Tuesday, March 16, 2004 | 10:33 a.m.
As the French say, "Plus ca change, plus c'est le meme chose." It loosely translates to "the more things change, the more they stay the same."
Just ask comic George Carlin.
In 1974 the Vegas headliner was at the center of a cultural debate over obscene language as the U.S. Supreme Court debated whether his now-classic monologue "The Seven Words You Can't Say on Television" was indecent.
Today the nation is having a similar debate. This time the discussion is being fueled not by Carlin's language, but by Janet Jackson's Super Bowl flash, Howard Stern being booted from some of Clear Channel's radio outlets and new federal legislation that would raise indecency fines for individual broadcasters to $500,000.
It is "more of the same, more of the same. What are we, surprised?" Carlin told the Associated Press on Friday. The 66-year-old entertainer blamed it on religious moralism, media commercialism and election-year politics. "The whole problem with this idea of obscenity and indecency, and all of these things -- bad language and whatever -- it's all caused by one basic thing, and that is religious superstition ... There's an idea that the human body is somehow evil and bad and there are parts of it that are especially evil and bad, and we should be ashamed."
Toss in the mass media, and you've got a problem, he said. "What I always remind people is, radio and television, and as it happens, newspapers and magazines too, are advertising media ... When you have commercialism involved you have the kind of fear that advertisers are very afraid of offending some potential customer. They don't want to lose a sale.
"And yet, they're very inconsistent -- on that Super Bowl broadcast of Janet Jackson's there was also a commercial about a four-hour erection."
Carlin wrapped up an MGM Grand engagement last week, and returns May 20 for another two-week gig.
Music news
VegasBeat must be feeling a lot more comfortable living in Las Vegas -- we're suddenly feeling defensive when outsiders dump on our beloved Wayne Newton.
In a New York Daily News interview on the eve of his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Rolling Stone magazine founder Jann Wenner comes out in support of John Kerry, based in part on his musical preferences.
"I'm feeling confident that Kerry can win," Wenner told columnist Lloyd Grove. "Look who he likes: Bruce Springsteen! And I was with him at a Rolling Stones concert in Boston.
"What does George Bush like? Wayne Newton!
"That's the choice for our country: Springsteen or Wayne Newton. I know what my choice will be," the publishing mogul said.
Group sing
There are many talented Las Vegas entertainers, and not enough showrooms for them to all perform.
So Henderson company RCM Productions, in conjunction with Boulder Station, has put together a lineup of local performers -- all with national-level talent -- for a series of engagements.
Every Tuesday and Wednesday in April, the 270-seat Railhead will put on five featured performers in a showcase hosted by Jay Leno impressionist Marcel Forestieri. The first two entertainers confirmed are Steven David, who has been the headliner at Greek Isles, and Michael Cagle.
"I am what you get when you cross Patti LaBelle and Nathan Lane," Cagle says. We don't know exactly what that means, but we have heard Cagle, and the guy can really belt it out.
Celine trip
Celine Dion will give a special live performance with the Phoenix Symphony at Muhammad Ali's "Celebrity Fight Night X."
The charity event, which benefits the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Research Center, takes place March 27 in Arizona.
News was made at last year's event, when Robin Leach auctioned off four opening-night "A New Day ..." tickets for a whopping $250,000.
Not original
Not that we're keeping track or anything. Well, maybe a little. Recycled VegasBeat items have appeared all over the map in the last few days.
The august industry magazine Columbia Journalism Review has a column called Darts & Laurels, where they dole out appropriate zingers and compliments.
In that vein, we'd like to toss darts at People magazine and New York Post columnist Cindy Adams for using VegasBeat items without giving us credit.
And laurels go out to, among others, gossips Bill Zwecker of the Chicago Sun-Times and Howard Gensler of the Philadelphia Daily News. They were among the many outlets that used, with appropriate credit, our exclusive item on first daughter Jenna Bush having a backstage meeting with Britney Spears last weekend and then attending her MGM Grand concert.
On the other hand, without any attribution, this week's People lifted some Bernie Yuman quotes from our March 2 column about Roy Horn's recovery and a steak dinner they enjoyed together.
And Adams penned in Monday's Post: "After filing for bankruptcy Mike Tyson browsed an antiquities shop in Vegas for items owned by old-time mobster Arnold Rothstein."
That news about Tyson's trip to the Forum Shops at Caesars store Antiquities first appeared here on Jan. 28.
VegasBits
Style: The manager of the Canyon Ranch Spa (Venetian), Heather Caton, 27, is a contestant on the NBC reality series "Average Joe: Adam Returns," which debuted Monday night ...
Family: Rodeo Drive celebrity stylist Jose Eber attended his nephew Yuval Tauber's wedding at The Rio on Saturday night ...
Rhinestone cowboy: Country music legend Glen Campbell will perform at Buffalo Bill's Star of the Desert Arena on April 10. He has sold more than 45 million records, scored 27 Top 10 hits on the Billboard charts and has won every award his industry has to offer.
From Sun wires
Rock inductions: Prince burst into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Monday in New York with some blistering funk, joined by the regional stew of Bob Seger's heartland rock, ZZ Top's Texas boogie and Jackson Browne's California smoothness.
George Harrison became the third ex-Beatle inducted for his solo work. British jam band Traffic and the '50s harmony group the Dells were also honored.
Houston in rehab: Singer Whitney Houston has entered a drug rehabilitation facility, her publicist said.
Houston, 40, admitted in a December 2002 television interview that she had abused drugs in the past, but told interviewer Diane Sawyer on ABC's "Primetime" that she had gotten beyond that time through prayer.
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