ELVIS LIVES

All this week ABC’s Good Morning America program hosted the Apotheosis of Elvis Presley. That is, his exaltation to divine status. However, reaching the state of near deity isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. He still has to wait in line behind George Washington for a vacancy in the Trinity. But the King of, well, not kings but rock-n-roll I suppose, still lives in the hearts of Americans with way too much time on their hands.

This morning the worship service concluded with a posthumous duet between the deified Elvis and his still living daughter, Lisa Marie. Now I like a lot of Elvis’ music. I thought Lisa Marie's mother was fetching in those Naked Gun movies. But I was not moved to worship along with the rest of the network congregation. I think it was the calculated tear, rolling down Lisa Marie’s cheek that really turned my stomach.

I mean, give me a break! In The Ghetto? It was hyped as some sort of majorly compassionate song. Silly me, I always thought of it as crass blacksploitation; white, liberal guilt on display, so no one can question the depths of white, liberal angst. Don’t get me wrong, the plight of poor, inner-city black families is often desperate, to be sure, but should we callously add insult to injury by telling them that In The Ghetto ranks up there with We Shall Overcome?

So I’m asking you to take part in a little survey; completely unscientific, of course. Here goes:

When I hear Elvis singing In The Ghetto, I…

A. Get a sob in my breathing while a compassionate tear rolls

down my cheek for the plight of poor, inner-city black

families.

B. Roll my eyes and hit the station tuner button.

C. No, Don the Baptist, I…___________________________________________

Please let me know your answers by posting in the comments section.