ENTERTAINMENT: Too spicy a Meatball?

    It’s great to receive an award, but just as rewarding to watch the Gospel Guy flip the bird to the Insult Comic.
   Sunday was my second year for the Meatball Awards, last year as a presenter and this year as recipient of one. I’m still not sure if anyone other than event organizer Grant Griffin decides who gets the awards or why, and I didn’t think it much mattered. Both years, the point seemed to be to get old-Vegas enthusiasts together for some fun and perhaps to raise a few bucks for charity.
  Entertainer awards went to Larry G. Jones for impressions, Kelly Clinton for singer, Jeff Hobson for magic, the Scintas for lifetime achievement and Kevin Burke, the star of "Defending the Caveman," for entertainer of the year.
  But there seemed to be a much lighter crowd at this year’s festivities at the Plaza (trying to figure out why won’t be an apples-to-apples comparison, because last year's awards were in a different month, April, and at a different casino, the Imperial Palace). The biggest difference this year was having Flamingo insult comic Vinnie Favorito onboard as host.
  Favorito shifted the tone more to one of a roast, which everyone at my table agreed was a change for the better: More fun and arguably more in keeping with something called a Meatball Award.
  Still, people were confused. "Didn't anyone read my resume?" Favorito said after one of his jokes returned a collective "Whoa."  While comedy magician Hobson hilariously ran with the whole roast vibe in his acceptance speech for his honor in the magician's category, El Mundo publisher Eddie Escobedo and his camp took his award very seriously.
  It's clear is that everyone needs to get on the same page for next year.
  The best — or worst, depending on how you see it — was when Favorito started cracking jokes about the sexuality and attire of Larry Hart, the guest performer he was introducing. Even though Hart was brought on to sing one of his gospel compositions, he prefaced the song by announcing to the crowd that God had given him permission to flip off Favorito (who, alas, was offstage in the wings, so his reaction went unseen).
   A great moment nonetheless, but only fair to Hart — and everyone else — if they show up knowing what to expect.
  (Photo: Vinnie Favorito, left, and magician Steve Dacri taken by Jan Dacri.)