How The Grinch Stole Elvis

Just over a year ago, media mogul Robert F.X. Sillerman forked out over $100 million dollars to acquire control of the trademark rights to Elvis Presley's name, likeness and image. Since the purchase, very little has changed with regard to The King or his image. To paraphrase a very wise man: Elvis is still everywhere.

Now, via the New York Times, there's talk of Sillerman's company (CKX, Inc.) opening a new Elvis themed show and exhibit on the Las Vegas strip, and possibly a hotel and casino. It's about time, you all say? Not so fast, hound dogs:

Some people in Las Vegas may be less than thrilled with CKX's plans. For decades, Elvis Presley Enterprises has allowed impersonators to use Elvis's name and likeness free, because they considered it good marketing, but CKX may not follow suit.

Don Medve, a spokesman for the Las Vegas Tourist Bureau, said that there were at least 50 full-time Elvis impersonators- not counting weekend or part-time Elvises- who worked primarily in wedding chapels and charged about $150 for a 20-minute ceremony.

"Pretty much every single chapel in Las Vegas has their own Elvis," Mr. Medve said. "Generally, he sings three songs, walks the bride down the aisle and gives her his Elvis scarf. Some Elvises do three or four weddings in one day."

Mr. Sillerman said the fate of the impersonators was still undecided. "If we were going to do a show that was based on Elvis impersonators, then obviously it wouldn't make sense to have unauthorized Elvis impersonators," he said.

Could this really be the end of part-time Elvises?! Not if I have anything to say about it!

I'm packing up my gold lame suit, TCB necklaces and my outrageously large gold tinted sunglasses, loading a grocery bag full of grilled peanut butter and banana sandwiches and hopping on the next plane to Vegas where I'll be chaining myself to the bronze statue of the King in the lobby of the Las Vegas Hilton until Mr. Sillerman promises to leave our nation's hard working Elvii alone!!!

I just hope I beat The Nihilist to the punch.