Utah Religious Object to Elvis Presley Lyrics in School Play
About Michael John ScottMr. Scott is the owner and publisher of Mad Mike's America. He is a U.S. Army veteran, career law enforcement executive, and dog trainer. He is a university professor, and criminal justice consultant, holding several degrees, including a master's in criminal justice and human services. He has completed the requisite coursework toward his doctorate, and is still working on his dissertation.
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Even after all these years the nutters are still banging on the late Elvis Presley, claiming his song lyrics were somehow demonic and intended to promote sexual promiscuity. If only there were a God who could save us from the current God’s whacked out followers.
Elvis Presley
A Utah parent almost got the local high school’s performance of the Elvis Presley-themed musical All Shook Up canceled … but the school got around the problem by changing such wildly controversial lyrics as, “Her lips are like a volcano that’s hot.” The initial decision to cancel the musical was reversed yesterday by administrators at Herriman High School, south of Salt Lake City, the AP reports. The about-face came after they received the OK from All Shook Up‘s copyright owners to edit some of Presley’s songs and adjust a scene in the musical, which puts a modern twist on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.
“We wanted to make some changes to keep the play within community values,” says a school district spokesperson. Some of Presley’s song lyrics together with a scene suggesting cross-dressing—Twelfth Night, of course, involves a female castaway dressing as a male in ancient Europe—were deemed offensive by the unnamed parent. But others believe school administrators folded too easily at the start. “I’m at a loss,” one told the Salt Lake Tribune. “They’re singing Elvis songs. A girl dresses up as a boy and kisses a boy. … It’s not promoting homosexuality. It was supposed to be a farce.”
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James Smith
January 5, 2013 at 9:48 am
The real farce is the religious nutter demanding that everyone march to the tune of his delusions.
Personally, I would have invited him to obey the biblical imperative to “Go forth and Multiply thyself.” (Brother Dave Gardener, 1964)
Michael John Scott
January 5, 2013 at 11:14 am
I like that one James!
James Smith
January 5, 2013 at 12:09 pm
Brother Dave was a favorite of mine. My Dad said he may have been a distant relation on his mother’s side. But I’ve have been told the same about Paul McCartney, too. That would be on my mother’s side as her family name was McCartney. If either was true it’s probably about the same genetic connection is I have to Genghis Khan, 0.5%.
Bill Formby
January 5, 2013 at 2:23 pm
James, many people outside of the South know not of Brother Dave. I use to catch his act regularly at a place called Gus Stevens in Biloxi. He was one of the funniest story tellers around. “Charles and Baby and the motorcycle” is still my favorite. Also, the saying that “You can’t do something again, you can do something simlar, but you can’t do it again because its already be done.”
James Smith
January 5, 2013 at 2:37 pm
I lived in SW Virgina and Alabama in those days. My favorite was, “People tell me I could be a preacher and make a million dollars. If I was a preacher, what would I spend it on?” These days, that wouldn’t be a rational question, would it?
Bill Formby
January 5, 2013 at 2:27 pm
These idiots are still stuck in the 1950′s. Anderson Cooper reported on a high school in Idaho whose parents would not let them chose the “Cougar” as their mascot because of the connotation connected to cougars being older women chasing young men. The kids had to change it to Badgers. The nutters are really nutty.
RickRay
January 5, 2013 at 10:10 am
I don’t think Elvis ever left the building. He’s still incognito amongst us. In ghost form of course. He must be shakin’ his head at the religious nutters. Even though Elvis was religious and died at 42, he was still a favorite of mine.
Michael John Scott
January 5, 2013 at 11:13 am
He was also a favorite of mine Rick, and I think I have everything he’s ever done.
Les Carpenter
January 5, 2013 at 12:30 pm
Only in America. Oh, and in the Muslim world. Comical really.
James Smith
January 5, 2013 at 1:31 pm
What’s ironic to me is that Elvis was quite religious.
Michael John Scott
January 8, 2013 at 11:41 am
That irony struck me as well James.
James Smith
January 8, 2013 at 1:09 pm
Irony and contradictions rarely seem to make an impression on the religious reich.
Les Carpenter
January 5, 2013 at 1:33 pm
Only in America. I often wondered how the “nutters” missed the fact Elvis was in fact quite religious. Some of his finest work vocal work was his Gospel. Of course the “mutters” overlook the fact the only award he received was for his Gospel. Go figure.
Well to be fair maybe it isn’t only in America.
James Smith
January 5, 2013 at 1:38 pm
Les, the religious reich can ignore or deny anything that doesn’t fit their agenda or twisted world view.
I wasn’t aware that the only award he ever received was for gospel. Was it for a particular album of general contributions to the form?
Les Carpenter
January 5, 2013 at 3:12 pm
It was for Inspirational. Google ‘Elvis Presley Grammy Awards’ he was actually nominated 18 times, winning only once for gospel.
Yet the “mutters” remain clueless. Elvis was indeed a great performer, he was also a well read individual as well as a person with great acting ability. On the level of James Dean and Johnny Depp. It is too bad the Cornell pursued casting him in only B or C rate movies.
In reality Elvis was a rare talent. Often misunderstood, like so many rare talents.