Oompa Loompa has little trouble

Here's a hint if you plan a Christmas party: Keep the Oompa Loompas away from the tequila.

A fracas broke out at Hogs and Heifers Saloon on Monday night when a little person in an Oompa Loompa costume took offense at being called a midget.

Wee Matt, a member of "Beacher's Madhouse," was carried out, legs furiously kicking, after throwing a punch that struck a bar patron in the posterior.

"He snapped," said Jeff Beacher, who pulled Wee Matt, all of 4-foot-2 and 80-some pounds, and a cohort out of the Third Street bar.

They were hired as entertainment for Rattle, Rumble & Roll Night, an outing for hot rod aficionados, including the Knuckle Draggers Car Club.

The rumble started not long after the Oompa Loompas started downing shots of Patron tequila. That's when the spit hit the fan.

Upset by the "midget" remark, Wee Matt "promptly started swinging and spit on the guy and had to be pulled away and escorted out by a member of my security staff," said owner Michelle Dell.

"Roald Dahl would be horrified!" added Dell, referring to the author of the 1964 book "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," which was turned into the film "Willie Wonka & the Chocolate Factory" in 1971. Oompa Loompas are characters in the story.

The message here, said Beacher: "Don't call an Oompa Loompa a midget."

Wee Matt is no stranger to throwdowns. In early 2006, he slapped Michael Politz, a plus-sized local food and beverage publisher, during a tussle on a stairway at Tao in The Venetian.

THE SCENE AND HEARD

Lance Burton got a major plug from Celine Dion in People magazine's cover story on her in the Dec. 3 issue. She said Burton's show is No. 1 with her 4-year-old son, René-Charles. "I'm the second," said Dion, who ends her run at Caesars Palace on Dec. 15. "I'll take that. He's seen my show four times." ...

Marilyn LaRocque, contributing editor of Luxury Las Vegas magazine, takes exception to Esquire food critic John Mariani's contention, mentioned here the other day, that "if Fed Ex did not exist, (Las Vegas) wouldn't have many restaurants." LaRocque, in an e-mail to me, shot back, "And if Fed Ex didn't exist, NO major U.S. city would have fine restaurants serving exotic foods. Mahi-mahi scarcely flies to Chicago; and last I knew, truffles don't grow in Central Park." Luxury Las Vegas is a sister publication of the Review-Journal. Inadvertently omitted from Monday's item about Mariani was Las Vegas' third 2-star awardee in the Michelin Guide -- Restaurant Guy Savoy at Caesars Palace. ...

Melissa McCarty is leaving KTNV-TV, Channel 13 to join KCAL/KCBS in Los Angeles as a reporter. Her last day is Friday. McCarty made some news when she showed up as a boldface name in this column on occasion for dating Palms owner George Maloof. ...

Alicia Jacobs must have a thing for the sound of a particular name. The KVBC-TV, Channel 3 entertainment reporter was spotted having a cozy time at Sushi Sake (Green Valley Ranch) with smooth jazz star Chris Botti, who formerly dated then-NBC anchor Katie Couric. One night later, Jacobs was seen climbing into Criss Angel's black Rolls-Royce Phantom after the Planet Hollywood Resort grand opening party.

THE PUNCH LINE

"Don't forget it's daylight savings time. You spring forward, then you fall back. It's like Robert Downey Jr. getting out of bed." -- David Letterman

Norm Clarke can be reached at (702) 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com.