▁America ' s ▁worst ▁fear s ▁about ▁rock ▁and ▁roll , ▁and ▁spark ed ▁nation wide ▁v itu per ation ; ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time , ▁Pres ley ... ▁was ▁attacked ▁in ▁the ▁media ▁as ▁a ▁sexual ▁exhibition ist ▁with ▁no ▁musical ▁talent ." ▁This ▁performance ▁of ▁" H ound ▁Dog " ▁" tr ig gers ▁the ▁first ▁controvers y ▁of ▁his ▁career . ▁Pres ley ▁s ings ▁his ▁latest ▁single , ▁" H ound ▁Dog ," ▁with ▁all ▁the ▁pel vis - sh aking ▁intensity ▁his ▁fans ▁sc ream ▁for . ▁Television ▁critics ▁across ▁the ▁country ▁sl am ▁the ▁performance ▁for ▁its ▁" app alling ▁lack ▁of ▁musical ity ," ▁for ▁its ▁" v ul gar ity " ▁and ▁" an imal ism ." ▁The ▁Catholic ▁Church ▁took ▁up ▁the ▁criticism ▁in ▁its ▁week ly ▁organ ▁in ▁a ▁piece ▁head lined ▁" B ew are ▁El vis ▁Pres ley ." ▁Conc ern s ▁about ▁ju ven ile ▁del in quency ▁and ▁the ▁changing ▁moral ▁values ▁of ▁the ▁young ▁found ▁a ▁new ▁target ▁in ▁the ▁popular ▁singer . ▁After ▁Ber le ' s ▁show , ▁Ed ▁S ull ivan , ▁whose ▁variety ▁show ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁television ' s ▁most ▁popular , ▁declared ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁never ▁h ire ▁Pres ley . ▁Steve ▁Allen , ▁who ▁had ▁already ▁book ed ▁Pres ley ▁for ▁The ▁Ton ight ▁Show , ▁resist ed ▁pressure ▁from ▁N BC ▁to ▁cancel ▁the ▁performance , ▁prom ising ▁he ▁would ▁not ▁allow ▁the ▁singer ▁to ▁off end . ▁Cultural ▁the