Nevada in Media

Nevada in Media

From high-stakes casino dramas to alien conspiracy thrillers, Nevada has been a popular setting—and sometimes a character—in American media. Its mix of neon cities, vast deserts, ghost towns, and secret military sites has inspired countless films, shows, songs, and games.

This page explores how Nevada is portrayed across major media formats and how that shapes public imagination.

Film and Television

• Casino (1995): Martin Scorsese’s mob epic, set in 1970s Las Vegas, showcases the glitz, crime, and corporate takeover of the Strip.

• The Hangover (2009): A raunchy comedy set in modern Las Vegas, it highlights the city’s unpredictable party culture.

• Viva Las Vegas (1964): Starring Elvis Presley, this musical helped define the city’s golden-era image of fun, glamour, and fast cars.

• CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: The long-running CBS series used Las Vegas as its gritty backdrop, emphasizing crime, nightlife, and forensic intrigue.

• Independence Day (1996) and Paul (2011): Both play off Nevada’s alien lore and secret government sites like Area 51.

Video Games

• Fallout: New Vegas (2010): A post-apocalyptic RPG set in a fictional version of the Mojave Wasteland. The game features a reimagined Las Vegas and references to real Nevada landmarks like Hoover Dam, Black Mountain, and the NCR (New California Republic).

• Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas includes a city called Las Venturas, modeled on Las Vegas, complete with themed casinos and desert highways.

• Indie and horror games sometimes use ghost towns, underground labs, and remote desert settings inspired by Nevada’s real-life terrain.

Music and Performance

• Nevada has inspired songs across genres—from Frank Sinatra’s iconic "Luck Be a Lady" to The Killers’ "Sam’s Town," an homage to Las Vegas and working-class life in the Mojave.

• Musicians like Imagine Dragons (from Las Vegas) and Brendon Urie of Panic! at the Disco have brought Nevada to global music stages.

• Las Vegas residencies (by artists like Adele, Celine Dion, and Britney Spears) have become a new form of long-term performance media, often broadcast worldwide.

Documentaries and Non-Fiction

• The Atomic Cafe (1982): A black-comedy-style documentary using archival footage from Nevada’s nuclear testing era.

• City of Gold and PBS’s The West series feature stories about Nevada’s mining heritage, boomtowns, and Indigenous history.

• Numerous Area 51 and UFO documentaries have been made, from conspiracy-heavy takes to scientific investigations.

Internet and Meme Culture

• Nevada frequently appears in memes, especially around:

 * Las Vegas excess
 * “Area 51 raid” jokes (especially after the 2019 Facebook event: *Storm Area 51, They Can't Stop All of Us*)
 * Desert survival, isolation, and “fallout” humor

• Social media influencers often use Nevada’s aesthetic—especially Red Rock Canyon, ghost towns, and neon-lit backdrops—for TikToks, YouTube travel series, and Instagram posts.

Nevada as a Symbol

Across media, Nevada often symbolizes:

• Freedom and lawlessness (gambling, quick weddings, open desert)
• Secrets and the unknown (Area 51, nuclear testing, remote military sites)
• The American Dream—sometimes fulfilled, sometimes failed