Good news for Las Vegas locals who are not redneck, bigoted assholes - from Norm’s column in yesterday’s Las Vegas Review Journal
"In a move certain to send critics of Linda Ronstadt into orbit, Planet Hollywood honcho Robert Earl has invited Ronstadt to come back to Las Vegas after he takes over the Aladdin in September.
Ronstadt was evicted from the Aladdin on Saturday after angering the casino’s management with pro-Michael Moore comments and other remarks during her concert.
Earl, a British banker and entrepreneur, released a statement Wednesday saying he was “very sorry to hear about the unfortunate circumstances of this past Saturday night and want to make it clear that Planet Hollywood has never, in our 13-year history, restricted any artists’ right to free speech and we will continue with that policy once we take ownership.”
Earl, chairman and chief operating officer of Planet Hollywood, said that upon assumption of ownership, he and his new management team will invite Moore, who produced the anti-Bush administration film “Fahrenheit 9/11,” to introduce Ronstadt on stage.
Meanwhile, a coalition of national civil rights organizations and California leaders are urging their members and supporters to boycott the Aladdin. "
Actually, it sounds to me like good news for a particular Las Vegas mogul who sees an opportunity to make some bucks. Earl has a history of using stars for publicity. Before his first bankruptcy, he had paid Bruce Willis, Sly Stallone, and others, with stock options to go to openings of Planet Hollywood. (He was still running Hard Rock Cafe at the time.) He used star power back then in his drive toward an IPO. This time, he’ll get Moore for free because Moore is a vain jackass who will wallow in whatever faux praise anyone heaps on him, and Ronstadt is already being (under)paid anyway. Toss in the hot media publicity, which tends to spawn into a self-propogating frenzy, and he will make a fortune, assuming he stays afloat until then. Anyway, here’s to entrepreneurship. Like I always tell people, it’s the way to get things done!
…and as a follow-up to my OP, from today’s Norm column in the Las Vegas Review Journal:
"Done deal
It’s official: The duo of Linda Ronstadt and “Fahrenheit 9/11” filmmaker Michael Moore will sing “America the Beautiful” at Planet Hollywood this fall, after the takeover of the Aladdin.
That’s the word from my Left Coast spies, and I do mean “left.”
Planet Hollywood chief Robert Earl invited the two to perform after the Aladdin’s eviction of Ronstadt on Saturday. The dismissal followed her show, during which she criticized the casino and politicized the event by dedicating her encore song “Desperado” to Moore.
Ronstadt told the Tucson (Ariz.) Citizen, her hometown newspaper, that many of her fellow entertainers have been supportive.
“Irving Azoff, who is the Eagles’ manager, immediately pulled all his acts from the Aladdin,” she said. “I’ve had phone calls and messages from all over. Elton John sent me flowers last night. Keith Richards, Sting, the list goes on and on of people pouring in support.”
What source is telling you that stuff? Azoff doesn’t have any acts at the Aladdin. And what Ronstadt told her hometown paper was that the LA Times and AP stories of her being escorted off the property and booed were incorrect.
Considering the pre-release pundits were predicting it wouldn’t make more than $30-40 million domestically, and that Gallup shows about 50% of the populace plan to eventually see it either in the theater or on video…
…well, those folks booing Linda must be feeling really annoyed, is all I’m sayin’.
Dirty Laundry? Oh bullshit. I’m sick of people saying Moore’s just in it for the money (right, 'cause he needs it for that expensive wardrobe :rolleyes: ) or the ego (not that I dout for a minute he’s got a huge ego ).
Moore as a cynical media manipulator? Why is it so hard to believe he’s a sincere media manipulator. He’s a pub whore because he’s got a message he believes in and wants to publicise it. That’s how it’s done.
Ok, he’s been sucessful, he’s made a bunch of money. So he bought himself a 1.9 million dollar apartment (in Manhatten? So that would mean it has two bedrooms ).
He made this whole bunch of money by making documentary film. Not exactly the career path someone who wanted to get rich would be likely to choose…he may be the first to do so.
I’m not really trying to defend Moore’s character…I’m sure he enjoys having money. I’m sure he enjoys being important. I’m just saying I don’t see a justification for dismissing him as just some media whore. He wanted to be a national gadfly. He just managed to become sucessful doing so.
