Was Elvis a racist? - GoFuckYourself.com

Pornwolf · 08-15-2007, 07:46 PM

Really cool piece by Guralnick in the NY Times opinion section (if not as indepth as it could have been):

Quote:

Originally Posted by New York Times

August 11, 2007
Op-Ed Contributor
How Did Elvis Get Turned Into a Racist?
By PETER GURALNICK
ONE of the songs Elvis Presley liked to perform in the ?70s was Joe South?s ?Walk a Mile in My Shoes,? its message clearly spelled out in the title.

Sometimes he would preface it with the 1951 Hank Williams recitation ?Men With Broken Hearts,? which may well have been South?s original inspiration. ?You?ve never walked in that man?s shoes/Or saw things through his eyes/Or stood and watched with helpless hands/While the heart inside you dies.? For Elvis these two songs were as much about social justice as empathy and understanding: ?Help your brother along the road,? the Hank Williams number concluded, ?No matter where you start/For the God that made you made them, too/These men with broken hearts.?

In Elvis?s case, this simple lesson was not just a matter of paying lip service to an abstract principle.

It was what he believed, it was what his music had stood for from the start: the breakdown of barriers, both musical and racial. This is not, unfortunately, how it is always perceived 30 years after his death, the anniversary of which is on Thursday. When the singer Mary J. Blige expressed her reservations about performing one of his signature songs, she only gave voice to a view common in the African-American community. ?I prayed about it,? she said, ?because I know Elvis was a racist.?

Was he a racist? How did people come to that conclusion?

OG LennyT · 08-15-2007, 07:48 PM

yes he was, so what?

Flynn · 08-15-2007, 07:51 PM

I've never heard anything about him being racist. However I don't know much about him.

Monique Niccole · 08-15-2007, 08:04 PM

Elvis often toured with black background singers and a lot of his music is derived from black blues, gospel, and r&b of the period. At the end of the day, he appropriated a lot of black music, made it popular, and also ermployed a lot of black musicians. Now that doesn't necessarily make him NOT RACIST, but I think he was pretty progressive for his time. To flat out call him "racist" is a bit far fetched IMO.

Pornwolf · 08-15-2007, 08:10 PM

Public Enemy even put it in a song. Why would they say that?

Digipimp · 08-15-2007, 08:11 PM

motherfuck him and john wayne

CDSmith · 08-15-2007, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pornwolf

Public Enemy even put it in a song. Why would they say that?

Some blacks are very, and I mean VERY quick to play the racist card. Some even do it to further their cause of pointing the racist finger at whitey, and what bigger or better entity than Elvis to use to those ends?

Mary J Blige and the public enemy, are idiots. Plain and simple.

Elvis was anything but a racist. They are just twisting the meaning and intent of his songs to suit their own twisted ends.

Thankfully most others in the black community do not share their views.

Drake · 08-15-2007, 08:16 PM

No, and the article is right. He never made that statement yet the rumor lives on. PE got it wrong in their song.

I think it's been brought to Chuck D's attention but he came up with some bs response justifying having that line in Fight The Power. A shame.

Should just say it was a mistake based on a rumor he thought was true.

irinasp · 08-16-2007, 01:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flynn

I've never heard anything about him being racist. However I don't know much about him.

me too...

eroswebmaster · 08-16-2007, 01:45 AM

Elvis was a hero to most
But he never meant shit to me you see
Straight up racist that sucker was
Simple and plain
Motherfuck him and John Wayne
Cause I'm Black and I'm proud
I'm ready and hyped plus I'm amped
Most of my heroes don't appear on no stamp

AsianDivaGirlsWebDude · 08-16-2007, 01:50 AM

Nuff said...

ADG

dougeetx · 08-16-2007, 02:04 AM

Elvis was a hero to most but he never meant sh*te to me you see he's straight out racist the sucker was sent from a claim....

Muthafluck him and John Wayne!!

https://youtube.com/watch?v=jym-RtHHG0s

zand_stein · 08-16-2007, 02:08 AM

i dont have any knowledge about that..................
this is my first time i heard that............

08-15-2007, 07:48 PM	#2
OG LennyT Wall Street Pimp Industry Role: Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 14,345	yes he was, so what? __________________ Tradeking - my online broker \| 4.95 a trade \| make real $$

08-15-2007, 07:51 PM	#3
Flynn pr0's goat screwed me Industry Role: Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Seattle Posts: 2,083	I've never heard anything about him being racist. However I don't know much about him. __________________ blah blah blah

08-15-2007, 08:10 PM	#5
Pornwolf Drunk and Unruly Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Hollywood Posts: 22,712	Public Enemy even put it in a song. Why would they say that? __________________ I've trusted my sites to them for over a decade... Webair, bitches.

08-15-2007, 08:11 PM	#6
Digipimp BP4L OT DL Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: BP4L Swap Meet Posts: 13,481	motherfuck him and john wayne __________________ Still Hosting at Webair and You Should Be Too

08-15-2007, 08:16 PM	#8
Drake Hello world! Industry Role: Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 12,508	No, and the article is right. He never made that statement yet the rumor lives on. PE got it wrong in their song. I think it's been brought to Chuck D's attention but he came up with some bs response justifying having that line in Fight The Power. A shame. Should just say it was a mistake based on a rumor he thought was true. Last edited by Drake; 08-15-2007 at 08:19 PM..

08-15-2007, 08:04 PM	#4
Monique Niccole Confirmed User Industry Role: Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: San Francisco Posts: 5,653	Elvis often toured with black background singers and a lot of his music is derived from black blues, gospel, and r&b of the period. At the end of the day, he appropriated a lot of black music, made it popular, and also ermployed a lot of black musicians. Now that doesn't necessarily make him NOT RACIST, but I think he was pretty progressive for his time. To flat out call him "racist" is a bit far fetched IMO.

08-16-2007, 01:45 AM	#10
eroswebmaster March 1st, 2003 Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Seat 4 @ Venetian Poker Room Posts: 20,295	Elvis was a hero to most But he never meant shit to me you see Straight up racist that sucker was Simple and plain Motherfuck him and John Wayne Cause I'm Black and I'm proud I'm ready and hyped plus I'm amped Most of my heroes don't appear on no stamp __________________ For rent - ICQ 127-027-910 Click here for more details

08-16-2007, 01:50 AM	#11
AsianDivaGirlsWebDude Purveyor, Fine Asian Porn Industry Role: Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: San Francisco Bay Area Posts: 38,323	Nuff said... ADG __________________ Asian Diva Girls - Exclusive Photos and Videos Asian Diva Girls Affiliate Program (50% ccBill Revshare)

08-16-2007, 02:04 AM	#12
dougeetx Confirmed User Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 6,163	Elvis was a hero to most but he never meant sh*te to me you see he's straight out racist the sucker was sent from a claim.... Muthafluck him and John Wayne!! https://youtube.com/watch?v=jym-RtHHG0s __________________ Coming Soon! A NEW revolution in black adult social networking!

08-16-2007, 02:08 AM	#13
zand_stein Confirmed User Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 1,438	i dont have any knowledge about that.................. this is my first time i heard that............ __________________ Paying Affiliates DAILY by ePassporte!