I WANTED TO SAY A LIGHTER
TOPIC AND YET THE PRESIDENT
GIVES THE MEDAL OF FREEDOM,
WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO BE A
HAPPY OCCASION TO ELVIS
PRESLEY POSTHUMOUS, OF
COURSE, THIS GUY WRITES A
LITTLE NOD TO THE GOOD OLD
DAYS BLACK WHEN BLACK
VISIONARIES COULD INVENT
ROCK AND ROLL BUT ONLY A
WHITE MAN COULD BECOME A
KING.
JESSICA, CAN'T WE JUST GIVE
A MEDAL TO ELVIS PRESLEY,
KING OF ROCK AND ROLL
WITHOUT IT BECOMING A
CONTROVERSY?
>> YEAH.
I ACTUALLY THINK THAT THIS
CRITIC FROM "THE WASHINGTON
POST IS PRETTY FAR OUT ON
THE LIMB HERE.
I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF
THINGS THAT GO ON IN THIS
ADMINISTRATION AND FROM
PRESIDENT TRUMP WHERE CAN
YOU HAVE LEGITIMATE
CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHETHER
IT HAD RACIAL UNDERTONES OR
OVERT RACIST OVERTONES.
I GUESS I SHOULD SAY THEN.
BUT THIS ONE I'M ALL FOR
ELVIS PRESLEY AND THE MEDAL.
>> THIS LEADS TO A BIGGER
CONVERSATION TO ME ABOUT,
YOU WOULD BE VERY
HARD-PRESSED TO FIND AN
AMERICAN HERO THAT DOES NOT
HAVE A TATTERED PAST IN SOME
SORT OF WAY.
CAN YOU SAY ABRAHAM LINCOLN,
FOR INSTANCE, YES HE FREED
THE SLAVES BUT AT THE SAME
TIME HE THOUGHT THAT PEOPLE
THAT LOOKED LIKE ME SHOULD
NOT BE ALLOWED TO VOTE OR
HOLD PUBLIC OFFICE.
IT JUST GOES TO THIS NOTION
THAT IN AMERICA YOU CAN BE
CONSIDERED A RACIST OR YOU
CAN DABBLE IN RACISM AND
STILL BE A HERO.
NOW, AS FAR AS ELVIS, JAMES
BROWN AND B.B. KING SAID A
LOT OF POSITIVE THINGS ABOUT
ELVIS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I JUST
THINK THERE IS BIGGER ISSUES
RIGHT NOW AND I DON'T THINK
THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO
LOSE ANYTHING AS A RESULT OF
ELVIS GETTING THE MEDAL OF
FREEDOM.
I JUST REALLY DON'T.
ED: PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS SAID
I COULD CURE CANCER AND
PEOPLE COULD STILL CRITICIZE
IT SIZE ME FOR IT.
>> THAT'S TRUE.
HE CAN'T DO ANYTHING WITHOUT
BEING CRITICIZED.
YOU LOOK AT THE LIST OF
PEOPLE THAT HE CHOSE TO
REWARD.
YOU LOOK AT ELVIS WHO IS THE
KING OF ROCK.
BABE RUTH ONE OF THE
GREATEST BASEBALL PLAYERS OF
ALL TIME.
ANTONIN SCALIA ONE OF THE
MOST REVERED SUPREME COURT
JUSTICE UNANIMOUSLY
CONFIRMED AT THE TIME.
MERIAM AVILDSEN EVEN WHO HE
HAS BEEN CRITICIZED.
SHE DESERVES IT.
>> ALL DONORS OF PRESIDENT
OBAMA.
ED: I THOUGHT THEY GOT NOW
PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL.
>> SHE HAS DONE A LOT OF
GOOD IN THIS WORLD AS WELL.
SO, PEOPLE MAKE SO MUCH OVER
EVERY -- KING OF ROCK.
MUSIC.
ED: OFF ABOUT CULTURAL.
>> CULTURAL APPROPRIATION
WITH HIS MUSIC AS WELL.
>> CULTURAL CONTRIBUTIONS
ARE PART OF WHAT ARE
CONSIDERED FOR THE
PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL.
HE HADED WHAT HE DID HE SAY?
>> ABOUT HOW MANY KIDS THEY
HAD LIKE THE WEIRD.
