George Wallace

The fictional “Mayor of Gotham City” (“Batman Forever” - 1995), and a venerable veteran of family comedy, are not two aspects of a personality you'd credit to one person – yet one man lays claim to having experienced the peaks and pitfalls of both alter egos. Possibly best known for his creative contributions to “The Red Foxx Show” and speculative humorist for the “Tom Joyner Morning Show”; George Wallace is widely regarded as a household name in the U.S. Perhaps that is what inspired his confidence to run for the not-so-fictional role – Mayor of Las Vegas!

Whether or not George Wallace's campaign for Mayor status is ever regarded as more than just comedy value remains to be seen, however Jerry Seinfeld's partner in comedic crime is representing to a very different crowd at the Flamingo Hotel and Resort. There is perhaps, no better place for the time-honored stand-up comedian, than within the hallowed halls of Vegas' last classic showroom. A residence for the likes of the “Rat Pack” and Richard Prior; the Flamingo Showroom holds a reputation for only showcasing the finest entertainers – George Wallace (or “Mr Las Vegas” as he is affectionately known) having been added to the act repertoire, as of 2006.

Wallace's aptly named revue “I Be Thinking” is a refreshing departure from the regurgitated gags of contemporaries, as well as those who rib their audiences in order to 'get a laugh'. His caliber of comedy is largely observational in nature, rarely venturing off the beaten track into the realms of unscrupulousness, deviance or sex – although he has been known to use several Vegas restaurants, as exemplary of bad service, bad food and general “badness”. Key to Wallace's maintaining of family oriented material, is the sheer diversity in age-range of his audiences. The show stipulates a “13 and over” age regulation, but you'll find plenty of teens among the generational guests to the Flamingo Showroom – and they're definitely not all queuing up for the merciless madman of comedy “Vinnie Favorito”.

Getting to 'know' the audience is one aspect of his celebrity that George Wallace truly enjoys, whether it's on, or off stage. He is well known for his wandering of the Flamingo halls and casinos, simply absorbing the ambiance and doing impromptu meet 'n' greets, as if he were paid to stand by the casino doors. This transcends into the opening of the show, during which Wallace steps out among his audience and engages in witty banter about their location of origin, as well as their Las Vegas accommodation. When presented with material such as the Bellagio, he goes on record to have previously quoted: “It's so expensive there, I come back here just to pee”.

“Mr. Las Vegas” is often recognized by younger generations, for his speculative bits on popular phrases – his “People Say Stupid Things” skit demonstrable of how this kind of comedy still 'works' today – the subject of death is a particular favorite. He ponders how anyone can be deemed “dead nice”, when there are no pleasantries post-mortality. Poking fun at commercial enterprises, Wallace's humor extends to the inflated prices of ego chains - “I've had enough of Starbucks, they should call it four bucks”. Light-hearted critique of 'every man and his dog' is integral to Wallace's nightly success, but you'll rarely find rehashed content from this card. Audiences come back to Sin City to expand upon their experiences, and George Wallace knows it, throwing in a healthy dose of self-deprecating humor, about his own 'experiences' of the Neon Strip, including how his manner of driving, seems to be as aged as he is - “buses full of kids regularly overtake me. I'm already getting the finger from nine year olds”!

For an “old-timer” as Wallace occasionally refers to himself, he is surprisingly 'on the button' when it comes to current affairs, popular culture and politics (yet another contributory element to his generational appeal.) In contrast to his contemporaries, his gags never linger on topic for more than a minute, which propels the show forward faster than the locomotives of his “day”. The modern mantra of comedy seems to be that you need an 'element of dirty' to keep folks rolling through the doors – none more evident than among the offerings of Las Vegas. George Wallace on the other hand, proves that the time-defiant flavor of observational stand-up is still as much a draw, as it was two decades ago! Mayor of Las Vegas? There could be one or two restaurants out of business, if he wins!