Vegas Without Paris
Yes, there is a casino with that name here, but let’s face it, even in Vegas that Strip resort is only the second-best known Paris here.
US Magazine is providing my favorite Paris Hilton’s-going-to-jail coverage. They have a clock rundown gleefully ticking off the seconds before she goes to the slammer. But my favorite part of the US Magazine coverage is an interview with Spencer Pratt (http://www.usmagazine.com/spencer_and_paris ). Pratt, who is starting a “Free Paris” site, tells US: "I've always thought that the punishment should fit the crime. Paris has changed her image dramatically over the last couple years. Now she is such a good role model....” Boy would that be depressing for Las Vegas if there was any truth to it. Her constant partying has become a cottage industry for the resort nightclubs in Las Vegas.
But before panicking, it may be worth asking: When did Paris Hilton change her image dramatically (and become a good role model)? No worries. It wasn’t too long ago, at Jet at Mirage, I watched Paris walk into a wall thinking it was an adjacent bathroom door. This was despite having an escort holding a flashlight in front of her the entire journey. My other recent encounters with Paris Hilton also offer nothing but the same old bundle of narcissism and partying. So, Vegas seems safe on that score.
Of course, the funny thing is that Paris would never have been busted in Vegas. There isn’t a casino or nightclub in town that would let her drive over. Too random. Too out of their scheduling control. They send the party girl a limo. In fact, nightclubs have been known to send competing limos to airports to try to hijack celebrities of a far lesser caliber than Paris Hilton. As for Paris herself, I heard once a local event paid $30,000 to send a private jet just to bring her to Vegas. But, of course, she wasn’t asked to fly the plane.
So, can Las Vegas survive 45 days (others say that means really just 21 days: (http://www.laobserved.com/archive/2007/05/paris_reality_maybe_21_da.php ) without Paris Hilton dancing on the tables of our nightclubs? Yes. After all, Lindsay Lohan is about to turn 21.
Richard Abowitz has written for a variety of national publications. He currently splits his time between LasVegasWeekly.com, Las Vegas Weekly (print), and the Los Angeles Times. Email him at [email protected]