The Bowel Movement that Shook the World

I'm surprised that no one has apparently commented on the fact that today (well, what's left of it) is the twenty-sixth anniversary of Elvis Presley croaking on the toilet. Well, maybe that's not accurate: He was in the bathroom, though, so it's in the general area.

I've never been a big fan of "E", if only because the Beatles came along first into my music conciousness and plus I buy into the whole "stole the black man's rythm" arguement against him. But I live in the South, where three things are worshipped:

1.) Jesus 2.) Robert E. Lee 3.) Elvis

and he's unescapable in the world of pop culture. I grudginly acknowledge his place in history, and on a good day you might catch me even admitting that some of his songs aren't that bad (I have a soft spot for the '68 comeback special) but on the whole, I don't much care for him.

My sister on the other hand will most likely make the annual "pilgrimage" every August 16 as soon as she gets her license. I've tried everything, but I'm afraid her love for the non-Costello version will be unwavering.

So where do you stand on the Memphis hip-wiggling sensation? A fair question to pose, as well as how you observed the "King of Rock and Roll" on the anniversary of his "supposed" death (maybe it's the endless speculation about Elvis still in hiding somewhere that ruins the whole enchilada for me)? Me, I avoided the toilet at all costs :D

Well, my dad likes some of his stuff, but I never picked up on it. I heard a band play a few of his songs the other night and I couldn't help but think of Nicolas Cage crooning his way through Lynch's "Wild at Heart."

In other Elvis-related movie news, I'm looking forward to the new movie "Bubba Ho-Tep," which I missed at the Seattle Intl. Film Festival this year. None other than Bruce Campbell plays an elderly Elvis--the real one, since an Elvis impersonator was the one who they found dead, but he can't convince anyone that he's the real deal--and Ozzie Davis plays another old man in the retirement home who thinks he's JFK, despite being black (he claims they dyed him black). So the two old men have to fight an Epyptian mummy that's terrorizing things, as mummies tend to do. The trailer for the film is online now at apple.com/trailers and the movie's gotten some good reviews.

On the non-Elvis topic of toilets, I saw the Jackass movie today, and I must say that I don't think I'm ever going to ever view the john the same again, especially the ones on display at large hardware/home improvement stores.

Bloody hell, I can recall the day that Elvis had died, I called home from work as a 16 year old, my dad answered the phone, and I asked if my mom could pick me up. My dad said that she couldn't, she was crying cause Elvis had died. I told me dad, "I don't care.....I need a ride home from work NOW!!!" Ah, youth

He made way too many crappy movies, the only one I can recall liking was one where he was an Indian, Flaming Star was the title, I think. Only direct music I have related to Elvis is the NME tribute with Ian McCulloch, Springsteen, etc. Not a great purchase, but Viv Stanishall's take on No Room to Rhumba In A Sports Car is great, about the only reason I kept the disc in the first place.

Sorry to bug ya mom, but like Chuck D., Elvis never meant shit to me.

Also, I think it was the Food Network channel that aired a special on some of the food that Elvis liked. After seeing a demo on the making of a fried banana sandwich, I definitely said no thanks, sir.