Heat Packing Angel Scares Beauty Contestants

Norm Clarke, Inside Magic Favorite Vegas Columnist from The Las Vegas Review-Journal , asks a valid question:

Should a pageant judge known for his public outbursts be allowed to pack heat to the Miss Universe finals?

The Miss Universe judge in question is magician Criss Angel.  The heat he is packing is a firearm, not Jim Pace's iconic (and often knocked-off) Electric Hot Leads

He has a license to carry.  By the way, the cool way to talk about concealed weapons is to not provide the noun.  So, one would say, "I have a permit to carry; you have a permit to carry; he,she,it have permits to carry." 

We don't know what type of weapon Criss Angel carries. We also don't know why he carries.  There were rumors a couple of years ago that because he was living at the Luxor whilst he worked on Believe! and his Mind Freak series, fans would have an opportunity to flock him. 

We have always been against shooting flocking fans.  In fact, Harper Lee confessed on an old Dick Cavett Show the original title of her Pulitzer Award winning novel was titled To Kill a Flocking Fan.  Apparently because lead character Atticus Finch had a heavy southern drawl, there was concern this line could pose censorship issues. 

Norm Clarke credits Richard Abowitz for bringing the issue to the fore.  You can read the blog post that got it all started at www.goldplateddoor.com.

Mr. Abowitz suggests Criss Angel's ownership of a concealed weapon permit "should raise concern . . . when that person 'is known locally for his explosive temper.'"

You may recall Criss Angel's past run-ins with beauty pagents.

If you don't recall, Norm Clarke does:

Two years ago at the Miss USA pageant, Angel made headlines after some erratic behavior, first by causing a pageant judge to squirm by reminding her that his girlfriend, Miss Nevada USA Veronica Grabowski, was a contestant and then said "give her high marks." When Grabowski didn't make the first cut on the night of the finals, Angel flipped off an NBC cameraman who was looking for a reaction. He got one.

It's nothing new for Trump and NBC. A year ago, celebrity blogger Perez Hilton triggered a firestorm when, as a judge, he asked Miss California Carrie Prejean her views on legalizing gay marriage.

The Beauty Pagent folks did not respond to Mr. Clarke's requests for comment. 

Check out Norm Clarke's always entertaining column in The Las Vegas Review-Journal here.

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