Annie Duke: Games beat reality
I don't usually watch television, and so I missed Sunday's moment when Melissa Rivers called poker player Annie Duke "a whore pit viper." Her mother, Joan Rivers, then apparently used shameful comparisons to those who commit genocide to equate her daughter's losing a game show meant to raise money for charity to a professional poker player. But to be honest, I am not at all surprised that Duke upset and unhinged the Riverses -- Joan and Melissa. She played them. You see, the mother and daughter were foolishly participating in a reality show and Annie Duke is playing a game to win. Therefore none of Duke's decisions are being made based on her emotions or feelings, only the dictates of the system she is using. Not that I have ever met Annie Duke.
So how do I know this?
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Oprah even rules in Vegas
A few weeks ago I was contacted by "The Oprah Winfrey Show." The representative did not want to talk to me about one of my stories; the person only wanted to get rights to a photograph that appeared in an article I wrote in 2004.
Usually, I am responsive to other media colleagues who need Vegas information, and usually they are polite when asking. But the Oprah representative's note had a certain voice of command rather than a request. So I didn't reply to the note at all. I don't work for Oprah Winfrey, and her show deadlines mean nothing to me. Besides, there was another issue; I had no memory of how the photography got into a story from four years ago. So there was really no way, even if they had been polite, that I could help Oprah without abandoning my own work to make a bunch of calls to track people down I have not spoken to in years.
A few hours later I got a frantic contact from the current editor of the publication I wrote that story for in 2004. Oprah's people had gotten in touch with her, and she desperately wanted to please them. Sorry, there was nothing I could do to help. And I felt good saying that. If there is one place on Earth that Oprah Winfrey should not matter, it is Las Vegas. Nothing against her, but what does she have to do with gambling, partying and doing things that are bad for you and wasting your money in degenerate ways? Nothing. Or so I thought.
The power of Oprah turns out to be even in Vegas too mighty to be ignored.
This weekend the hottest ticket in town turns out to be a taping of Winfrey's television show at Caesars Palace. This is crucial Vegas, because being interviewed is soon-to-open headliner Cher discussing her show. Interesting too is that the other guest at Oprah's taping is Tina Turner.
The last time Winfrey did a Vegas taping was in 2003, also at Caesars Palace with Celine Dion before her show, "A New Day," opened there. So Cher makes perfect sense. But I am fascinated to know why Turner is on the bill? It seems extremely unlikely that Turner could be planning a Vegas show.
Usually, I am responsive to other media colleagues who need Vegas information, and usually they are polite when asking. But the Oprah representative's note had a certain voice of command rather than a request. So I didn't reply to the note at all. I don't work for Oprah Winfrey, and her show deadlines mean nothing to me. Besides, there was another issue; I had no memory of how the photography got into a story from four years ago. So there was really no way, even if they had been polite, that I could help Oprah without abandoning my own work to make a bunch of calls to track people down I have not spoken to in years.
A few hours later I got a frantic contact from the current editor of the publication I wrote that story for in 2004. Oprah's people had gotten in touch with her, and she desperately wanted to please them. Sorry, there was nothing I could do to help. And I felt good saying that. If there is one place on Earth that Oprah Winfrey should not matter, it is Las Vegas. Nothing against her, but what does she have to do with gambling, partying and doing things that are bad for you and wasting your money in degenerate ways? Nothing. Or so I thought.
The power of Oprah turns out to be even in Vegas too mighty to be ignored.
This weekend the hottest ticket in town turns out to be a taping of Winfrey's television show at Caesars Palace. This is crucial Vegas, because being interviewed is soon-to-open headliner Cher discussing her show. Interesting too is that the other guest at Oprah's taping is Tina Turner.
The last time Winfrey did a Vegas taping was in 2003, also at Caesars Palace with Celine Dion before her show, "A New Day," opened there. So Cher makes perfect sense. But I am fascinated to know why Turner is on the bill? It seems extremely unlikely that Turner could be planning a Vegas show.
Anyway. Having just ignored their request of me, I have unsurprisingly totally belly-flopped in my attempt to get a ticket to the Oprah taping at Caesars.
I feel like James Frey.
Oh, mighty Oprah people, forgive me! I promise, next time one of your minions needs to know how a publication I once wrote for got a photo in 2004 on a few hours' notice, I will understand this is the most important task in my life.
I feel like James Frey.
Oh, mighty Oprah people, forgive me! I promise, next time one of your minions needs to know how a publication I once wrote for got a photo in 2004 on a few hours' notice, I will understand this is the most important task in my life.
