Elvis sightings

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Image:Elvissighting.jpgElvis sightings are a recurring phenomenon in which people claim to see American singer and rock star Elvis Presley, who is reported to have died in August 1977.

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Background

Presley was born in January 1935, so his projected age would not preclude the possibility that Elvis is still alive (as of 2006, he would be 71 years old). Critics of this would state that a number of Elvis impersonators can easily be mistaken for Elvis and that Elvis' fans merely don't want to believe he is actually dead.

Most people who believe Elvis is still alive posit that Elvis is spending the remainder of his life in solitude somewhere in the United States. Others posit extraterrestrial involvement, although these conspiracy theories may simply be an exercise in self-parody.

One meta-theory holds that stories of Elvis sightings are circulated by the CIA to discredit in advance stories of secret government weapons and activities. "Yeah, you saw a black plane that left regular puffballs of smoke behind it, and, by the way, Elvis just bought a doughnut in Kenosha."

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Media Examples

There have been many documented sightings of Elvis over the years and this has been a great source of inspiration for the mass media to draw upon. It is mainly to do with the unique iconic status that Elvis holds in society and that people still fail to grow tired about media articles about his life and works.

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Books

In 1987, Gail Brewer Giorgio wrote a book, Is Elvis Alive?, discussing the matter. She invited people to phone a premium-rate number to listen to her proof that he is. After one heard the proof, the caller would be instructed to make another premium-rate call to vote on if they believed Elvis was alive.

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Television

Various television shows have also had a field day poking fun at the urban legend, some examples of this are listed below:

  • In an episode of the sitcom ALF, Alf believed that his neighbor was actually Elvis after he took a peanut butter and banana sandwich.
  • The TV show Eerie Indiana featured Elvis in the show's introduction, suggesting that he was alive and well living in 'Eerie'.
  • The BBC television show called Give My Head Peace had a Christmas special entitled "The King and I"Template:Ref. This featured a plot line of Elvis saving one of the characters (Andy) from a very dangerous situation. After telling his friends the story, everyone is convinced that he is suffering from mental illness and in a bid to save him from the psychiatric ward, Mervyn (Andy's friend) takes him to Graceland to show him Elvis' grave and shock him back to reality. The plan backfires and Andy insists on digging up Elvis' coffin to check inside. After being chased back to Belfast, Mervyn is shocked into believing Andy in a comedy ending when Elvis himself (played by impersonator Martin FoxTemplate:Ref) pops around to check if Andy is OK.
  • In an early episode of In Living Color, they poked fun at Elvis sightings making a short spoof documentary similar to ones showing expeditions to find Bigfoot.
  • In 1991 and 1992, actor/director Bill Bixby (who starred in two movies with Presley and was also one of Elvis' close friends) hosted a program live from Las Vegas titled The Elvis Files. People called in to ask questions to an "expert panel" on why they thought Elvis was alive. Radio shock jock Howard Stern even called in to make fun of the program. At the end of the show, the final results of the call-in poll stated people believed Elvis was alive.
  • On an episode of The New WKRP in Cincinnati, someone called Les Nesman claiming to be Elvis, which later turned out to be a joke by a rival station.
  • On an episode of The Fairly Odd Parents, Chester and his dad stumble upon a "underground sandhouse" where Elvis is living.
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Film

Perhaps the idea of Elvis' non-death was taken to its logical conclusion in the 2002 movie Bubba Ho-tep in which Bruce Campbell plays a man in a nursing home who claims to be the real Elvis, and to have switched places with an Elvis impersonator named Sebastian Haff in the early 1970s.

In another theory mentioned by the movie Men in Black and Men in Black 2, it is mentioned that "The King is not dead, he just went home" (implying that Elvis was an alien who returned to his native planet).

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Video Games

As an in-joke, Grand Theft Auto III featured scattered newspaper front-covers which read "Zombie Elvis Lives"

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Trivia

  • Former bass back-up singer J.D. Sumner was one of the pallbearers at Elvis' burial service in 1977. He claims that Elvis' body was in the casket.
  • There is an official Elvis Sighting Society which is based at the Newport Restaurant in the Westboro section of Ottawa, Ontario. Restaurant Owner Moe Atallah is one of the founders of the group.
  • Sightings of Elvis in the Yukon Territory are completely believable, since "Tagish" Elvis Presley, a local resident, has not only legally adopted the name, but dresses as Elvis and believes he is a reincarnation of Elvis.
  • Many people have noticed that "Elvis" and "Lives" are anagrams of each other.
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References

  1. Template:NoteThe King and I Give My Head Peace - Episode 5, broadcast on 26th December 2003
  2. Template:Note Elvis Impersonator Martin Fox
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See also

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