Sin City indulgence good way to let loose

Hewitt is a third-year English student.

By Kate Hewitt

In his column, Brent Hopkins shows he is being too hard on our
wonderful, sin-filled city called Las Vegas ("Sin City’s tacky sleaze in end often
fails to please," Daily Bruin, Viewpoint, Nov. 14). This is a
place where you leave your conscience, morals and sense of sedation
at the border to indulge in all of life’s little no-nos.
It’s Vegas. What ever happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.
That’s the beauty.

Let me just tell you another perspective of a girl who indulges
in, and loves, the Vegas aura. Granted, this is not the
magnificent, glittering city you see in the brochures. Underneath
the light, I do admit that there are a lot of ugly things. But like
anything else, in Vegas the most healthy thing to do about those
ugly feelings is just to stuff them all down to the bottom of your
psyche, ignore them and continue with your brain cell-killing,
sensory-overloading excursion.

The best trip usually goes as follows:

You leave your abode, from L.A. for example, and head on a
hopefully four-, five-, or if you’re really unlucky six-hour
car ride straight to the middle of nowhere. That is where the
fantasy begins. On this four-, five- or six-hour drive you have
time to soak up the fact that you are leaving the area of your life
that ultimately might be causing your migraine. Meanwhile, you are
escaping to a world of fantasy that unfortunately, when you depart,
might leave you with an even bigger migraine. But the memories, or
at least the pictures, are priceless.

That is the charm of this extravagant, gaudy city. It is
designed not to be your real life. It is a proverbial cornucopia of
fantasy and distraction, kind of like a drinking, smoking,
gambling, whoring Disneyland for grownups. The lights are created
in such a way as to overwhelm your initial view of Vegas, so you
actually feel like you are in a city where you are allowed to do
anything and anyone.

The problem is, unlike our little Swingers friends
(“Vegas, baby Vegas!”), you have to do Vegas right. You
could, of course, stay at the local Motel 8, but that’s no
fun. You have to attempt to remain in your indulgent fantasy the
entire time you are there or else you might catch a glimpse of
reality. Which, when you get down to the brass tacks, is not a
pretty sight.

So you must go to the Venetian or the Hard Rock with all of
those “beautiful” people. I suggest even going on an
off day, so the cost will only run you around $100. Then remain in
your fake life for only about 48 hours or less, so you don’t
do any permanent damage.

After you arrive in your beautifully furnished room, with a
pretty substantial bird’s-eye view of a party that was
created solely for you and the group of friends you came with, you
have to dress to the nines and hit the Strip. That is where the
party begins.

Walking along, you will see an overwhelming amount of drunken
debauchery and scandalously dressed people, but this unsightly
display of humanity only adds to the “I guess I can do
anything here” mentality that Vegas is all about.

Granted you will see the abundant, “gosh Bubba, I think
this is the biggest TV I’ve ever seen” or see the young
stripper couple walk out with a veil, diamond ring and a belly
button ring to match. But, they are living their fantasy too, so
don’t blow it for them.

In order to do it right, the one criteria for going to Vegas is
that you have to save up a little cash. Or don’t worry about
spending it, because if you see that little ATM flash reading that
you only have $1.89 left in the bank, once again that brings you
back to reality ““ and as you can tell, we don’t want
that.

After you have either walked or taken a cab to a different
hotel, (you can’t really remain in the one you are staying
in, that just would not be prudent) you go to the bar, or gamble if
you like. I personally choose not to gamble, I don’t have
enough money to lose it for no reason. So, I watch people gamble
and maybe indulge in a few drinks.

Then, after maybe a little socializing with a high roller or
two, or just making friends with the waitresses, go to the clubs.
The clubs are the ultimate in mind-blowing entertainment, because
within this city of noise, lights and beautiful people, you will be
in a large room, engulfed with even more noise, more lights and
even more beautiful people who know (hopefully) how to dance.

After the clubs close at 2 a.m., the bars are (sometimes
unfortunately) still open. So go to the bars for a while, stay up
all night if you want. You are allowed to, it’s Vegas.

The next morning, take some Aleve, have a Bloody Mary, and go
and do it again. Though, I will admit that the second night it does
get a little old. There is only so much mind-blowing debauchery the
human brain can take before it starts to revolt against its master
and want to sit and do normal, innocent things like woodworking, or
even studying.

Though some consider Vegas the modern-day equivalent of Sodom
and Gomorrah, for the rest of us who are just looking for a nice
time away, frequenting clubs, bars, and swimming pools with
half-naked porn stars and bodybuilders, it is an escapist’s
dream. You just have to make sure you don’t escape too often
and keep your personal responsibilities and life in check or you
will get lost in the hurly-burly.

Of course I am not saying that I am the be-all, end-all
authority on the way to do Vegas, or that Vegas is for everyone.
But for those it is for,this illuminating place is the stomping
ground for the darkest of entertainment.

My favorite part of Las Vegas is first getting there. I like
standing in line at the registration of my hotel, surrounded by all
that loud, obnoxious ringing and mind-numbing lights. I light a
cigarette indoors and soak up the sin that I witness around me.
Does this make me a cretin? Probably, but there is only one place
where I can be a cretin for about 48 hours, then come back to my
little abode and be a little angel. Because, take it from one of
the best escapists in the business: whatever happens in Vegas,
stays in Vegas.