--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The world does not need a ‘gay Elvis’…" description: "\"“The world does not need a ‘gay Elvis’, for the original, with his black leather suit, pomaded pompadour, come-fuck-me eyes and radiant narcissism, was..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46f/mark-simpson-31293_elvis_the-world-does-not-need-a-gay-elvis-for_2693293.jpg" --- # The world does not need a ‘gay Elvis’, for the original… ![“The world does not need a ‘gay Elvis’, for the original, with his black leather suit, pomaded pompadour, come-fuck-me eyes and radiant narcissism, was quite queer enough” quote by Mark Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46f/mark-simpson-31293_elvis_the-world-does-not-need-a-gay-elvis-for_2693293.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46f/mark-simpson-31293_elvis_the-world-does-not-need-a-gay-elvis-for_2693293.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46f/mark-simpson-31293_elvis_the-world-does-not-need-a-gay-elvis-for_2693293.jpg) > ““The world does not need a ‘gay Elvis’, for the original, with his black leather suit, pomaded pompadour, come-fuck-me eyes and radiant narcissism, was quite queer enough”” [Mark Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-simpson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Originality is not defined by sexual orientation; the iconic Elvis already embodied queerness. **In simple terms:** Elvis was already queer. Key Takeaway Recognize diverse expressions of identity. Themes identity culture queerness Mood critical thought‑provoking Type cultural analytical When to use this quote - media analysis - LGBTQ+ discussions - celebrity critique Key Concepts iconography performance subversion Questions to Reflect On - How does pop culture shape queer visibility? - Can icons be both mainstream and queer? A Different Perspective Some may view the claim as reductive. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Elvis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elvis/) [Elvis Original](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elvis-original-2674410/) [Gay Elvis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gay-elvis-2674408/) [Homosexuality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/homosexuality/) [Mark-simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mark-simpson-117949/) [Queer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/queer/) [Quite Queer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quite-queer-2674409/) ## Related quotes > [“Sex is the theory; porn is the practice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-simpson/sex-is-the-theory-porn-is-the-practice/) [Mark Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-simpson/) > [“At the dawn of the second decade of the Twenty First Century, masculinity has been rendered so self-conscious in our mediated, mirrored world that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-simpson/at-the-dawn-of-the-second-decade-of-the-twenty-first-century/) [Mark Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-simpson/) > [“Of course, fashions come and go but metrosexuality isn’t a fashion – it’s an epoch. It represents a fundamental shift in what men are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-simpson/of-course-fashions-come-and-go-but-metrosexuality-isn-t-a-fashion-it/) [Mark Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-simpson/) > [“Contrary to what you have been told, metrosexuality is not about flip-flops and facials, ‘man-bags’ or ‘manscara’. Or about men becoming ‘girlie’ or ‘gay’.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-simpson/contrary-to-what-you-have-been-told-metrosexuality-is-not-about-flip/) [Mark Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-simpson/) > [“In the 21st century men’s tits have not just rivalled but replaced women’s as the touchstone of ‘sexy’ in mainstream pop culture, even when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-simpson/in-the-21st-century-men-s-tits-have-not-just-rivalled-but-replaced/) [Mark Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-simpson/) > [I was on MTV's 'Real World' at the time when 'Queer Eye' came out. I remember, the first time I won an award, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karamo-brown/i-was-on-mtv-s-real-world-at-the-time-when-queer-eye-came-out-i/) [Karamo Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karamo-brown/) > [“It is very queer that the unhappiness of the world is so often brought on by small men.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-maria-remarque/it-is-very-queer-that-the-unhappiness-of-the-world-is-so-often/) [Erich Maria Remarque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-maria-remarque/) > [Karl Ove Knausgaard is one of my literary heroes. This distresses many of my female, queer, and trans friends: Torrey, you have every woman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torrey-peters/karl-ove-knausgaard-is-one-of-my-literary-heroes-this-distresses-many/) [Torrey Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torrey-peters/) > [A lot of queer characters get painted with either a caricature brush, or they're used to teach, in a way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-levy/a-lot-of-queer-characters-get-painted-with-either-a-caricature-brush/) [Dan Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-levy/) > [“There's something very... I don't know; primitive, perhaps, about you, Gurgeh. You've never changed sex, have you?' He shook his head. 'Or slept with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-m-banks/there-s-something-very-i-don-t-know-primitive-perhaps-about-you/) [Iain M. Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-m-banks/) > [“Everyone knew that girls who admitted to liking girls stopped being whatever they were before and became a cross between a lumberjack and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robyn-ochs/everyone-knew-that-girls-who-admitted-to-liking-girls-stopped-being/) [Robyn Ochs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robyn-ochs/) > [“Well, of course, it was not any of my business but you get very queer glimpses of life sometimes, and you can't help speculating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/well-of-course-it-was-not-any-of-my-business-but-you-get-very-queer/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [“It didn’t break the trance. She wasn’t sure that anything could, and briefly wondered if they’d stay like this until flesh rotted away from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashton-morgan/it-didn-t-break-the-trance-she-wasn-t-sure-that-anything-could-and/) [Ashton Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashton-morgan/) > [I do think that for a queer person to speak truthfully without shame about their own experiences is political.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-bruce/i-do-think-that-for-a-queer-person-to-speak-truthfully-without-shame/) [Liv Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liv-bruce/) > [Queer? Is this queer? These queer? What's up? What's up?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-dirt/queer-is-this-queer-these-queer-what-s-up-what-s-up/) [Joe Dirt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-dirt/) ## More by Mark Simpson > [“In a spornographic age it’s no longer enough for the male body to be presented to us by consumerism as merely attractive, or desiring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-simpson/in-a-spornographic-age-it-s-no-longer-enough-for-the-male-body-to-be/) [Mark Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-simpson/) > [“Nearly thirty years on, despite Pejic’s unpopularity with some feminists and the closet-cases who write for US FHM, 1980s Marilyn and his shameless, shining…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-simpson/nearly-thirty-years-on-despite-pejic-s-unpopularity-with-some/) [Mark Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-simpson/) > [“In the 21st century men’s tits have not just rivalled but replaced women’s as the touchstone of ‘sexy’ in mainstream pop culture, even when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-simpson/in-the-21st-century-men-s-tits-have-not-just-rivalled-but-replaced/) [Mark Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-simpson/) > [“Contrary to what you have been told, metrosexuality is not about flip-flops and facials, ‘man-bags’ or ‘manscara’. Or about men becoming ‘girlie’ or ‘gay’.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-simpson/contrary-to-what-you-have-been-told-metrosexuality-is-not-about-flip/) [Mark Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-simpson/) > [“Of course, fashions come and go but metrosexuality isn’t a fashion – it’s an epoch. It represents a fundamental shift in what men are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-simpson/of-course-fashions-come-and-go-but-metrosexuality-isn-t-a-fashion-it/) [Mark Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-simpson/) > [“There’s a famous quote which goes something like, ‘You are what you are, having secretly become what you wanted to be’. Maybe there’s some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-simpson/there-s-a-famous-quote-which-goes-something-like-you-are-what-you-are/) [Mark Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-simpson/) > [“Tattoos, after all, are a passionate, usually doomed assertion of mastery of your own destiny, or at least a defiant embrace of one that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-simpson/tattoos-after-all-are-a-passionate-usually-doomed-assertion-of/) [Mark Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-simpson/) > [“The typical metrosexual is a young man with money to spend, living in or within easy reach of a metropolis — because that’s where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-simpson/the-typical-metrosexual-is-a-young-man-with-money-to-spend-living-in/) [Mark Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-simpson/) > [“The artistic disposition is little more than an extreme form of sulking.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-simpson/the-artistic-disposition-is-little-more-than-an-extreme-form-of/) [Mark Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-simpson/) > [“Is there a support group for people who didn’t like ‘Brokeback Mountain’? We must, if the rave reviews and the newspaper reports are to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-simpson/is-there-a-support-group-for-people-who-didn-t-like-brokeback/) [Mark Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-simpson/) > [“At the dawn of the second decade of the Twenty First Century, masculinity has been rendered so self-conscious in our mediated, mirrored world that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-simpson/at-the-dawn-of-the-second-decade-of-the-twenty-first-century/) [Mark Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-simpson/) > [“Arguably, poor Oscar was merely an early failed and somewhat overweight prototype for Morrissey.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-simpson/arguably-poor-oscar-was-merely-an-early-failed-and-somewhat/) [Mark Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-simpson/) > [“Sex is the theory; porn is the practice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-simpson/sex-is-the-theory-porn-is-the-practice/) [Mark Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-simpson/) > [“Bond is now the Bond Girl of the opening credits. It’s his silhouette we see – and nary a dancing naked babe in sight.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-simpson/bond-is-now-the-bond-girl-of-the-opening-credits-it-s-his-silhouette/) [Mark Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-simpson/) > [“There’s a perverse and bitter joy in feeling unique, but you pay dearly. Morrissey”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-simpson/there-s-a-perverse-and-bitter-joy-in-feeling-unique-but-you-pay/) [Mark Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-simpson/) [Explore all 16 Mark Simpson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-simpson/) ## More Elvis quotes > [Elvis was sincere, and he was - he was so loyal. And he was so homespun. He loved his mother, he loved America. