It was announced last week that billionaire Robert Sillerman bought control of Elvis Presley Enterprises, and there are strong concerns that he might crack down on Elvis impersonators in order to protect the Elvis brand.
The most likely way this might happen is that Elvis impersonators would have to get some kind of official authorisation if they want to continue performing.
Now, that could be through paying for a licence from EPE. However, Mr Sillerman also owns American Idol...
...you see where I'm going with this, right?
A massive series of Elvis Elimination Experiences would make for great TV* as different impersonators try to win the audience votes, and gain their official licences. Or perhaps a group of impersonators are summoned to appear each week, with the worst ones being banned from further public performance.
It would be fascinating to see the diverse mix of backgrounds and personalities, and their reasons for being Elvis impersonators.
With the zillions of Elvis impersonators around, this show could run and run. And it's got a ready-made catchphrase, for when the losers are voted off: "Elvis has left the building."
Tune in! Vote now! And find out which King will become *The* King!
*If not in the critical sense, at least in the corpulence stakes.-- imaginality, Apr 24 2006 Elvis Impersonators Under Threat http://www.nme.com/...elvis-presley/22830One of the news articles about this [imaginality, Apr 24 2006] Suspiciously Elvis http://www.suspiciouslyelvis.co.uk/Shameless plug for my favourite Elvis impersonator. Also does an excellent Tom Jones. [DrBob, May 09 2006] Dread Zeppelin http://www.dreadzeppelin.com/index2.htmlMy second favourite. [DrBob, May 09 2006] Official Elvis tribute artist contest http://www.guardian.../0,,2149603,00.htmlFinal takes place in Graceland this week [imaginality, Aug 16 2007] I'll be loading my six-gun and putting it by the couch in anticipation.-- Letsbuildafort, Apr 24 2006 I'll be stacking my couch up against the television in anticipation.-- skinflaps, Apr 24 2006 Can we call the winner the "King of Kings"? Just to further highlight the Elvis/Jesus similarities.
A bun for eliminating Elvi.-- baconbrain, Apr 24 2006 [baconbrain], love the plural, great word. *edits description*-- imaginality, Apr 25 2006 It would be an interesting project to try and eliminate all recordings, footage and photographs of Elvis and surreptitiously replace them with those of Paul Hyu, a.k.a. Chinese Elvis. I don't have anything against Elvis per se, I just feel that it's time for a change.-- wagster, Apr 25 2006 "It would be fascinating to see the diverse mix of backgrounds and personalities, and their reasons for being Elvis impersonators."
Mind-numbing, more like.-- RayfordSteele, Apr 26 2006 I think people would have trouble telling them apart thus choosing a favorite-- i-Mer, Apr 26 2006 [RayfordSteele], it *could* be interesting, seeing the real people, their individual quirks and uniquenesses, and then seeing those disappear as they become The King. Not to mention the human drama and the tension as the Elvi try to save their careers.
In any case, my target audience is the people who watch American Idol and the like, so standards don't have to be too high...-- imaginality, Apr 26 2006 "So, why did you become an Elvis impersonator?" Contestant #1: 'cause I looked like him and needed a job.' Contestant #2: 'cause it's fun.' Contestant #3: 'cause he's the King!' Contestant #4: 'cause I lost a bet one night at college' Contestant #5: 'cause I got stranded in Las Vegas...' Contestant #6: 'Impersonate? I AM Elvis!' Contestant #7: 'cause I had a frontal lobotomy...' Contestant #8: 'part of my deal with the devil...' Contestant #9: 'cause he dresses real neat' Contestant #10: 'for the babes, man!' Contestant #11: ' well, one night while I was puttin' the wheels back on the homestead, (got evicted for sumpthin' to do with mah pet skunk, accordin' to the note), I hit myself with the tire-iron and suddenly had this vision of the King himself, tellin' me to go and convert all to Elvis worshippers...
I dunno. In my mind it's usually hardly fascinating why people do things I consider rather dumb...-- RayfordSteele, Apr 27 2006 I like it. The fact that is is restrained to Elvis makes it kind of like haiku: the limitation makes the variation more interesting. One could require the singers to cover songs Elvis had recorded - still a lot of music. I like the idea of an updated Elvis - would he be like a southern Ricky Martin? Would he be a Christian rocker? Would he be a suave Baliwood bigpicture star? Roots folkster with a beard? All of the above? Oh yah!-- bungston, May 09 2006 <surreal pedantry> Actually, 'Elvi' would only work as the plural of 'Elvus'; the Latin plural of 'Elvis' would be 'Elves'. (Unfortunately it would be pronounced as two syllables, but let's ignore that). </sp>-- pertinax, Aug 17 2007 random, halfbakery