Why was Elvis Presley controversial?

He was considered the performer who brought overt, blatant vulgar sexual frenzy to the popular arts of America. Some critics have pegged Elvis's image to being ambiguous. The dance sequence in "Jailhouse Rock" was very sexual and erotic.

He also had flings and affairs with various Hollywood starlets. His performance style was very provocative. He was also astonishingly good looking, and he knew how to use it to his advantage. He would gyrate his pelvis onstage while excited teenage girls would scream and go crazy. People called his music the devil's music. He became a symbol for a new generation.