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-thompson/elvis-was-sincere-and-he-was-he-was-so-loyal-and-he-was-so-homespun/) [Linda Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-thompson/) > [I can guarantee you one thing, we will never agree on anything as we agreed on Elvis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-bangs/i-can-guarantee-you-one-thing-we-will-never-agree-on-anything-as-we/) [Lester Bangs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-bangs/) > [Elvis deserves a lot of credit for bringing the blues to middle America, not the Vegas stuff. The early stuff, The Sun records, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-tork/elvis-deserves-a-lot-of-credit-for-bringing-the-blues-to-middle/) [Peter Tork](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-tork/) > [“If you threw Elvis and a scarecrow in a blender, topped the whole thing off with Seagram's 7 and pressed dice, you would make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-portes/if-you-threw-elvis-and-a-scarecrow-in-a-blender-topped-the-whole/) [Andrea Portes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-portes/) > [Oh, I think country has changed tremendously. I think country has totally changed. Country music when I was a kid was Hank Williams. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/oh-i-think-country-has-changed-tremendously-i-think-country-has/) [John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) > [Elvis Presley wore a Star of David and a cross around his neck and, when someone asked him about it, he said, "It makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cass-mccombs/elvis-presley-wore-a-star-of-david-and-a-cross-around-his-neck-and/) [Cass McCombs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cass-mccombs/) > [Elvis a fight the dying light, Johnny Ray he's always crying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-idol/elvis-a-fight-the-dying-light-johnny-ray-he-s-always-crying/) [Billy Idol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-idol/) > [Elvis was the firstest with the mostest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-orbison/elvis-was-the-firstest-with-the-mostest/) [Roy Orbison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-orbison/) > [Elvis' early music has drama because as he sang he was escaping limits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greil-marcus/elvis-early-music-has-drama-because-as-he-sang-he-was-escaping-limits/) [Greil Marcus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greil-marcus/) > [I was very keen on people like Elvis, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Gene Vincent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-trower/i-was-very-keen-on-people-like-elvis-carl-perkins-jerry-lee-lewis-and/) [Robin Trower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-trower/) > [When I was a little kid, I was very impressed with Elvis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-trower/when-i-was-a-little-kid-i-was-very-impressed-with-elvis/) [Robin Trower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-trower/) > [ Elvis \[Presley\] had a stepstool, if you will, to success because he came from the dominant culture. They identified with him. Michael Jackson had… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/elvis-presley-had-a-stepstool-if-you-will-to-success-because-he-came/) [Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/) > [Elvis helps Santa Clause make toys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honey-boo-boo-child/elvis-helps-santa-clause-make-toys/) [Honey Boo Boo Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honey-boo-boo-child/) > [It was very nerve-wracking for me. I had to be drunk and have a threesome. I'm not that guy. Bobby Cannavale is that guy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-romano/it-was-very-nerve-wracking-for-me-i-had-to-be-drunk-and-have-a/) [Ray Romano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-romano/) > [“His body walks out onto the darkened stage , and a roar goes up from the crowd. He stands in front of the mic,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-garraty/his-body-walks-out-onto-the-darkened-stage-and-a-roar-goes-up-from/) [Joseph Garraty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-garraty/) [Browse all 508 Elvis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elvis/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The world does not need a ‘gay Elvis’, for the original, with his black leather suit, pomaded pompadour, come-fuck-me eyes and radiant narcissism, was quite queer enough”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mark Simpson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-simpson/the-world-does-not-need-a-gay-elvis-for-the-original-with-his-black/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Elvis" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-simpson/the-world-does-not-need-a-gay-elvis-for-the-original-with-his-black/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46f/mark-simpson-31293_elvis_the-world-does-not-need-a-gay-elvis-for_2693293.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46f/mark-simpson-31293_elvis_the-world-does-not-need-a-gay-elvis-for_2693293.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46f/mark-simpson-31293_elvis_the-world-does-not-need-a-gay-elvis-for_2693293.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The world does not need a ‘gay Elvis’, for the original, with his black leather suit, pomaded pompadour…” — Mark Simpson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Mark Simpson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-simpson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The world does not need a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-simpson/the-world-does-not-need-a-gay-elvis-for-the-original-with-his-black/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-simpson/the-world-does-not-need-a-gay-elvis-for-the-original-with-his-black/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```