Elvis Presley vs. Michael Jackson Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Elvis Presley vs. Michael Jackson - Essay Example From this research it is clear that a major similarity between Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson was eccentricity. Elvis and Michael belonged to working class families which shaped their lives in the future. Yet they exhibited talent at a very young age and eventually used their voices for attaining success in life. They had the uncanny ability to mesmerize crowds and entertain them in an exhilarating manner. Each celebrity had a unique way of enthralling the audience as evidence in Michael’s dancing and Elvis’s great voice. Elvis’s Jungle Room and Michael’s Neverland have become an integral part of pop culture folklore. Michael was inspired by Disneyland that was restructured as representing the ideal definition of a pop legend’s home. The fame accompanied by stardom was marred by feelings of loneliness for both the King of Rock and Roll and the King of Pop. Elvis sought to escape the scrutinizing judgment meted by the world by creating an impenetr able barrier composed of close friends and associates. Similarly, Michael Jackson retreated to an artificial environment that was characterized by childlike behavior. Both artists sought to fight loneliness because the external world was dubbed to have sinister motives that would pry into their lives. Possibly the greatest similarity in both artists’ lives was the presence of Lisa Marie Presley. She was the daughter of Elvis Presley and the wife of Michael Jackson at one time. She had a profound influence in the lives of both artists. Public celebrities have an intrinsic desire for perfection since they consider themselves to be role models for millions of fans. The quest to attain perfection in life was a recurrent theme in the lives of both Michael and Elvis. This was accomplished through several adventures with plastic surgery. Michael’s experiences with plastic surgery have now become legendary in the popular media. Similarly, Elvis got a facelift as a quick remedy to enhance his public image. Extreme fame often brings with itself stress and anxiety to celebrities whose public and private lives are always under the prying eyes of the world. Such situations eventually lead to celebrities taking prescription drugs as a means of fighting loneliness and increasing self-awareness. Presley and Jackson could not escape the inevitable drift towards prescription drugs as they fought to suppress the pain that emanated from loneliness. Elvis Presley’s death in 1977 would spawn a number of rumors that he did not actually die on that day. These rumors have eventually led to extensive debates among fans about Elvis’s death. Interestingly, the death of Michael Jackson has also spawned some of the same rumors that spread in Elvis’s case. Elvis Presley had a radically different cultural impact because he was responsible for creating a vibrant youth culture and challenging conservative attitudes in the post-world war society. He was a musi c rebel who inspired scores of groups and musicians throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Michael on the other hand