When you think of Vegas, one pseudonym pops into your mind; Sin City. Las Vegas, Nevada is the pinnacle of legalized progressive thought shoved together into a city in the middle of the desert. One could do basically whatever they want and as the saying goes, “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.” No one’s going to get away with murder of course, though otherwise legal but deviant activity fill the city of lights.
A walk on a typical night in Las Vegas would reveal the strong smell of Marijuana as the bright signs of dispensaries, casinos, clubs and strip clubs light up the pavement. Men and women stand at almost every intersection handing out stacks and stacks of half-naked girls promoting strip clubs and escorts. People walk back and forth between the many bars and pubs, enjoying the invincibility of being in their twenties.
On the outside, life is different. Going to a strip club is perverted, gambling, for the most part is illegal, and the level of alcoholism in Vegas is seen as a nonfunctional addiction. Supposedly the largest difference is the stance on prostitution. In the United States, it is illegal almost everywhere, except for the eight counties in Nevada. Any of the activities one might partake in could easily be frowned upon in our society.
But that is different in Vegas. Bachelor parties and twenty-first birthdays make the social deviances of life appear normal on the inside. It’s an odd glimpse of what life could be like without normal regulations.
What can we make of the culture in Vegas? Does it constitute a modern-day version of Sodom and Gomorrah or a simple manifestation of release from social norms? One thing is for sure, Vegas is personified with its own personality that draws people from around the world who seek its unique culture.
