SOUTHDOWNS MARDI GRAS PARADE 2006

Okay, another year, another Mardi Gras. Earlier this evening Becky and I attended the Southdowns parade here in Baton Rouge. This year's theme was "Going Back to New Orleans," so there was a lot of Big Easy imagery. But, hey, don't listen to me talk about imagery when you can see for yourself.

Actually, before the pictures, I've got to show you what happened about ten minutes before the parade actually came by:



I had heard rumors all last semester that after Katrina, the evangelistic weirdos who used to be in the soul-saving business on Bourbon Street in New Orleans brought their whole weird caravan to resettle in Baton Rouge. It wasn't until last week, when I saw a guy that I definitely recognized from the French Quarter preaching in front of the student union on campus at LSU, that I was finally able to confirm those rumors.

They came in force to warm up the crowd: there were about ten of them, with big signs and megaphones that blasted messages of hell and brimstone. It's funny how the loudest thing coming out of these types usually isn't about Jesus' love. But then, who wants to worship a pussified loving god? Not me, let me tell you. No, I prefer a badass god who smites and smites and smites the wicked all day long. Of course, "the wicked" means anyone who disagrees with me.

Anyway, onto the parade:



A brass band, if you can't make it out in the darkness:





Dancing construction workers:





I hope I never see another helicopter again:



Little LSU fans:



Satanists demanding equal time after that loud fundamentalist warmup group:



A "Chocolate City" protest float. If you read Real Art regularly, you know that I already think the whole controversy is dripping with anti-black racism. This next shot simply confirms my belief:



Again, it's hard to see in the dark, but the guy to the right is a white man in black face makeup (here's a much bigger version). Maybe this idiot doesn't realize that doing such a thing was decades ago determined to be absolutely tasteless and racist. Maybe he thinks it's okay because it's a joke, and Nagin deserves some reverse racism as...what...punishment? At any rate, it's obvious that more than a few white people disturbed by the "chocolate city" remark are disturbed because they're racists.

Anyway, back to the parade:



Bubbles being spewed out of the tail end of a fire truck (it looks even cooler here):



I kept asking these guys for beignets, but all I got was beads:





And, just like that, it was over. The street sweeper always signals the end of the event:



But Becky and I did okay; we got lots of beads!





Mmmm. Beads.



We also got what are apparently something of a rarity these days, Mardi Gras doubloons. I understand that these little trinkets were all the rage back in the day, but one doesn't come across them so much anymore. Indeed, I didn't get any at the Spanish Town parade last year; it's nice to know that Southdowns still keeps up the tradition.



Happy Mardi Gras!

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