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”.
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