The "Ronstadt Affair": As phony as Iraqi WMDs?

Linda says it didn't happen.  No booing her off the stage in Los Vegas, no management forcing her to leave, she didn't even try to go back to her hotel room, and she never heard anything about it until after she had left the concert.  A weird twist, but there it is.

Reports of casino incident not accurate, Ronstadt says Tuscon Citizen 07/21/04

Singer Linda Ronstadt was not asked to leave a Las Vegas casino Saturday after she endorsed Michael Moore's controversial film "Fahrenheit 9/11," the Tucson native told the Tucson Citizen Wednesday.

And she was not booed off the stage by a concert crowd that had erupted in mayhem, she said.

Speaking by phone from San Francisco, Ronstadt said that she left the Aladdin Resort & Casino immediately after the concert and was not aware that the management was irritated by her comments until an hour after she left the show.

In the fabled Grand Scheme of Things, this is shaping up to be an odd little footnote to history.  But there's no question that Aladdin management that she "was asked to leave the property immediately following her performance."  That was in the statement they issued.

Did the president of Aladdin just make this stuff up so he could posture for the press, or impress his Republican buddies?  Did someone get drunk in the lobby and rip down a couple of her posters and folklore quickly turned it into a political statement?

I suppose it could be part of a Vast Leftwing Conspiracy designed to give Michael Moore's movie more publicity.  Anything's possible, I guess.  There could be humonguous stores of WMD hiding in Iraq.  ( I haven't gotten any takers so far on my offer to provide the exclusive story on how the leprechauns hid them with magic dust for a mere $50, check or money order.)

She also disclaimed any specific partisan intent in her dedication of "Desperado" to Moore: Ronstadt: I'll continue praising Moore AP 07/21/04

"This is an election year," she told the Los Angeles Times Tuesday. "I want people to get their head up out of their mashed potatoes and learn something about the issues and go and vote. ... I'm not telling them how to vote. I'm saying, get information about the issues." [The LA Times article is behind subscription.]

But whatever the bankrupt old management (bankrupt in more ways than one!) thinks of Linda, the incoming Planet Hollywood manager would like to have her back to make more money for them.  They may even be willing to invite a duet partner: Ronstadt's Vegas Comeback? E-Online 07/22/04.  On Wednesday, one of the prospective new owners of the Aladdin, Robert Earl, issued a statement of support for Ronstadt:  

"We respect artists' creativity and support their rights to express themselves," Earl said. "We were very sorry to hear about the unfortunate circumstances of this past Saturday night and want to make it clear that Planet Hollywood has never, in our 13 year history, restricted any artists' right to free speech and we will continue with that policy once we take ownership.

"Upon the assumption of ownership, and with a new management team in place, we would like to offer the use of the Theatre of Performing Arts to Linda Ronstadt for a second concert and further to take Michael Moore up on his offer to join her on stage to introduce her and sing a song," Earl continued. The group Earl represents (a division of Planet Hollywood) expects to take control of the hotel as early as September.

Even if Planet Hollywood doesn't wind up finalizing the deal, this is a good example of using business savvy to defuse potential damage to a brand name (Aladdin or Planet Hollywood).  "Aladdin the Republican casino who persecutes artists" is presumably not the brand reputation the new owners would like their new property to have.  And this is a smart way of heading that off before the image gets set in people's minds.