Imagine living in a society where we collectively decide some people just get all the privilege to themselves, and the rest of us can just roll around in the mud, and everyone is ok and happy with that.
this post was submitted on 08 Jun 2025
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Elvis's War detail was all for show anyway. He was never anywhere near the front lines, spending two years in West Germany as a chauffer. Ffs, he didn't even live on base.
Both Elvis and his manager Colonel Tom himself recognized his tour of duty was far more about discouraging draft dodging from others than doing any kind of public service of his own. The bulk of his time abroad involved producing records positively reflecting on military life.
Yeah that would be fucking wild. I'm glad i cant even really imagine what that would be like.
It isn't a decision we made. Were born into a system that's the culmination of trillions of man hours. How do you one day look at that great beast, and between hundreds of millions of individuals with their own ideas, biases, social standings, etc all collectively decide to say no at the same time? It's a monumental task.
I agree in general, but I guess if you're talking specifically about how some people feel like they shouldn't be able to be drafted, I'd argue it's less an issue than the idea of drafting in general.
It was all a scam setup by his manager. He was never gonna wind up anywhere remotely near a battle
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_career_of_Elvis_Presley
"Scam" is an exaggeration. Your own Wikipedia link shows he declined a cushy entertainment position in Special Services. Twice. He completed the training, which he hated, and broke down in tears on multiple phone calls, describing his homesickness. As the most popular entertainer in the world at the time, he was of course given special privileges, but he was still a soldier. Soldiers have many duties and not all of them engage in direct combat. "Never winding up anywhere remotely near a battle" would have happened with anyone that famous (for political and strategic reasons), and certainly did for other rich, well-connected people...
You can read more about the scam they were referring to from Colonel Parker's Wikipedia article.
Presley had been showing signs of rebellion against Parker, and Parker believed that a stint in the Army would cure him of this. Parker was looking ahead when he persuaded Presley to become a soldier. Presley had wanted to join Special Services, allowing him the opportunity to perform while at the same time getting a more leisurely ride than other soldiers. Parker, on the other hand, was fully aware that any particular treatment given to Presley would instantly be used against him in the media and by those who disliked his style of music. If Presley could show the world that he was treated the same as any other young man, Parker told him, then more people would accept him and his music. Parker was also afraid that any attempt to block Presley from being drafted would result in a more detailed look into Parker's own service record. He also realized that it would be an excellent opportunity to promote Presley by having the media witness his induction day, including the army haircut that would see the shearing of Presley's iconic hairstyle.
While Presley served in West Germany, Parker appeared to be in complete control, but he was worried about the outside influences that Presley might encounter there. Parker had declined to travel to Europe to visit Presley, denying that he spoke any language other than English. He sent Presley's friends to keep him company, arranged for business associates to watch over him while working in Europe, and maintained regular contact with him. He was reportedly afraid that Presley would realize that other managers were prepared to sign contracts that did not require as much as 25% of his earnings.
I didn't say it was a scam by Elvis, I said it was a scam by his manager. Read the whole article, it clearly was. The manager convinced the selective service to immediately draft Elvis before his number came up, lying to them that Elvis would be a performer for the army, but then after he was drafted he convinced Elvis not to be an army performer and instead go into the regular army, even though Elvis didn't want to. Per the article, the manager did this specifically to make more money from Elvis's career
Thank you, I did read the whole article! You said "It was all a scam setup by his manager." That's an exaggeration, if not misinformation. His manager Parker essentially only scammed Elvis, by making it seem he would be able to avoid service.
I also don't see where it said his manager "convinced the selective service to immediately draft Elvis before his number came up, lying to them that Elvis would be a performer for the army", but I don't have access to The Colonel, the source in the article.
Those nitpicks aside, I think they both probably decided it was a shrewd business decision for Elvis to give 2 years of service as a soldier, rather than a performer, especially since Elvis declined Special Services a second time after he was already drafted.
I'm not sure you know enough about the general relationship between Elvis and his manager "Colonel" Tom Parker, to be making assumptions like Elvis having a remotely equal say in career decisions.
Yes he did scam Elvis. He did that a lot infact.
He was also not a Colonel, even though he told people he was. He stole money from Presley to cover gambling debts, that's on top of his 50% managers cut. He prevented Elvis from touring Europe due to his own immigration status. Also pressured Presley into film, as opposed to focusing more on music.
Parker did pressure Elvis into the military. Hell, he even influenced the relationship between Elvis and Priscilla, whom Elvis met while serving.
Pretty involved scam then as I've actually met Someone that served with him.
Huh? No one said Elvis didn't serve in the army
Not surprised
Bullshit. At 21, he was eligible for conscription as any other male US citizen, and so he was conscripted.
A peaceful stint with the NATO forces in Germany was typical at the time. I don't think any US conscripts saw battle during these years.
It’s common that VIP and celebrity conscriptions, where military service is voluntary, are mostly a propaganda stunt.
While the propaganda entices young people to go to the battle front because someone has to go, It’s also very common for celebrities to be sheltered from any real harm, since that could be detrimental to conscription.
Jimmy Stewart, David Niven, and Clark Gable are three stars that survived serving in combat roles in WW2. Musician Glenn Miller joined the Air Corps and entertained the troops. MIA, later declared dead when the plane transporting went missing while crossing the English Channel. So much for being sheltered. John Wayne did not volunteer to join the military like the others mentioned.
Yes. That's a good use of resources. Any country will do it that way, and has done it that way. The engineers develop new weapons. The workers build them. Entertainers do propaganda. Anyone else goes to the front.
However, during Elvis Presley's time to serve, there was no hot war being fought. I don't think US conscripts were sent into battle between the end of the UN operation in Korea/the Korean War, and some time after the Gulf of Tonkin incident.
BTS be like:
why should i be forced to kill myself and others for the oligarchs, while famous people get to live in comfort?
fuck that give me taylor swift in my squad
I get your point, but also I wouldn't trust Swift with my life.
I'd probably prefer to be on her squad. She would fund all the best gear and get all the safest quests
You’d also get airlifts for everything further than 75m
You forgot one m.
You could stencil "haters gonna hate hate hate" on your helmet.
I don't think it's so much as famous people getting to live in comfort, more those pesky tabloids, et al leaking the location of these rich fuckers, putting civilians, troops and army operations in danger.
I mean, half the guys from BTS are in the army right now
Kind of a bad comparison since Beyonce being a woman cannot be drafted afaik.
All the fight for equality for nothing \s
Okay, ramen hair Timberlake then
After that Destiny's Child - Survivor video, where they danced in camo, I can picture that 😅
That day is closer than you think...