Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

VegasBeat — Timothy McDarrah: Snafu has Kimmel waiting to exhale

Las Vegas native and ABC talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel has been battling network suits since his late-night talker debuted a few months ago.

First it was over having a bar in the studio and serving liquor to his audience. Then it was inviting co-hosts such as Ed McMahon, who were not in keeping with the show's intended demographic.

Now the network's standards-and-practices department (i.e., the censors) tried to forbid Kimmel from using an image of Arnold Schwarzenegger smoking a marijuana cigarette in a scene from the 1977 documentary, "Pumping Iron."

The smoking controversy was first reported by Mark Malkin in New York magazine.

Kimmel was told that ABC does not allow people to be depicted doing drugs in any of its entertainment programs. After a few days of give and take, it was decided that Kimmel would be allowed to show Arnold bringing the joint to his lips, but not actually inhaling.

But Kimmel continued to argue, insisting that ABC shows such as "NYPD Blue" and others are quite graphic in their depiction of drug use, and since his show was on late at night he should be able to use the film clip.

Finally, a half hour before showtime the other night, the network relented and Kimmel was allowed to air the entire pot smoking clip.

Phone messages left for Kimmel on Monday were not immediately returned.

The in-studio bar idea, by the way, was nixed; McMahon, however, turned out to be a great addition to the show.

Big gain

Kahuna, the popular radio personality and 10-year veteran of the Las Vegas market, started a new gig Monday.

"The Kahuna & Company Morning Show" debuted on classic rock station KKLZ 96.3-FM. It'll now air weekdays from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m.

"There are only a few local personalities who have built a brand like Kahuna has," said Harry Williams of the Beasley Broadcast Group, which operates the station.

Attention, ladies!

"Chippendales" dancers from productions around the nation are flying to Las Vegas on Wednesday to have their photos taken for their 2004 calendar.

The shoot -- at The Rio, starting at 9 a.m. -- is probably not going to be open to the public, but that is unlikely to stop everyone.

Photog Dan Peterson will be behind the lens; he was the star of the Los Angeles "Chippendales" show in the 1980s.

Punk party

The Sex Pistols are having the afterparty for their Thursday night New York concert at the Chelsea Hotel at Serena, the hotel's basement boite.

Of course, as any graduate of Punk 101 knows, the Chelsea Hotel is where Pistols bass player Sid Vicious stabbed his girlfriend, Nancy Spungen, in 1978 in Room 100 of the famed flophouse.

The reunited Pistols -- Johnny Rotten, Glen Matlock, Steve Jones and Paul Cook -- play The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel on Sept. 5.

No official word on why, of all the gin joints in Gotham, they booked that one for their bash. And no word yet on where they'll do their Vegas partying.

Political guest

At 8 a.m. Friday, famed national political writer Joe Conason will be appearing live on Doug Basham's KLAV 1230-AM radio show.

Conason will talk about his new book, "Big Lies: The Right Wing Propaganda Machine and How It Distorts the Truth."

Writes Conason, a columnist for Salon and the New York Observer: "Ann Coulter, Rush Limbaugh, Bernard Goldberg, Mona Charen ... they've clogged best-seller lists with their ranting and raving. And guess what? They're all wrong!"

In 1985, when he was at New York's Village Voice, Conason wrote the first detailed account of the hidden real estate holdings of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos, which eventually led to their demise as leaders of the Phillipines.

Food crew

Las Vegas will be well represented at one of the year's top culinary events -- Wolfgang Puck's 21st annual Wine & Food Festival in Los Angeles.

Three of the six featured chefs at the $500-per-ticket Grand Tasting Dinner on Sept. 14 (proceeds are going to a variety of Vegas and Los Angeles charities) have a significant Vegas presence: Puck, Nobu Matsuhisa (Nobu at the Hard Rock Hotel) and Tom Colicchio (CraftSteak at the MGM Grand).

And many locals are participating in Western Night the evening before, including Bradley Ogden, whose self-titled restaurant is as Caesars, Piero Selvaggio (Valentino at The Venetian), Todd English (Olives at Bellagio), Mark Ferguson (Lupo at Mandalay Bay), John LeGrone (Postrio at The Venetian), Scott Irestone (Chinois at the Forum Shops at Caesars) and Eduardo Perez (Spago at the Forum Shops).

Puck started the event with Barbara Lazaroff, his wife at the time, in 1982. The couple continue to work amicably on the charity.

VegasBits

Diner: Singer Daryl Hall, sans professional partner John Oates, had dinner with three pals Saturday night at Aureole (Mandalay Bay). Aisha Tyler ("Friends") was in Sunday night ...

Magic: Friday night David Copperfield will make Spence, Amy Sweet and the rest of the crew from the KLUC 98.5-FM "Morning Zoo" team disappear onstage during his show at the MGM Grand's Hollywood Theatre ...

Delay: Partly because of the great Northeast blackout and partly because of a key editor's illness, the debut of Robin Leach's syndicated show, "Penthouse Vegas," has been knocked back at least to the end of August ...

Reunion: A gathering of former employees from Sahara Hotel is being organized for Sept. 25. Call (702) 897-1151 for info ...

Congrats: Earl Turner, the top act at Harrah's Laughlin, is being feted by the company at The Rio on Aug. 28 ...

Beat be gone: Attention readers (both of you!): It is vacation time at Gossip Central -- VegasBeat is taking a few days off. But keep those cards and letters coming; we hate to miss anything.

From Sun wires

Show spiked: Roseanne Barr's hysterectomy has forced the cancellation of her upcoming cooking show, "Domestic Goddess," and may claim the ABC reality show leading up to it. The 50-year-old comedian-actress is due to undergo the operation this week.

Estrada sues: Former "CHiPs" star Erik Estrada sued a movie production company in Los Angeles Monday for $75,000, claiming it reneged on paying him when it decided against making a proposed movie.

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