"The King"

In class we discuss Rock and Roll of the 1950s, and the artist I was most familiar with was Elvis. For some reason, whenever someone mentions Elvis I think of this documentary we watched last year in IB History that discussed the effects of his music on American culture of the period. I remember thinking how extraordinary it was that a single person could create such a movement in the adolescents of America, a nationwide phenomenon. He is always deemed the "King," and while I know he is not Mr. A's personal king of rock, the effect he had on the citizens of America was pretty incredible. From his haircut to his dance moves to the increasing demand for radios in homes, he really had a lasting impact on our society. It's nice to think that one person could create such a movement that unified the teenagers of their time. The world today is so broken, today's culture is so scattered among different groups that it's hard to imagine a unified country. Political parties constantly clawing at each other's throats don't really provide the most peaceful environment for progress. Elvis' music created a way for teens to express their desires in a way that brought them together. Now because we constantly judge each other based on music taste or clothing or hair or makeup or friends (the list goes on) that reaching that common ground seems virtually impossible. I know that there is not one artist that every student at Anderson can agree is the greatest, but considering the fact that America at one point had a similar idol ignites a feeble flame of hope that one day we can go back to that same sense of unity that Elvis gave our country.