Celebrities often end up being scrutinized for their reach tastes, being compared to the average citizen and how much they can afford in what the celebrity spent on a particular thing. A similar case has come to light concerning Elvis Presley, and how much the actor spent on his meal in a week in the 1970s
Presley was one of the biggest American stars in his prime, having a huge fan following to even this day. The star had his fair share of delight, most infamously making a one-night sandwich run on his private jet, but that just seems to be an outlier to an even bigger food habit that would put most modern American mortgages to shame.
Presley spent $500 a week on food
In David Adler’s book, The Life and Cuisine of Elvis Presley, the author states:
“Purchases often were made at the local Piggly Wiggly. The four major Elvis food groups were meat, vegetables, tobacco, and over-the-counter medication. The cost: about $500 a week.”
Not only is this a whopping figure for a week’s meal, even if Elvis was not the sole benefactor of the tall order. Mary Langston Jekins, a Graceland coom, along with her colleague Nancy Rooks, prepared a meal for Vernon, the Memphis Mafia, Priscilla, Lisa Marie, Linda Thompson and Ginger Adley. Even though the meals were being prepared for such a large group when compared to what the average American paid as a mortgage (usually 125 bucks), the number far eclipses what the average American could afford to put down for a house in a month.
Elvis’s language reflected his food preferences, even when not talking about food
Presley had a way of appreciating things that seemed ot be inspired by the way he liked his food. The King preferred his meat well done, which meant that the singer would say “That’s burnt, man” asa sign of praise. In fact, it extended to music too, essentially meaning “That’s awesome” or “That’s fantastic”.
The star preferred salt as a seasoning, and expected his pizzas to arrive with barbeque sauce instead of tomato sauce. While odd, Elvis preferred his food to be a certain way, and seemed ot enjoy it thoroughly. However, the oddest meal related request that Presely had, was with how he fjnished his meals. Instead of using a handkerchief, the isnger would call for a beach towel instead, as he allegedly was a horribly messy eater.
