False Faith or False Comparison? A Critique of the Religious Interpretation of Elvis Fan Culture

Abstract

In her 1999 book Elvis Culture, Erika Doss became the latest academic to argue that Elvis fandom is best understood as a secular form of religion. Since Elvis Culture is based on four years’ contact with American devotees, and since fans occasionally use spiritual words to express their feelings, Doss’s claim that “veneration of Elvis is one strong form of religiosity” is hard to dismiss (75). Nevertheless, this article will argue that the religious comparison provides a limited understanding of fandom. Doss’s theory sees fans as servile and misguided believers. It is based on a parody that remains popular because it disparages them. The “religiosity” idea maintains its grip by producing “evidence” that is an artifact of its own perception. Its central premise—that fandom is a religion because it looks like one—is weak because it is impossible to test conclusively in the field. As we shall see when we examine the details of the argument, writers like Doss are not setting out inductively to explore, understand, or contextualize Elvis culture. When glaring differences appear between fandom and religion, advocates of the “religiosity” idea would rather stretch definitions and discredit research subjects than question the merits of their framework. As a consequence, research into Elvis culture has been handicapped by a set of inappropriate ideas.

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