Joan Rivers on Vegas

Joan Rivers played Vegas a lot in the
60's and 70's and 80's. She told this
to Peggy Noonan:

"Twenty years ago, when everyone was talking about how wonderful it was that Vegas had been cleaned up and the mob had been thrown out, Joan said no, no, no, they are ruining the mystique. First of all, she said, those mobsters knew how to care for a lady, those guys with bent noses were respectful and gentlemen, except when they were killing you. Second, she said, organized crime is better than disorganized crime, which will replace it. Third, the mobsters had a patina of class, they dressed well and saw that everyone else did, so Vegas wasn’t a slobocracy, which is what it is becoming with men in shorts playing the slots in the lobby of the hotel. The old Vegas had dignity. She hated the bluenoses who’d clean up what wasn’t meant to be clean. No one wanted Sin City cleaned up, she said, they wanted to go there and visit sin and then go home."

She was 100% right. Slobocracy is what it's become.
Fat people in shorts playing slots at 10pm at the
Bellagio. In the 70's and 80's it had a lot of dignity,
which is totally gone now. It's different as night
and day. What a shame..

A few years ago, in the pre-dawn hours mid-Strip, I saw a gal playing a slot machine in her loose towel-like bathrobe & fuzzy slippers. And nothing else that could safely be detected. Nobody else seemed to pay it any mind, so after a quick double take to confirm that I saw what I saw, I was on my way home from the Bay of Tank Tops in the Sea of Waddling Fanny Packs.

When the weather turns I'll often be in something like a tweedy suit-jacket, open-necked sans tie. And people will ask me for directions or other more authoritative casino information. Maybe I should add a clipboard accessory to my wardrobe, and start firing some people or rearranging some stuff.

I hate belly bags/fanny packs. That said, I always use one for gambling. There is no good answer for a purse, unless it's tiny and can be slung diagonally across your body; even then if there's any weight in the purse, it pulls your neck and makes your neckline gape while sitting. Pockets on women's clothing aren't designed to hold anything; something as small as a cell phone falls out, let alone wallet+cell phone+personal items, and women's bodies aren't designed for pockets where they're sewn on men's clothing (over breasts, widest part of hips/sides, over butt cheeks). A purse not slung on your body, or even over a shoulder, is way too vulnerable to the army of cheats and pickpockets that infest Vegas. You're not allowed to put anything like a purse/wallet on a gaming table where you can watch it. So I look like an idiot but the belly bag puts my wallet and such right in front of me.

I often come in with something worse strapped on me that eats a whole plate of fanny packs for lunch, and I will do that again in about eight hours. I have a business-case style backpack I use to carry a bunch of stuff used to access a substantial amount of information and reference material, in both digital and some old fashioned paper form, when I'm headed into the casino books. But I won't be strapping it on over pink slippers & bathrobe.

Quote: beachbumbabs

I hate belly bags/fanny packs. That said, I always use one for gambling.

I can see that, BBB. You make some good points about ladies purses.

Being a guy, I LOVE my cargo shorts (that bob hates so much). Lol. I can carry cellphones, multiple wallets, bottles of water, with no problem. Also, baggy enough to conceal that you have items in a second layer of clothing underneath. During the wintertime, I wear a light jacket with an inside pocket or two, which I absolutely love. Unfortunately, wintertime in Vegas only consists of a few weeks in January. Lol.

She was pretty hot for 80 face wise, very beautiful, looked much younger. Lots of work of course though. Don't want the link though I don't think. lol

Personally the attire isn't the problem, but the bet minimums and holds are the problem. If you have to lower bets so much, you must rip them off, that's called stealing and conning and the operators need kicked straight in the garbanzo beans for being so sleazy.

Honestly sounds like a piece of crap to me. She's cool with a bunch of murderous, thieving goons as long as they kiss her on the hand and people are wearing pretty clothes. That's what matters, not the countless lives they've shattered.

I occasionally like dressing to go to a particular restaurant or function, but mostly prefer clothes that are functional and comfortable. Cargo shorts, as someone mentioned above, are great. One pocket for hundreds, one pocket for smaller denoms to buy stuff, one for player cards and ID and a couple big ones for stuff like phones and betting slips. Besides that, I usually wear sandals and a t-shirt. A side benefit is that if anyone was looking for people to rob, I look like someone who might have about $40 to his name.

The civilians are on vacation. Let them relax and be free for two weeks a year. Who does it hurt? One thing I like about living/working in Vegas so many people around you are happy and relaxed.

Quote: kewlj

I can see that, BBB. You make some good points about ladies purses.

Being a guy, I LOVE my cargo shorts (that bob hates so much). Lol. I can carry cellphones, multiple wallets, bottles of water, with no problem. Also, baggy enough to conceal that you have items in a second layer of clothing underneath. During the wintertime, I wear a light jacket with an inside pocket or two, which I absolutely love. Unfortunately, wintertime in Vegas only consists of a few weeks in January. Lol.

I basically only own cargo shorts. Many years ago I thought they were hideous. Now my wardrobe comprises of about 15 cargo shorts, 1 khaki, 1 black khaki style, and 3 jeans. Luckily for work I can wear shorts so my cargos get 95% of wear.

BTW EB: Being fat and my cargo shorts don't make me a slob as you seem to reference in your OP. Although my lack of daily face shaving and wrinkled shirts may make me a slob.

Old people complaining that things were better back in their day? Shocking.

I heard that candy bars used to cost a nickel, too. A nickel!

+1 for cargo shorts. Love 'em.

Quote: AxiomOfChoice

Old people complaining that things were better back in their day? Shocking.

I heard that candy bars used to cost a nickel, too. A nickel!

I miss "duck and cover" drills like we had in elementary school.

Ah, those were the days.

And the teacher lifting my desk up and dumping the contents on me because I was messy: such priceless memories.

Anytime I see a guy in cargo pants, my first thought is " Gee, his mom dresses him funny " !

Old Vegas never had multi-media Willie Wonka slot machines.... It's been over a week and I still have those Wonka tunes in my head! I'm happy with Vegas 2014....

Quote: andyg99

Old Vegas never had multi-media Willie Wonka slot machines.... It's been over a week and I still have those Wonka tunes in my head! I'm happy with Vegas 2014....

Has anyone encountered a bonafide maitre'd in Las Vegas lately? They epotomized old Vegas.

I know people who dealt with mob figures and I'm sure they would disagree.

Quote: MrV

I miss "duck and cover" drills like we had in elementary school.

Ah, those were the days.

And the teacher lifting my desk up and dumping the contents on me because I was messy: such priceless memories.

Teachers "swatting" students with wooden paddles, without recourse, screams out "the good old days" to me.

Yeah, but my folks had it even tougher when they were kids.

What, does every generation get increasingly "pussified?"

Nothing corrects a ne'erdowell quite like a good ass whoopin'.