September 2019 | Eyesore

Commentary on architectural blunders in monthly serial.

Behold the MSG “Sphere” coming to Las Vegas. No, it’s not named after the indispensable ingredient in General Tso’s Chicken, but after the Madison Square Garden Corp, which, like everything else in this psychotic culture, has morphed into a supergigantic global enterprise — they’re putting up an identical “sphere” in London. It’s a theater / exhibition hall, with a lot of electronic razzle-dazzle: the biggest digital jumbotron screen the world has ever seen, and a programmable exterior skin that can change colors. Zowee! That’ll surely bring in the rubes from miles around. Costs $1.2 billion. The MSG hype sez:

A separate 1,500-capacity venue will also be included in the MSG Sphere to help support grassroots and emerging music acts, while a 450-capacity restaurant and nightclub, retail spaces and cafes are also being planned. Outdoor spaces, including a nature play space for children, seating areas, and an outdoor gym, will also be built.

A “nature play space?” Hmmmm… I like that. But, where are they going to get the “nature” from, I wonder. As if there aren’t already enough entertainments in this land of interminable streaming movies, porn, sports, and shooter games to distract citizens from the nauseating spectacle of their disintegrating republic. It’s not exactly the end of the world — but you can see it from there!

Shout out to Monique Kelly Milne for nominating this humdinger.