Las Vegas and Media

Convergence

Las Vegas and Cultural Religion

Developments Contributing to Cultural Religion:

– Personal Religiosity Trend

– Affinity for Pop Culture

– Simulacra

Research Questions:

– How do Las Vegas entertainment

media incorporate religion?

– How do Las Vegas religious groups

incorporate entertainment?

– Is convergence a useful concept in

understanding these relationships?

Holistic Concept of “Media” Needed

– “City as Medium”– “Informational City”– “Media Environment”

Field Studies– Observations

– Unstructured Interviews

– Cross - Validation on Internet

Three Levels of Convergence

– pseudo church – nightclub– authentic church as

entertainment– casino – temple

exterior

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interior

MGM Grand

Roadside churches

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Television Entertainment

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Guardian Angel Cathedral

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Roman Catholic Shrine of the Most Holy Redeemer

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Caesar’s Palace Greco-Roman Statues

Dome ceiling from Venetian

Tropicana stained glass dome

More stained glass

Religious art

More art

Implications of the Research