Good Bye MGM Lions

MGM Grand, las Vegas

Tonight we say good-bye to one of the last remaining icons of Vegas’ glory years.  From when the customer was king and the company tried to attract the customer.  To make their place something you would want to go into and explore.   That would be the MGM Grand Lion exhibit.  It’s closing tonight for the final time.  To be replaced with…  Yet, another high-end, over priced booty-call bar and restaurant.

Now this new bar is not to be confused with the new one that will replace the now defunct Studio 54.  Another hangover from the glory days that will be replaced with another trendy, over priced, over hyped, high-end booty call bar.

It just boggles the mind when you think about it.  That boardroom mentality of MGM and Caesars.  “If we make all our resorts look alike and have nothing to distinguish or to attract guests into our doors… if we tighten up the machines, lower the payouts and get rid of anything that is free, Maybe we can make more money!”  I mean, gambling is only allowed in like 30 other states, it’s not like we have competition from other places for the tourist dollar…    Do we??

The lion exhibit is the reason you wanted to go in and explore.  While you were in there, you may have spent some money and shopped or dined.  But now?? Why go in there?  You can gamble in 300 other joints in town.  Why should you go and explore this one?  To be amazed at what?  Another red velvet rope with some doorman looking for the hottest chicks and the guys willing to tip heavy to get to the head of the line??  Yea, that should bring in the tourists!!

Ok, maybe I am a bit jaded.  Or just anxious to get this winter doldrums out by inhaling fumes from burning rubber or get race car fuel into my system.  NASCAR is a little over a month away!!  I can’t wait!

Miss Wisconsin, Miss America, Missing it All

miss america, miss wisconsin, the vegas touristJust in case you had a life and missed the news, Miss Wisconsin won the Miss America pageant last night at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas. Yea, they still have it and its held here in Las Vegas.  According to the ratings, 13% more of you found it this year on TV, compared to last years performance. .

Sorry, did that sound a little harsh??  Don’t take it wrong.  I’m glad someone from my neck of the woods actually got the crown.  But having grown up watching this show, and actually looked forward to it… I was a bit taken back by the truth behind America’s oldest beauty pageant when we covered it a few years ago.  When you know the secret behind the sauce, you tend to lose your love for it.

However, Miss Wisconsin Laura Kaeppeler, actually had a heads up on the other contest.  See, when you want to be a Miss America, there are few key ingredients you must posses: The ability to look pretty.  The ability to not think.  The ability to look pretty.  The ability to toe the company line and finally, the ability to look pretty.

Toe the Line

In Miss America speak, that means to be able to convincingly talk about your dreams of world peace, using the crown to bring an end to world hunger and the desire to save the world with a great big hug. If you can’t repeat those words with a convincing smile while looking like a woman without a thought in her pretty little head, you don’t stand a chance of getting here.

 

In her case, Miss Wisconsin had the help of her father who did some time in the slammer for mail fraud.  So her platform about helping the youth, was already rolling with speeches to school children and other “at risk” hungry, juveniles who will now have a new idol to look up to.  The beautiful Miss America.  That should attract the little perverts to her cause.

miss america, las vegas, the vegas tourist

 

Is NASCAR Here yet??