Hard Rock's Beacher Vs. PETA

Jeff Beacher is such a genius for publicity and self-promotion. Has anyone even noticed the headliner at the Hard Rock has not performed a show at the venue all year? In fact, his first Madhouse of 2007 isn't even on the schedule until May 26. Yet, that has hardly kept Beacher's name out of the press. Earlier this year, Beacher got himself a national publicity bonanza when he announced, after Donald Trump kicked her to the curb, that dethroned Miss Nevada, Katie Rees, would become the new host for the Madhouse. Little did Beacher know that his next batch of clippings would come as a side benefit from the Katie Rees story.

 

"When the Katie Rees stories appeared our members from all over the country sent in complaints," says Jackie Vergerio of PETA. (Karma points my way for the oh so many Katie Rees jokes I am not making right now.)  According to Vergerio: "The stories mentioned that he (Beacher) uses a monkey in the show and you go on the Web site and you see what that show is like and it is a horrible environment for a primate. It is no environment for any animal to be subjected to it." Interestingly, though perhaps not fit for a monkey, the raucous circus and bachelor party atmosphere of Beacher's Madhouse is an environment that human animals will wait in line hours and hours for a chance to be admitted. Anyway, according to Vergerio, PETA sent a letter to the entertainment director of the Hard Rock to complain about the monkey being used in the show. Of course, Beacher's response was to leap at the chance for attention provided by PETA's complaint.

 

And, so it is no surprise, that I first became aware of the situation this morning after reading a press release from Beacher lashing out at PETA titled: "Jeff Beacher not Monkeying around with PETA." My favorite quote in the press release: "Beacher...fears that the people who represent PETA believe in bully tactics and is scared that they will dump paint on him." Is this the same Beacher who a few months ago, for another publicity stunt, was planning to cover himself in dough and then use a crane to lower himself into a vat of ketchup and mustard for 8 minutes to make himself the world's largest pig-in-a-blanket?

 

(photo of Beacher's monkey taken 11/12/05 by Sarah Gerke)