’s a person, a dead person. How can he have a brand?”

Well, it’s what he did while he was alive that made it possible −the songs, the looks, the pictures, they were all part of his image when he was alive, but they also gave him immortality. You see, as soon as he died, people could then use what he created in life to keep making money in the future.

He had the fashions that made him unique, the jumpsuits, the Tupelo Gold Suit. People recognized Elvis’s image, with the sideburns and slicked back hair, and it could be used to market him after death as well as in life.

So Elvis Presley Enterprises (E. P. E.) took control. Graceland became the base, the centre where Elvis fans could meet and reminisce. The products remained Elvis’s tracks and movies, which could be re-mastered and remixed as much as needed. Then there were the spin-off products; the books, the posters, the t-shirts and dolls, the licensing. Collecting royalties from all this made Elvis one of the highest paid dead-men in the world.

But that’s not good enough − the brand must be dynamic; it must move and change and twist and keep growing. Remember the old business adage? If you’re not growing, you’re dieing − and E.P. Enterprises knew that so they kept changing things, remodelling this and that, putting out new publicity campaigns, licensing new odds and dodds.

And what has it brought them? A successful business thriving thirty five years after the man who inspired it was discovered dead in his Graceland bathroom. It worked for Elvis and it can work for you.

The key is not to be boring. When you don’t grow, that’s predictable, that’s boring and that won’t make you any money. On the other hand, when you create an exciting brand, a cool brand, as Apple’s done, and keep growing even when the inspiration for the business has been dead for thirty five years, it keeps you on top of the tower.

So, what’s important for you? Get your brand going. Whether you know it or not, the way you show yourself, your business, the place you hold up, the stuff you create or sell is all part of that brand. Advertise that brand as E.P. Enterprises has and collect for the image you promote. Then, keep growing the brand. Don’t change everything but adding this and taking that away, improving this and innovating that keeps you growing. And as long as you’re growing, you won’t be dieing. That’s how Elvis did it.

So, thirty five years on, Elvis isn’t dead, not really. He’s a living, growing entity with a unique brand. And as long as that brand keeps growing, he’ll never die. He’ll be immortal.

Elvis’s Lessons:

Create a brand. A brand is a set of attributes (like a house, image, fashion, book, recordings, t-shirt, etc) that can be associated with you. Then, as Elvis’s estate did, change the brand slowly so that it keeps growing and never dies. When you have your brand - with its subtle changes over time - you will be moving towards Elvis’s current station, true immortality.

Creating a brand is like creating an image, it reflects who you are and what you stand for. For more on creating an image, check out what I say about it in this post.

P.S. This ’35 years without Elvis’ post happened to be my 35^th post, and not purposely − it makes you wonder…

P.P.S. Remember to leave a comment − I’d love to hear from you.

P.P.S. If you’d like to see a Youtube clip from Graceland this year, 35 years after Elvis’s death, here’s a news broadcast with Elvis's ex-wife and daughter, Priscilla and Lisa Marie, talking about Elvis's legacy.

"Image Scrimmage"

Hey Guys,

Have you ever been told that you have great hair? That your eyes are bright and beautiful? That you’re so tall or so small? Well, all these things contribute to one thing about you, and no, I’m not talking about self-esteem. I’m talking about image.

“Image scrimmage… why should I care about that?”

Because it’s what makes you unique. And people remember others who are unique or original. People who look normal will be treated like normal people − they’ll be ignored. Someone who’s different, on the other hand, stands a good chance of being remembered. Being remembered by new acquaintances, being remembered by new business opportunities, being remembered when they get read about in the press.

So, let’s go back to our pal Elvis Presley. He really had an image, and knew who to swing it. Let’s examine parts of this image, shall we…

Sideburns

Sideburns were not very popular in the 50’s. Take a look at ninety percent of the movies coming out Hollywood at the time (minus the Elvis ones) and you’ll notice the leading men, including Humphrey Bogart, Marlon Brando, James Dean and Frank Sinatra, did not sport sideburns. Hollywood’s portrayal of most attractive, modern men did not wear them, as they hadn’t in the 30’s or 40’s, as well. Elvis took a piece of facial hair that was out of fashion and by wearing it made himself unique while taking sideburns to a whole new level of interest. I mean, how many men inspired by Elvis grew sideburns in his example. I did…

Voice

Nobody talks like Elvis, but a lot of people attempt to. Elvis had such a versatile voice, which is probably why he was such a good singer. He could hit those low notes with such power while at the same time belting out the high ones. He could be mumble out an old 50’s ballad or yelp out “Burning Love” and still sound good, still sound like Elvis. And when he talked, he had that unique southern accent; fun loving but conservative − soft but full of expression. With the advent of the Elvis Impersonator (now, commonly, the Elvis Tribute Artist (ETA)), that voice has been heard more times than ever before. But we know one thing; every time we hear that sweet southern accent, it represents one man − Elvis Presley.

Clothes

Elvis had pretty typical suits in his youth. There was the time when he wore a ‘suit with tails’ on the Steve Allen show, or the time he wore the Tupelo Gold suit, but on the whole it was those popular 50’s sack suits. But wait until 1968, and in his comeback special came the birth of the Elvis jumpsuit. It was tight and black and leather, well fitted to the king’s curves and giving him full range of motion while he sang. It was such a hit that the white cloth one replaced it in the early 70’s in films like Elvis: That’s the Way it Is. Later on, they got fancier with more gold and jewels like the jumpsuits seen in Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii and all the way to the end of the King’s career. These outfits were so unique. Nobody used them but Elvis and when people did start taking to them, it was obvious who they copying. The jumpsuit became such a symbol of Elvis that it is still uniquely Elvis’s, even all these years after his death. People still associate it with him. That’s how strong an image can be.

Elvis’s Lessons:

• Get yourself an image! It’s not as hard as it might seem as in many cases it’s only emphasizing what you already have. For me, people notice my brown curly hair, my height, my eyes and my English accent. You can use anything essentially: hat, clothes (as Elvis did), hair, eyes, facial hair (as Elvis also did), a habit (such as running or reading), ANYTHING! But once you have a couple, people will remember you for what you are associated with (the image) as well as what you are, perhaps more so. You’ll become more distinctive than ever before, people will bear you mind and since people tend to be friendlier (or meaner, given the reputation) to people they now of, your success will be influenced by your new, distinctive image.

P.S. If you want to see Elvis sporting his sideburns, voice and jumpsuit, here's a Youtube link to Elvis singing "I'll Remember You" from Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii.

P.P.S. I would love to hear your ideas and memories as well as any feedback you have to my posts. Please make full use of the comment section!