Show 'Em, Girls
It may not be subtle, but it's apparently chic—showgirl fashions, that is. So says a recent issue of Entertainment Weekly:
"Showgirl chic may seem like an oxymoron, but fashion featuring feathers, fishnets, sequins—and little else—is shaking its groove thing this season.
"Pop group/burlesque act the Pussycat Dolls ... have infiltrated the small screen with appearances on NBC's Las Vegas as the fictional Montecito's all-girl revue. Meanwhile, Vegas stars Molly Sims and Vanessa Marcil nearly upstage the Dolls with their metallic minis and halters. ... Across town, CSI's Marg Helgenberger sports cleavage and slinks around Nevada crime scenes in stilettos."
Even offscreen, the likes of Eva Longoria (Desperate Housewives), Mariah Carey and Madonna have sported show-girl style.
"'The town is about sex,'" designer Walter Baker tells EW. "'Bikini tops are wardrobe basics. The whole Vegas look trickles down from the showgirl.'"
Show 'Em, Hal
"Las Vegas also developed a stunningly effective water-conservation program. Since 2003, the community has added more than 150,000 people, yet in 2005, the Valley used 15 billion gallons of water less than it did in 2003. Las Vegas has saved one-sixth of Nevada's annual share of the Colorado River while adding a midsize city to its population. Can any other Southwestern city match that accomplishment?"—Hal Rothman, writing in the Arizona Republic about our fair city.
Wow. That's Some Serious Method Acting.
Right here in Vegas while shooting the new Rocky movie:
"After suffering a vicious blow to the head the movie star (Sylvester Stallone) fell unconscious, but the film crew failed to raise the alarm, believing he was still acting.
"Stallone's mother Jackie says: 'At first everyone thought Sylvester was acting when he fell to the floor, but it was serious.
"'Fortunately he's recovered now.'"—Thomas Crosbie Media Ireland On-Line
A Brief Encounter in Las Vegas Last Week
Cold night. Skinny homeless man in church parking lot on Maryland Parkway; thin sweatshirt, hands stuffed in pockets, hood pulled tight. Car pulls in. Person in full-length coat gets out. Gives man big jacket with flannel lining and hood.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Car drives off.
Poor Ashlee Simpson; Lucky Goo Goo Dolls
Someone someplace probably cares that Ashlee Simpson had to cancel her appearance in Las Vegas at the Radio Music Awards at the Aladdin earlier this week. The reason given was the exhaustion, which caused her to collapse and briefly be hospitalized in Japan last week. Simpson's replacement was to be former American Idol contestant Bo Bice, but then on Sunday, Bice, too, was hospitalized with stomach problems and had to cancel. So the accursed spot at the Radio Music Awards finally fell to the Goo Goo Dolls, who haven't actually been played much on radio stations since the last century.
But Can You Still Buy Dead Ones?
From the AP: "EBay Scraps Plans to Offer Live Pets"
Trippin' in Vegas
The tourist website VegasTripping.com announced its annual awards, The Trippies, and gave top honors to Wynn and Bellagio. The Worst Overall Joint was Circus Circus. That seems fair enough, based on Hunter Thompson's experiences there. But, come on, what about the top of the Stratosphere or the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay? Aren't they obvious winners, or the fireside lounge inside of the Peppermill? Oh, wait a second, VegasTripping.com isn't talking about that kind of tripping. Oops, never mind.
On a Related Matter ... Website Wins Our WhoCaresies Award in Landslide
When a website we've never heard of announces a slate of totally obvious selections in a contest of no importance, well, we take notice! Here, then, some highlights of the first-ever Trippies, handed out by something called VegasTripping.com:
Best Overall: (tie) Bellagio, Wynn Las Vegas
Best News Story: Grand opening of Wynn Las Vegas
Best Vegas TV Show: Las Vegas (NBC)
Best Book: Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson
Best Entertainer: Wayne Newton (Stardust/Flamingo)
The voters did get a few things right:
Biggest Vegas Pet Peeve: Rising Prices!
Worst Vegas TV Show: Dr. Vegas - CBS
Just Because These Headlines Were Side-by-Side on the AP Wire Certainly Does Not Mean They Are Related:
"Gwen Stefani Said Pregnant With First Baby"
"Baby Penguin is Stolen From Zoo"
Regional Dialect Can be Charming, But: Amurka and Amurkins?
Watching the leader of the free world speak from the Oval Office on Sunday, it occurs to us: Never mind "nuc-u-lar" —can't someone teach President Bush how to say "America"? "Americans"? Probably not, given this Bushism from Slate.com:
"I mean, there was a serious international effort to say to Saddam Hussein, you're a threat. And the 9/11 attacks extenuated that threat, as far as I—concerned."—Philadelphia, December 12, 2005
Three Observations From the Philharmonic Christmas Production at UNLV
1. Fabulous performance of the Twelve Days of Christmas in a multitude of musical styles, including the accompaniment of the chorus.
2. Odd standing-up of crowd midway through a religious Christmas song. Non-churchgoers slowly follow, suspecting this may be appropriate respect to those who are moved by the religious undertones of this song, until the whole house is on its feet for the remainder of the song. Happens in church, we suppose? But is this really what we should do at the Phil?
3. Fur coats. Everywhere. Real fur. Full-length, calf-length, waist-length. Rabbit, mink, other critters. Many hides.