Elvis Presely influence on American Society investigation
A Plan of Investigation How did the ‘King of Rock and Roll,’ Elvis Presley influence American Society in the 1950’s and 60’s? This investigation will seek out and evaluate how “Rock and Roll” impacted American Culture and attitudes. The investigations will mainly focus on the “King of Rock and Roll,” Elvis Presley, and evaluate what aspects of society he challenged and helped change such as American attitudes towards race, sexuality and teenagers ideological foundations. Elvis’s impact on these particular ideas is then analyzed for their importance and the relevance they served in changing American attitudes from the moment he stepped on the “Rock and Roll” scene, to this very day. B Summary of Evidence When Elvis entered the music business, America was a racially divided. ... However, Elvis helped change American attitudes towards race to a large extent. When Elvis began his singing career, he was immediately known as the “white man with the black mans voice. ... Elvis’s music also appealed to sexuality and Americans attitudes towards it. Before Elvis, America was not as sexually uninhibited nor wild and free as they were after Elvis hit the music scene. ... However, that quickly changed once Elvis had something to say about it. Elvis music took America’s traditional attitudes towards these ideas and “shook things up.” Elvis’s music changed American’s attitudes, mainly the younger, to nothing but “sex, drugs and rock and roll,” as America’s youth fell in love with rock and roll’s ‘wild and rebellious’ rhythms. ... Due to the sexuality that Elvis represented, whenever he appeared on Television, the camera was not allowed to go below his waist because the network was scared of what he might do, as he was known for his outrageous and sexual dancing (Appendix A). ... However, Elvis slowly changed American attitudes toward sexuality and his fans loved the freedom and power of having their own ideological values.