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Mary Carey on 'Celebrity Rehab'
Train-wreck cable show "Celebrity Rehab" debuts its next episode tomorrow. At the Adult Entertainment Expo last week, I asked the queen of the rambling monologue, Mary Carey, about her experience with Dr. Drew on the show:"Dr. Drew changed my life and saved my life. I was in a pretty bad state. My mom tried to kill herself and I had a Xanax addiction. I have not touched Xanax since the show. I don't drink hard liquor. I mean, I still drink wine and the doctor does not approve, but I am better. One thing I have to say is that Jessica Sierra from 'American Idol' winds up being my roommate on the show, and she is the one who has been in jail. And I read a lot of people saying that because of her the show is not real. The show is real. Jessica's addiction problem is so bad that it is going to take a lot of treatment. Addiction is like cancer; it can go into remission. Her addiction is so severe that it came back. I have been praying for Jessica Sierra. I think she is going to do good. She has a year of Dr. Drew now. The show was amazing. And I can still call Drew. If I have a problem, I can call him whenever I want. He is the most amazing person in my life. He has helped me become a better businessperson. When I did the show originally, I wanted to get out of porn. And Dr. Drew wanted me out of porn. But I now started my own company and I am running everything, and that is so much better."
(Photo by Sarah Gerke)
(Photo by Sarah Gerke)
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How Vegas keeps it real
Came across this circulating MySpace:
"Do you want to be on E
"Stripper 101 is looking for 15 girls to take a mock Stripper 101 class at the V Theater on Tuesday October 23rd at 11:45 am. E! is filming a segment on Las Vegas' sexiest jobs, they are featuring Stripper 101 and its instructor. I am looking for 15 girls that would like to be a part of the filming. We are putting together a mock bachelorette scene and are looking for HOT 20 something year olds that do NOT know how to strip! We want this to look as real as possible. You will be featured on national TV and we'll give free tickets to come back and take the class."
Being attractive and in her 20s, with no stripping experience, "Buffet" photographer Sarah Gerke was that rare jewel. So she e-mailed to check whether she could participate in order to confirm the legitimacy of the post for me. She was told by the rep from V Theater at Planet Hollywood's owner, David Saxe: "If you are interested, please e-mail me pictures of yourself or your MySpace link." Well, she wasn't that interested.
"Do you want to be on E
"Stripper 101 is looking for 15 girls to take a mock Stripper 101 class at the V Theater on Tuesday October 23rd at 11:45 am. E! is filming a segment on Las Vegas' sexiest jobs, they are featuring Stripper 101 and its instructor. I am looking for 15 girls that would like to be a part of the filming. We are putting together a mock bachelorette scene and are looking for HOT 20 something year olds that do NOT know how to strip! We want this to look as real as possible. You will be featured on national TV and we'll give free tickets to come back and take the class."
Being attractive and in her 20s, with no stripping experience, "Buffet" photographer Sarah Gerke was that rare jewel. So she e-mailed to check whether she could participate in order to confirm the legitimacy of the post for me. She was told by the rep from V Theater at Planet Hollywood's owner, David Saxe: "If you are interested, please e-mail me pictures of yourself or your MySpace link." Well, she wasn't that interested.
But good to see how Vegas works to keep it real on TV.
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Music industry comes to Vegas
What a weekend for my laptop to start falling apart! Oh, hurry, Dell repair person! The entire music industry and Paris Hilton should be in Vegas this weekend. And, this being Vegas, the weekend has already started.
The next few days in Vegas are going to be dominated by music. This afternoon I am going to a press conference where Jay-Z is scheduled to announce a new 40/40 Club coming to the Venetian's expansion, Palazzo. After that I am heading to Hard Rock to see Incubus and to meet some colleagues from Rolling Stone, where I reviewed music for many years. The concert is part of Rolling Stone's celebration of its 40th anniversary with a weekend of events at Hard Rock. I wasn't actually invited to the anniversary as a guest by Rolling Stone. Rather, I've agreed to help cover some of the events and parties for the magazine's website as working press. At least it is nice to be remembered.
But most of the interviewing, reporting and writing I'll be doing this weekend will be at the Palms for MTV's Video Music Awards. The Palms is being entirely transformed for the event. Even slot machines are being taken out to create more staging areas. My plan now is to blog and bring you photos in real time backstage at the VMAs, along with interviews with winners as I get them. So be sure to check back all weekend for updates, interviews and insider photos.
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Real World reunites at Palms
The show was so successful in 2002 that no
one doubts that Real World Las Vegas was a huge benefit not only to Palms
specifically but to the city generally. The rumors have already been widely
reported; so I wanted to await the official word. I now have that. A Palms
spokesperson e-mailed me back this morning: "I can confirm that the Real World
Las Vegas cast will be coming back to the Palms for a reunion and of course
staying in the Real World suite." This, of course, would be the cast of Season
12 of the hit MTV show that was almost the starting point for contemporary Las
Vegas' love affair with cable television. The show was so hot that even the Palms nightclub, Rain,
by frequently becoming a focus of the show, wound up playing an important part
as catalyst to the nascent days of the now booming resort club
scene.
