[ecrea] Call For Papers: 'Always On Their Mind': Elvis Presley and Consumer Culture

Call for Papers:

“Always On Their Mind”: Elvis Presley and Consumer Culture

*3rd June, 2017*

University of Kent, UK

We invite proposals for an interdisciplinary conference on the star 
persona of Elvis Presley. The one-day event will be held at the 
University of Kent on the 3^rd of June, 2017.

Since Elvis Presley’s rise to stardom, his star image and persona has 
been used to sell products. However, it is through his death that his 
name and image can be found in seemingly unrelated locations and 
commodities. The estate’s company, Elvis Presley Enterprises, has 
attempted to further Presley’s fanbase through re-releases of his music, 
Graceland, and most recently, an exhibit at the O2, London. The combined 
effort of the Authentic Brands Company, EPE, and the ability to 
re-create Presley through fictional and non-fictional texts, has allowed 
Presley a unique position in contemporary culture.

To celebrate the upcoming 40^th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death, 
this conference will attempt to re-evaluate and explore how Presley’s 
star persona continues to be a commercial success. Commodities; re-runs 
of television documentaries and concerts; re-mixes of Presley’s music; 
tourist attractions and the expansion of Graceland’s entertainment 
complex, are just a few of the ways that Presley’s ubiquitous stardom is 
presented and sold to contemporary society. Through this conference we 
would like to explore the connections between consumer culture and 
stardom, analysing how Presley’s star history has allowed his continued 
presence in today’s culture.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

   * The legal restrictions on Presley’s image
   * The history of Elvis Presley Enterprises
   * Musical legacy
   * Fashion, style and Elvis
   * The re-mixes of Presley’s Sun and/or RCA recordings
   * Graceland’s history and/or recent expansion
   * Tourist attractions and events
   * Re-runs of documentaries, concerts or films
   * Contemporary duets, such as with Michael Bublé or Barbara Streisand
   * Collectors
   * Fans’ reaction to consumer goods
   * The biography
   * Fan magazines/special issues
   * Impersonator competitions and/or the business of performing as Elvis
   * Multimedia concerts and Presley holograms

The conference welcomes abstracts for video essays, performance, 
multi-media presentations and traditional papers. Please note that 
outstanding papers will be offered a chapter within a publication. In 
addition to the conference, participants are invited to take part in a 
screening of a Presley concert, with potential other Presley activities 
yet to be confirmed.

Potential contributors should submit abstracts of 300 words and a short 
biography to (alwaysontheirmind /at/ gmail.com) 
<mailto:(alwaysontheirmind /at/ gmail.com)> by December 31^st , 2016.


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