14 DAY TRIAL // The iconic sign that welcomes tourists to Las Vegas, “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas,” has been changed to reflect cultural trends, using Charlie Sheen’s “winning” catchphrase. In other news, today is April Fools’ Day.
“Breaking: #Vegas officials revamp city’s famed ‘Welcome’ sign to capitalize on @CharlieSheen catchphrase,” Sheen (re)tweeted some hours ago.
The link included in the tweet opens a page on the Las Vegas Blog, which usually offers tips on deals, info on hotels and resorts, and details on showbiz events.
This time, it offers a post about how authorities have decided Las Vegas is no longer “fabulous” because it’s “winning.”
“In the wake of current events, the city decided it would capitalize on a term which has taken pop culture by storm in recent months,” the blog says.
The storm in question is the recent media frenzy around Charlie Sheen who, right before getting fired from “Two and a Half Men,” coined such phrases like “winning” (with the variant “by-winning”), “tiger blood,” “warlock” and “Adonis DNA.”
The post also includes quotes from tourists, who state that the sign should continue reading “fabulous” because “winning” is dated and, most likely than not, a fad that will not be around in the next year, prompting authorities to change the sign again.
“What an awful idea. Are they going to change the sign every time some actor loses it? They’re going to be updating it every 20 minutes,” one such “tourist” says.
Apparently, authorities disagree.
“We can honor tradition while tipping our hat to the prevailing culture. In the case of ‘winning,’ it felt like a natural fit for Las Vegas. The people who don’t like the sign obviously don’t like winning. We can’t please everyone,” says an unnamed “official” for the blog.
Neither the editor of the post nor Sheen admit to this being a hoax but, since the change is only mentioned on the aforementioned blog, there can be little doubt as to whether it is, commentors online say.