Poster politics: What’s the naked truth behind Aladdin’s airport ad?

Adrienne Packer

Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2000 | 11:03 a.m.

Civil liberties advocates might believe Prince's controversial concert promotion poster is simply a "Sign O' The Times," but the publicity has airport officials "Delirious."

Pictured in the poster is the artist -- who just recently changed his name from a symbol back to Prince -- naked, holding a conveniently placed guitar upward.

FFE Display Service's decision to strip the Aladdin hotel-casino's poster from McCarran International Airport's walls has infuriated American Civil Liberties Union representatives.

"The airport advertising policy was crafted specifically to avoid this value-laden, content-based, discretionary decision-making on the part of airport authorities," said Gary Peck, executive director of the ACLU of Nevada.

But the Aladdin's version of the story does not compute, according to Aviation Director Randy Walker, who was clearly perturbed by the allegations tossed McCarran's way.

Aladdin officials have reportedly said their poster was removed because it was too racy, prompting the ACLU to get involved. Walker backed FFE -- his advertising management company -- and said the ad was removed because the Aladdin did not follow the proper installation procedures.

"When you put an ad up, you coordinate with the airport," Walker said, emphasizing the importance of using the proper equipment and keeping passengers safe. "This is not a free speech issue; this is substantive company that doesn't follow the rules. They screwed up."

Aladdin spokesman Lynn Holt could not be reached for comment Monday and today, but Peck said the account Walker and FFE offered was different than any he has heard in the last week.

"Based on what I've heard from a number of sources, it sounds to me like FFE is changing its story," Peck said. "I could care less as long as they and the airport authority now clearly understand their own advertising policy and will avoid content-based judgments about ads that meet the basic policy guidelines."

Walker on Monday went so far as to suggest the Aladdin knowingly caused a stir with its poster to attract media attention and, along with it, free publicity for the concert, which has sold out.

Shauna Forsythe, senior vice president of FFE -- the master concessionaire for indoor advertising at the airport -- said the Prince poster incident wasn't the first time the Aladdin has put up an ad without following the procedures. She said the casino was admonished for a Whitney Houston-Bobby Brown concert poster that also was not approved by the firm.

"They were notified that they were not to do that," Forsythe said. Forsythe said the Prince poster was discovered on Nov. 18 and taken down the same day. She said two emergency messages to the Aladdin over that weekend were not returned.

On Monday, without anyone mentioning concerns about the original poster's content, a less-revealing poster of Prince appeared in the same spot, said Forsythe, who also questioned the Aladdin's motives.

"It makes one wonder," she said.

Forsythe acknowledged that the naked Prince would have caused her concern. But she added that the agency doesn't automatically reject an advertisement; it confers with attorneys who determine whether it violates the airport's policy.

Peck, who worked with airport officials to create the advertising policy, said the picture of Prince did not violate the guidelines approved by the Clark County Commission.

Peck said the ad was not sexually explicit, but instead suggestive like advertisements for casinos that persuade visitors to gamble.

"It's suggestive; there is plenty of suggestive advertising not only in the airport but all over Las Vegas," Peck said. "It's not up to airport folks to be morality police or censors.

While the Prince incident might not have been the first time Aladdin has put up a poster without permission, it's also not the first time McCarran officials have fended off allegations of censorship by using other excuses.

Airport officials reportedly changed their story on why they wanted a Hard Rock Hotel billboard just outside McCarran removed. The billboard, with moving parts, pictured a man video-taping two women dancing.

McCarran officials first said they were requesting the sign be removed because of complaints that the picture was inappropriate; they then said the mechanics on the sign did not work, giving visitors a bad impression, according to news reports.