Elvis Presley made his second appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” and
sang, “Don’t Be Cruel” and “Love Me Tender.” After Señor Wences’s
ventriloquism act, Elvis returned to perform “Love Me.” During this song
the camera moved in for a close-up of Elvis’ face, and then, as if on cue,
he smiled and snarled his upper lip. The studio audience went wild. Elvis
closed with another performance of his hit, “Hound Dog.” Again viewers
were shown a head-to-toe Elvis.

Following the broadcast, which again enjoyed huge ratings, Elvis was
burned in effigy by angry crowds in Nashville and St. Louis. The popular
press was also critical of his style and movements. Rock and roll was
increasingly attacked and there was growing opposition to its supposedly
negative influence on America’s youth. The more the establishment
pushed back, the more Elvis’s support grew from millions of teenagers.