One lucky lady will walk away with a free pair of breast implants, courtesy of the Light Group and Strip Las Vegas. While the idea of giving away a free pair of fun-bags is far from new (resident prankster Jeff Beacher was known for the augmented ballyhoo way back when; now even the web is on board: myfreeimplants.com), it's the format of the event that will stamp December 11 as the day that implants officially become our Sin City mascot (Cook E. Jarr was close, but final polls indicated voters were confused whether to vote for him or his life-size cardboard cutout).
Ladies will vie for a new pair of twins by collecting Boobs or Bust Bucks inside the club, funny money that is handed out to all bottle-service customers. The gal (and yes, it does have to be a woman; it says so in the official Boobs or Bust regulations) who collects the biggest wad by the end of the night will be the proud recipient of a breast augmentation by Dr. Stile of Clinique Plastique. Essentially, ladies will flirt, hustle and mingle from table to table, pocketing the currency (and the grand prize is something they can utilize to flirt, hustle and mingle more successfully, hoping to grab some real moolah in the process). The ideas of money-shakers and the moneymakers have finally melded together.
Booze, boobs and solicitation: The event recalls every indecent, Bible-bending vice we are associated with. But that's the point—we are associated with it, why hide it? More importantly, why not exploit it? It sounds like we are finally accepting who we are. “It's fun and it's original," said Light Group's Andrew Wintner. “It fits right into the vein of what Las Vegas is and what's happening here right now."
Morality has nothing to do with this; we passed that rest stop long ago with Temptation Island. Who's to say the event isn't more of a job fair, anyhow? Recognized or not, a 34A is not going to land you a high-tipping gig in this city. We have surpassed vanity and are crossing over into professional necessity.
Second prize is a lip enhancement; coming in a distant third is a cellulite treatment, and all three prizes can be redeemed for cash if the service isn't wanted. Only in Vegas.
“It's a win-win," said Jet's marketing maestro and mastermind of the event, Steven Lockwood. “They can take the money, or they take the implants, whatever. From a girl's perspective, this can be a tool for helping them overcome insecurities. From a marketing perspective, this is a way to capitalize on a huge market in this town."
It engraves the tombstone of Vegas' family-friendly image. From Silicone Sundays at Ivan Kane's Forty Deuce (industry night for adult dancers) to Light Group's other ongoing promotion, Pole-a-Palooza (pole dancing megatournament), we're not ashamed of what we do here—we're proud of it.
The only question is, what's next? Not even 15 years ago, the public whistle would have blown loud against Boobs or Bust (no doubt a few friends of Joseph Smith still might not be wild about the idea). As more safety concerns swirling around plastic surgery are squashed, how far can, and will, the envelope be pushed? Bags of saline next to the Corvette on the Wheel of Fortune slots? A chin augmentation raffle at NFR? A penile implant along with picking the winning spread of the Super Bowl?
Superficial? Sure. Quintessentially Vegas? Absolutely. The water's not natural, so why should the boobs be?