Sunday, September 18, 2005
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

NORM: Carlin lets loose in Playboy interview

Illusionist Roy Horn walks through Hofbrauhaus Saturday with the aid of a cane and his partner, Siegfried Fischbacher. The German natives tapped the first beer keg to kick off Oktoberfest, their home country's traditional celebration. Horn has been recovering since being attacked during a 2003 show by one of his white tigers. Photo by Ronda Churchill

Comedian George Carlin sheds more light on his Las Vegas "meltdown" -- his words -- last December in Playboy's October issue.

"The trouble is, a local gossip columnist was in the audience, and he used some sensational language to make a story out of it," Carlin told Playboy.

Umm. Au contraire, mi amigo. If your final night after a long, successful run at a Las Vegas hotel consists of lambasting the hotel and the "moronic ... limited intellects" of people who come to Las Vegas, along with inviting a disgusted female audience member to perform oral sex on you is "sensational language," then I'm guilty as charged.

But then Carlin, who has since moved to the Stardust, has never been shy about speaking his mind, and that's why he's still a big draw at age 69.

In his first Playboy interview in 24 years, he goes into his "54-year buzz" and why he went into rehab shortly after his scorching departure from the MGM Grand.

If he could change anything over the years?

"I would erase those five or six years of cocaine abuse, for a multitude or reasons. First, the cocaine made me ignore my finances and business interests, which put me in a giant hole with the IRS and damaged my ability to have a reasonable net worth."

He confesses that he was "full of cocaine" one night while hosting "The Tonight Show," and he's convinced David Carradine, a guest that night, was tripping on acid.

"My memory of it is this: I would ask him a question, and he would answer the next question."

Does he prefer Jay Leno or David Letterman?

"I'd say I like Letterman a little better than Leno because he has that anti-show thing going. He's kind of the non-TV host TV host. And he has a perversity and grouchiness I can relate to."

Carlin's perfect afterlife, he said, "would be to be able to sit comfortably and watch the world on a kind of heavenly CNN." The world, he said, "is a big theater-in-the-round as far as I'm concerned, and I'd love to watch it spin itself into oblivion.

"Tune in and watch the human adventure. It's a cursed, doomed species, but it's interesting as hell. That's what I want heaven to be, and if it's not like that ... I'll just kill myself."

The Scene and Heard

Las Vegas defense attorney David Chesnoff and comedy show producer Jeff Beacher are teaming up on an effort to transfer Mardi Gras to Las Vegas. Chesnoff told US magazine they plan to approach New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin about hosting the event and "turning it into a giant philanthropic event" benefiting Hurricane Katrina victims. Beacher is working on bringing all the local talent together. ...

"American Idol" Kelly Clarkson has rescheduled her show at the Aladdin for Dec. 10. She backed out of Sept. 10's show, citing health problems and a desire to perform at a Hurricane Katrina fundraiser.

Sightings

Eddie Murphy at Pure nightclub (Caesars Palace). ... L.A. Dodgers reliever Eric Gagne at N9NE steakhouse (Palms) on Friday. ... Also at Pure: Dan Aykroyd and boxing great Oscar De La Hoya. ... Tiger Woods at Light (Bellagio). ... Country star Toby Keith, dining at Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill (Caesars Palace) on Friday with Harrah's new president, Don Marrandino, and getting a tour of Pure and the Pussycat Dolls Lounge. Boxing analyst Max Kellerman, dining at Fiamma (MGM Grand) on Friday night and picking up the check of legendary trainer Emmanuel Stewart, who was at the next table. ... Aykroyd and Dennis Rodman at Body English (Hard Rock Hotel) on Friday.

The Punch Line

"Gold digger: Like a hooker ... just smarter." -- Wording on a T-shirt at the David & Goliath store at The Venetian

Norm Clarke can be reached at 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com.