Feedback: In defense of Elvis, Satan

A short note about Elvis

Last week our intern Adam Theisen wrote a piece for our music section about the mutual fascination between Motown and the Rolling Stones. One reader sent us a note about one "small correction" he wanted to make.

A small correction to the "Mutual Fascination" piece about the Rolling Stones by Adam Theisen.

In fact, white artists were covering black artists a good 10 years before the Rolling Stones came around, and in the case of at least one, Elvis Presley, beginning in 1954, doing so quite well. Elvis was hardly "rhythmically challenged." Given his background, Presley was actually a tad more authentic with his covers — of every kind of American roots music — than was middle-class London economics student Mick Jagger!

During a recent phone call with Jex Blackmore from the Satanic Temple, we learned we'd been referring to the group in a problematic manner. According to Blackmore, TST isn't an "atheist activist group" as we'd previously stated, but rather they consider themselves to be "non-theistic Satanists."

"We consider ourselves non-theistic Satanists," Blackmore says. "And a religious organization — that's a really important distinction that we make. For example, Hindus are sometimes called non-theists. And you wouldn't call political Hindus activists, or atheist activists," Blackmore says.

"It's really important in terms of how people understand us," she continues. "Just as much as we get people who think that we're into the Biblical concept of Satan, we get people who think that we're just posing as Satanists, and not truly Satanists or whatever you would say. Non-theistic Satanism is part of modern Satanism. It's a misconception that we fight a lot that we're trying to dispel. If it's helpful: Atheists don't consider themselves part of a religion. Non-theists have a religion, but without God. That's the difference."

Dang Ilbert

Last week MT staff writer Ryan Felton wrote a blog post about the Detroit News' exhaustive investigative report on Dan Gilbert. While the News' story was less than sunny, some readers preferred to keep the wool pulled over their eyes while others remained delightfully sarcastic.

Facebook user Deanna Durbin says, "I hope the relationship Quicken Loans has with Detroit won't be affected by this story. We have enough powerful companies pulling out only to further dismantle any progress Detroit has made. I would like to add, I did not read the original Detroit News article!"

Facebook user Duane Larkin says, "Don't make him angry, he owns too much of the D now. He could shut it down in a heartbeat. P.S. I read the article because my head is not in the sand."

Facebook user Donna Wells says, "Thank goodness someone has reported that 7-Eleven now is serving Rock N' Rye Slurpees!"

The wheels on the bus...

A few weeks ago we rolled out a new online-only column called "Riding the Bus with Gary Winslow." The column was met with largely positive praise in its first two weeks and continues to be well-received, but one reader cautions that Gary's latest write-up, "A sad state of affairs," might be part of the problem in Detroit, rather than the solution.

Site user "bwhitwam17" says, "Gary's creativity in telling one of his everyday stories never ceases to amaze me. This one, unfortunately gives us more insight in what perpetuates Detroit's bad reputation. However, Gary has so many great stories of Detroit's everyday people that also restore my faith in people and the city. People need to hear all of his anecdotes to get a better understanding of all the people of Detroit, not just the bad apples. I've read many of his stories and really can't wait to read more of them. He's taken the 'not always nice' everyday bus ride and made it into something positive. We need more of that!"