Pauly D leaving Snooki behind

The other day, I asked Pauly D what Snooki should name her pending baby. "Meatball," he joked, because Snooki invented her own slang-uage -- "wah," "rah" and "meem" (which means "I don't feel like talking").

Pauly D and Snooki go together like a meatball and a sub. But the "Jersey Shore" stars are going their separate ways on MTV. Each is getting a spinoff show. Can they succeed without each other?

Hers is "Snooki and JWoww vs. The World," and it's shooting in Jersey City, N.J., after it was denied film permits in Hoboken, N.J., and Jersey Shore, Pa.

Bars in Jersey City have turned down Snooki too, and a liquor store posted a "No Snooki" sign out front, the Jersey Journal reported.

Here in Vegas, hotels, grocery stores and other businesses regularly turn down reality show crews, fearing reality show scandal.

That's partly how the first "Real World" ended up at the Palms. It was the only property smart enough to approve and woo MTV's demographic to create a splash when the Palms opened.

Things have changed at the Palms. Last year, the Maloof family turned over majority ownership to investment firms. Last week, the hotel announced the Playboy Club is leaving there, come June.

But MTV is still in the house. Today through Thursday, MTV films spring break programming at the pool, with performances today by Young Jeezy and B.o.B.

On Wednesday, MTV stages Dev, The Wanted and Big Sean, plus appearances by "Jersey Shore" denizens Sammi, Deena and Ronnie. On Thursday, those "Jersey Shore" mates return with dubstep-trance DJ araabMUZIK.

And starting March 29, MTV begins running the spinoff show "The Pauly D Project," which was filmed largely at the Palms last year. Pauly D was a resident DJ at the Palms then. He has since moved to the Hard Rock Hotel.

I've seen the first two episodes. They follow Pauly D and a handful of guy friends as they move temporarily into a fancy Palms suite.

Despite Pauly D's reputation for lady action, there's a surprising lack of females in the first two episodes. Pauly D's guys do hook up with some club girls late in the second episode. One woman vomits in a garbage can. Pauly D leads another woman to bed, but the scene is clean, and there's no real guy bragging afterward.

It's mostly a positive show, with nice guy Pauly D saying such supportive things as, "Yeah, buddy," and "You've been real, since day one." No apparent villains or serious drama seem to be emerging.

Personally, I'm bored of villainy and adolescent melodrama on TV. But is everyone else? Can "The Pauly D Project" thrive without the silly fights and sex shenanigans of Snooki and other "Jersey Shore" pals? I guess we'll see.

MONSTER TRUCKS, CELINE & MORE

Eight versions of the Grave Digger Monster Truck will converge in front of Planet Hollywood on Wednesday for a 5-7 p.m. meet-and-greet. Then the trucks will parade up the Strip to Caesars. That means part of Las Vegas Boulevard will be blocked off. Monster Jam returns Saturday to Sam Boyd Stadium.

After canceling shows because of a virus, Celine Dion and her vocals should be at 100 percent in four weeks, in time for her next Caesars shows in June, her promoter said Monday. She's been treated at UCLA Medical Clinic. She will work with vocal coach Dr. William Riley in two weeks, and she starts a new album in mid-April.

And here's a real sign that the recession is going, going, gone -- Haze brings back the boob job contest Thursday.

Doug Elfman's column appears Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Email him at delfman@reviewjournal.com. He blogs at reviewjournal.com/elfman.