Saturday, March 8, 2014

Male Strippers and Pizza Rock Come Together For Vegas-Based 'Reality

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A while back, we did a little Q&A with Vegas resident (and one-time “boy bander”) Jeff Timmons. He told us of his plans to open a new male revue on The Strip sometime in the future. After a nationwide tour to stir up interest, Men of the Strip has returned home and is ready to become a reality. As in,”reality TV."

A few days ago, we caught wind of a rumor that Jeff Timmons and his hard-bodied Men of the Stripall-male revue had returned to Las Vegas, supposedly to settle in. We figured they’d be announcing the location for that planned residency any day. Instead, they're here to film segments for an upcoming docu-series. And, the male revue is still, apparently, looking for a home. Or maybe not, depending on how cynical you are towards the reality aspect of these TV shows. (We're talking to you, Pawn Stars).

Hoping to catch a scoop, this writer sent a message to Timmons. And, I reached out to downtown’sPizza Rock, the supposed location for the upcoming shoot. Pizza Rock would neither confirm nor deny, but sent us this cryptic photo as a clue. Clever, guys.

I got there at 7 p.m. last night and taping was already underway. It was hard to miss, even if you didn't catch the disclaimer on the front door. Sound guys, camera crew, and a gaggle of tight-shirted studs were seated together in the center of a nest of empty tables. In an, otherwise, packed restaurant, no less. Chowing down on pizza like all male bodybuilders do. (Hold the sausage, please. ahem) Reality TV, indeed.

Jeff popped in precisely at 8 p.m., triggering a small wave of excitement from dedicated groupies (cleverly disguised as casual diners and hoping to catch a glimpse of the 98 Degrees founder). He was hard to miss in a snug black tank top (and trailed by two women wearing black bikinis and bunny ears, natch).

Soon after, I received a text from Jeff, inviting me to come over and to let him give a shout-out to VegasChatter fans. He told me there are several possible homes for Men of the Strip, includingWynnCaesars, and even SLS (formerly Sahara and opening Labor Day weekend). We can probably rule out Riviera since they’re launching their own male revue later this month.
Jeff was deliberately vague as the premise of the docu-series is all about the (Strip) search. And, he didn’t want to give away details ahead of time. Sounds like they've already got a "season finale" in mind for this unscripted series. He might have told me more, but eager fans pressed in for autographs and pics (looks like those teen groupies are now wives and moms).
As I already told you in a two-part report last fall, debuting a new Vegas show can be quite a challenge. Docu-series like The Girls Next Door and Holly's World have already launched the Vegas stage careers of various Bunnies so why not the guys? In the meantime, boy band groupies can have fun trying to spot Timmons and those “bodybuilder lunkheads” (Jeff’s words) as they continue taping around town. And, since we’re to believe that male strippers chow down on pizza, they’ll probably be heading to Heart Attack Grill next. (Insert eye-roll here.)
Whether or not Men of the Strip actually becomes a Vegas staple remains to be seen. Chippendalesand Thunder From Down Under are household names (as well as punchlines, rather unfairly) and other would-be challengers have come and gone with nary a ripple (pun intended). But from what we saw last night, there are some true diehard Jeff Timmons fans out there. And, that could giveMen of the Strip the competitive edge it needs. Just watch that diet, guys.

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