It's surely one of the signs of the impending apocalypse or perhaps yet just another indicator of my ongoing state of decay, but a friend of mine related this sad tale to me. The context doesn't matter but in an attempt at a light humorous response to an online thread of conversation my friend simply posted the following phrase: "Elvis has left the building." It's literal meaning was just what it says, used by folks in auditoriums and stadiums and such to let the faithful know that their hero was no longer present and they needed to drift to the parking lot. This onetime iconic phrase has also been for most my life at least, a wry commentary on any activity which has lost its focus or point or purpose. Where once a thing meant something it no longer does, the context having shifted or key elements having drifted out of focus or the significance of a thing having lost its saliency. It can also mean simply that one is separating from a situation. It's proven to be a pretty powerful metaphor.
All of these variations are keyed to one unassailable fact -- that everyone knew who Elvis Presley was. But alas I'm here to report that Elvis is no longer a permanent or ubiquitous fixture of the pop cultural landscape. Because when my friend inputted the phrase " Elvis has left the building." the nonchalant yet earth-shaking response was merely "Who's Elvis?" This remarkable query was offered by a youth who in the vitality of her existence does not know or has not had the foresight to make herself cognizant of what once was once everyday knowledge in her forefather's day. I can suggest that the child is bereft of knowledge and hence possibly wisdom also, or I can face the simple and dreadful fact that like so much of the Twentieth Century which was my heyday, the "here and now" is slowly but relentlessly replacing the "there and then" and in the fullness of time will expunge nearly all of it.
As we used to say once upon a time -- "Elvis has left the building." Time to look for the exits amigos.
Rip Off
We all tend to think of 'our' period being 'the' period, but it's surprising how quickly we go from being participants in life to being mere spectators - while wondering exactly when we were relegated. At one time it seemed like all music and movies were for us, then one day we realise it's now suddenly all being made for youngsters - and we're not included. I'm constantly amazed that young people (and when I say young, I'm including people in their 30s and 40s) don't know who Bob Hope is (or was), or Boris Karloff, Jimmy Cagney, etc.
ReplyDeleteI think part of the explanation is that, in my day, households tended to have one TV, and without central heating, families congregated in one room around the 'goggle box'. Children therefore mainly watched what their parents watched and kids became familiar with actors, singers, etc., from before their time. Nowadays, every room in every house seems to have a TV and kids can watch what they want, so there isn't that shared experience among families, alas. The generation gap is getting wider all the time.
True words there my friend. The shared experience is less easy to come by these days. I love to revel in the past, but as we've seen in my country recently, attempts to bring back some mythic era of imagined glory can be most unhealthy.
DeleteGreat post Rip and an excellent reply from Kid which I think covers most of my thoughts on the subject. Of course it is also only natural that every new generation will want to gravitate to their own heroes, films, music, fashion etc and create tomorrows icons and not look back at their parents / grandparents heroes (which arguably may or may not be in the same league as pervious icons – it’s the latter lol). Of course it may also have been the case that this girl knew who Elvis was but didn’t relate him to the phrase “Elvis has left the building” as Elvis still shifts some amount of music 44 years after his death. The interesting nugget of info would have been when they asked “who was Elvis” did the reply jog their memory. But really should we even expect a teenager (assuming she was a teenager/ early 20s) to be aware of things attributed to a pop icon that died 26 years prior to their birth. Of course the subject can run both ways why should an 18 year old know who Bob Hope was do we know much about Drake , Kanye West or Nicki Minaj etc - we are simply just getting really old and becoming obsolete.
ReplyDeleteApparently she did not know who Elvis was at all. It's part of the same tragic lack of historical knowledge that blends things like WWII and Vietnam in the minds of too many kids who now see the 20th century like I used to look at the 19th.
DeleteSad sign of the times Rip and I hope I can educate my three grandsons much as my wife and I did with my son and daughter to appreciate the people of the past in films, T.V. and music, I like to to think we did a good job and fingers crossed will continue to do so and although the phrase "Elvis has left the building" may be lost to some, I suspect there will be a whole new generation out there who may with help learn of the significance of that phrase, fingers crossed.
ReplyDeleteIt's sad, but also of course it's inevitable. Time marches on and waits for no man or beast. I'm watching a show right now about a Victorian farm and learned that the era predates the "Happy Birthday" song -- didn't know that.
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