Friday, Dec. 6, 2002 | 9:21 a.m.
Wherever there are animals -- or their pelts -- on public display, angry animal rights activists are sure to follow.
The National Finals Rodeo at Thomas & Mack Center, which starts today and runs through Dec. 15, is no exception.
"Expect a disruption of some kind," an activist associated with PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) told VegasBeat.
Its campaign against the rodeo includes website BuckTheRodeo.com and a poster that is starting to appear around Las Vegas. It features a topless woman in denim cutoffs (with a her arm and a 10-gallon hat strategically covering certain areas) next to the slogan: "Nobody Likes an Eight-Second Ride."
On Thursday former "Baywatch" actress and Dallas Cowboys cheerleader Bonnie-Jill Laughlin (the woman in the photo) was handing out leaflets in front of Double Down Saloon on Paradise Road, across from the Thomas & Mack.
"Football is a sport -- beating up on helpless animals isn't," she told us.
PETA received international attention last month during the taping of the "Victoria's Secret Fashion Show," on CBS.
Four protesters stormed the stage when supermodel Gisele Bundchen was strutting her stuff. They carried signs that read, "Gisele Fur Scum."
Though she was wearing only underwear at the time, Bundchen recently signed a deal with fur manufacturer Blackglama.
Dan Matthews, the national spokesman for PETA, refused to tip his hand about what activity his group was planning.
"Founding the West may have included tormenting animals, but there's no reason why in the 21st century, to keep glorifying that violence," Matthews said.
Redneck-worthy
Meanwhile, it is probably not a coincidence that comic Jeff Foxworthy is visiting Las Vegas the same time as the rodeo.
His first CD, 1994's "You Might be a Redneck If ...," is a triple-platinum hit and he has made a career out of poking fun at the perceived mental shortcomings of people of Southern descent, and, well ... who enjoy events like the rodeo.
In anticipation of his Paris Las Vegas gig tonight and Saturday, he told VegasBeat he was far from an overnight success.
"It took a few years of touring, but I was finally on a first-name basis with every Holiday Inn manager in the country."
Pole position
Kurt Busch was fueled-up and ready, but he was nowhere near a racetrack.
The NASCAR star and Durango High School grad was in Las Vegas over the Thanksgiving weekend with his girlfriend, Melissa Schaper, visiting family and friends.
When the couple reached McCarran International Airport for their flight back to their racing-team headquarters in Charlotte, N.C., Busch nearly blew a gasket when told he couldn't sit next to Schaper because there were no open seats side-by-side in the coach section.
It all makes one wonder why a guy who was third in the Winston Cup points standings -- and won more than a million bucks for that on top of his various purses -- doesn't fly first class.
Andy's dandy
Pop artist Steve Kaufman -- he and Keith Haring were Andy Warhol's key assistants in the 1980s -- is having an informal get-together and showing of some new work Sunday at the exclusive Stirling Club.
Kaufman's Los Angeles work and party space, called Art Studio, is starting to evolve into a modern-day version of The Factory, Warhol's legendary cultural ground zero.
Kaufman's collectors range from Elizabeth Taylor and Muhammad Ali to Spike Lee and Wolfgang Puck, who might attend the Sunday event.
Michael Politz's Las Vegas Food Service magazine is sponsoring the show, along with Great Wines International of South Africa.
Rich's purse
Rich is looking to get richer -- for charity, of course. Christopher Rich, Reba McEntire's co-star on the WB network hit "Reba," will be hosting a golf tournament this weekend at Jack Nicklaus' Bear's Best course on West Flamingo Road, to benefit the St. Jude's Children Foundation.
Rich is looking for a benefactor to match the funds raised at the event, which he hopes will draw $100,000.
"Nothing will go to any overhead, administrative expenses or anything else other than the charity itself," Rich proudly pointed out.
Among the many Hollywood-types expected to hit the links with Rich and McEntire are "King of Queens" star Kevin James and Peter Scolari,who starred opposite Tom Hanks in "Bosom Buddies" and had a long run on "Newhart."
VegasBits
Patronize Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf on West Lake Mead Boulevard today: Managing partner Jeff Fine has directed that all food and beverage proceeds go to help offset medical expenses being incurred by Richard Pagel, whose wife, Eileen "Scottie" Pagel, has been with the store since it opened ... Harrah's has a new "12 Days of Christmas" set of commemorative chips, featuring, yes, maids-a-milking, geese-a-laying, golden rings and a partridge in a pear tree ... There are new Danny Gans-theme slot machines at The Mirage ... Joan Bryna Michelson, a former "60 Minutes" producer, has opened a Las Vegas office of the Los Angeles-based marketing firm Cooper Communications. The Las Vegas firm will be called Michelson Cooper Marketing ... Las Vegas sisters Karen Davy, an interior designer, and Bonnie Malone, who is studyin g to become a teacher at Southwest Community College, won $121,800 on the "Wheel of Fortune" that aired Wednesday night. Th! ey solved nine consecutive puzzles ... Face time galore for Sun Metro columnist Jeff German on the USA Network's "True Crime: Crimes of Passion" tonight at 10 on Cox cable channel 34. German discusses the Ted Binion murder case, which he covered extensively ... New York Yankee first baseman Jason Giambi was telling his friends at Studio 54 at MGM Grand Wednesday night that he is vacation-home shopping in Spring Valley and Summerlin ... Frequent Vegas visitor Merv Griffin has reportedly been offered more than $220 million for his Beverly Hilton Hotel, by two British guests who weren't satisfied after a recent stay and want to spruce it up ... Gladys Knight has signed a three-year contract extension at Flamingo Las Vegas. Her brother died Wednesday in Las Vegas ... In the "Catering to the Clientele" department: Asian recording art ist Jacky Cheung performs at the Caesars Palace Pavilion on Christmas Day and Dec. 27 ... Russian heavyweight boxer ! Vitali Klitschko (he stopped Larry Donald in the 10th round in Dortinund, Germany, last week and faces champ Lennox Lewis next spring) and his brother Wladimir Klitschko have been doing severe damage to the buffet lately at Terrible's Hotel and Casino on Paradise Road. They told staffers there it was "the best in town" ... Midnight Oil -- not the rock group, but the company owned by Rande Gerber of Whiskey Sky at Green Valley Ranch Station Casino -- is opening another Whiskey Sky inside the new AOL Time Warner tower in New York's Columbus Circle.
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