Fear and Loathing

The Aladdin casino in Las Vegas made headlines earlier this week when it booted Linda Ronstadt for pimping Michael Moore and Fahrenheit 9/11 during her show. Apparently, though, the Aladdin is in the process of being bought out by Planet Hollywood. The new CEO says he'll invite back Ronstadt and Moore for a double-header. I can only assume he was inspired by that double-CD set comprising a Chumbawamba album and a Noam Chomsky talk. Anyway, this sounds like a grand opportunity to let what happens in Vegas stay in Vegas. For as long as possible.

Comments

[Doug Allen]

Ironically, Planet Hollywood was co-founded by Arnold Schwarzeneggar and Bruce Willis, a couple of Hollywood Republicans (those two words paired together is nearly an oxymoron).

Private business is private business. And if the old boss wanted to keep politics out of the entertainment, while the new boss is practically ready to roll out the carpet for ANSWER, then those are their individual choices. And if Moore is indeed invited to be a keynote performer at the new PH Casino, then I’ll know exactly where NOT to spend my dollars next time I’m in that town.

[The Lonewacko Blog]

Call it the Fat Pack.

In ten years, Mikey Moore will have a stage show in Las Vegas called “The Liberal Years” (working title).

It’ll be a review show featuring all your favorite anti-Bush moments: Maggie Chow, Linda R., Ted Rall, the editors of the LAT and NYT, John & Teresa, Peter & Paul, etc. etc.

[TWC]

One of the things I just love about us libertarians is the time honored tradition of moaning about precision in language. The moans are even more amusing because in nearly every case the person doing the complaining knows exactly what the person doing the writing means, thus negating the idea that the writer is being imprecise.

Somehow, even in this context, we all got the intended meaning from the comment that Rondstat was pimping for Moore.

Coulda said ‘shilling for Moore’ as well. But that would have been imprecise, although perhaps less so, given it was Vegas.

Yes, words have meaning but those meanings change with time and context.

[Jason Ligon]

joe:

I think you might do better with Rage Against the Machine on that disc, but that’s just me.

[Julian Sanchez]

They’re actually not bad.

[joe]

JL, “All Day” by Minstry:

“well i’m hiding my eyes from the morning sun
and i keep on working till the work is all done
but a voice in my head keeps ticking away
as the sweat’s hosed down from yet another day
well he works hard
and he lives hard
and he breaks his back without nothing to gain
while the boss man sits around and drinks champagne

all day (you work and you work and you work and)
in life, there’s just one transition
all day (you work and you work and you work and)
in life, there’s just one decision

well i’m peeling the blisters off my working hand
is that what it takes to make you understand?
that it’s something you read, not something you meant
to be slaving away without a shred of integrity
he worked hard
and he lived hard
and he broke his back without nothing to say
while the man in control was just laughing away

all day (you work and you work and you work and)
in life, there’s just one transition
all day (you work and you work and you work and)
in life, there’s just one decision

was it something you read?
was it something you meant?
was it something you said?
or was it heaven sent?

all day (you work and you work and you work and)
in life, there’s just one transition
all day (you work and you work and you work and)
in life, there’s just one decision”

I’m sticking with Al.

[dhex]

joe, every time you mention granpa al, i want to hug you.

and yes, the cato cover band sounds absolutely fucking horrible. cover bands are bad enough, but covers by nerds in bow ties? even good guy nerds like cato’s.

[thoreau]

Before anybody starts complaining that the Aladdin’s owner is basically surrendering his property rights to the tyranny of popular opinion, keep in mind that the publicity surrounding the Ronstadt/Moore show probably means that the house will be packed.

I wonder if that was the plan all along: Create controversy, then invite the performer back with even more publicity…

[Jason Ligon]

“I can only assume he was inspired by that double-CD set comprising a Chumbawamba album and a Noam Chomsky talk.”

That is awesome. Question for the crowd. Any more frienly double albums?:

Select readings from Anarchy, State, and Utopia with a side B of Velvet Underground?

[parse]

How was Linda Ronstadt “pimping” Michael Moore. Was she touting him to her audience in order to commandeer a portion of the profits from the movie, in a relationship analagous to that of a pimp to a prostitute? Or are you just using language in the very broadest sense to imply that you think there is something sleazy or shameful in Ronstadt’s opinion of Moore’s work?

If it’s the latter, I think that demonstrates a lack of clarity and precision that, even by the rather loose standards of commentary on “Hit & Run” is a mark of a lazy writer.

[joe]

JL,

Selections from “A People’s History of the United States,” backed by 37 minute extended Ministry mix.

[Mo]

parse,
I think pimping has meaning in the vernacular outside of the literal. When I go out with female friends and the try to hook me up with a girl, I often say “so and so is pimping me out” even though no money changes hands.

[Julian Sanchez]

The colloquial use of “to pimp” as a synonym for “to tout or promote” is pretty standard at this point; I doubt anyone else was confused by that usage.

[Brian]

The audience’s response to Ronstadt’s comments on Moore should be suprising to no one. One look around the Vegas strip should be enough to indicate to anyone with marginal powers of observation that the crowd at any given time is roughly half “red-state” (to use the parlence of our times…)

That the future management of the Aladin would prefer to cater to a specific subset of that crowd seems shortsighted, but hey…they’re the ones making a living off of gambling…