I will have more on this next week.
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Las Vegas and Montecito Return
"Las Vegas" the television show will be returning for another season only
without stars Nikki Cox and James Caan. Anyone else think Michael Jackson should
be the headliner at Montecito?
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Surreal Life hits the Strip
I was at the Palms last night for a television premiere media event that was supposed to happen at the Palms recording studio, but was moved at the last minute to a private suite. The reason for the change was an unexpected booking in the recording studio. ThisBack to last night, I was at the Palms to watch "The Surreal Life: Fame Games" on VH1. The season was shot entirely in Las Vegas, and it is brutally funny entertainment. Local boy Robin Leach hosted the party and plays host in this TV parody of "Survivor" in which a bunch of sort-of celebrities are thrown into humiliating competition. How odd to see what Vanilla Ice looks like now. Even odder that Vanilla Ice won a competition held at Fremont Street Experience in which the celebrities vied to be chosen by tourists to be featured in a photo.
This was particularly surreal, or maybe I've just been in Vegas too long. Vegas, I am guessing, will prove to be the perfect home for this show. People here have a good sense of fame's camp value. One possible problem: Leach allowed that when this season finishes there might be no celebrities willing to be cast for season 2. But based on the debasing willingness of this group to grab on to just a little bit of the spotlight, I think, there will be plenty of volunteers.
The cast: Brigitte Nielsen, Chyna Doll, Vanilla Ice, Pepa, Emmanuel Lewis, C.C. DeVille, Ron Jeremy, Jordan Knight and Traci Bingham. Bingham joined
I am always amazed by Robin Leach's work ethic (even if going to parties and having fun is in his job description). I rode the elevator up to the suite in the Palms with a television producer who is one of Leach's associates. She told me Leach had arrived in Vegas from Pittsburgh at 6:30 a.m. that morning. He went from the airport directly to covering the massive Consumer Electronics Show, and immediately from there directly to a 6:30 p.m. dinner reservation. When I left a little after 10 p.m., Leach was preparing to host a party at Moon, the new nightclub at the Palms. On my way out, Leach cornered me at the door about arranging an interview with a talent agent I had introduced him to briefly a year ago. As always, he remembered every name and detail. Just a typical day for the hardest working man in Vegas media.
photo by Sarah Gerke
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Vegas Preview of CSI Premier with KA
Yesterday afternoon I went to the KA Theatre at MGM to attend a preview of tonight's season premier of CSI. The KA Theatre is the location of one of two casino deaths that are being investigated in the episode. Feel safe to read on: I don't want to ruin the fun for viewers by giving away any plot and I don't really watch the show enough to understand who the core characters are for the cliff hanger at the end. But as a local I really enjoyed the back stage look at how Cirque makes KA function. KA, as I have noted before on the Buffet, has a series of three stages that shift like great titanic plates throughout the show to allow the acrobats of Cirque to defy gravity or use gravity at their whim. One bit of trivia that came out, and I am curious if it is true, is that Clark County gives Cirque the power to actually control a crime scene to some extent in that dangerous backstage area. In the story airing tonight the body is moved by Cirque employees away from all the shifting stages before the CSI team arrives. The other detail that stuck out involved my favorite part of KA: the giant stage gracefully lifts straight up dumping tons of sand in a breathtaking effect. I now know that it is not sand at all but finely ground Portuguese cork. Watching CSI along with me were members of the cast of KA who cheered and laughed knowingly as the CSI team marveled at their high tech stage and the amazing video surveillance system KA uses that covers almost the entire stage with cameras to allow the directors to review any motion of a cirque performer each performance for critique. The size of the theatre does not really come through on television but the wonder, oddity, strange beauty and, more than anything, the massive effort it takes to put together a Cirque show are all obvious even on a small screen.
photo by Sarah Gerke
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Murder and Cirque
I don't watch much television. I confess that while I know there is a very successful show called "CSI" set here in Vegas, I haven't actually seen it. But I will be watching the Sept. 21 season premiere this year because I love the premise: murder at Cirque's "Ka" at MGM Grand. The contortionists, acrobats and illusionists connected to that troupe seem a perfect group of super-interesting suspects. The writers of the show must agree, since according to the Review-Journal's Norm Clarke they are planning to make this episode a two-part affair. The shoot will take place Aug. 13-15 at the MGM Grand.
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