REAL ART RERUN
MY FIRST MARDI GRAS (PART II)

This Real Art Rerun was first posted on February 5, 2005.

Today, we went to the biggest Mardi Gras event in Baton Rouge, the Spanish Town Parade. And I brought my camera for this one, too. Fortunately, the blotter seems to have finally worn off, and the pictures seem less hallucinogenic. Some of the floats were pretty weird and cool. Others were plain, but impressive because they essentially amounted to efficient, massive bead distribution systems. All in all, it was pretty cool. And I scored a bunch more beads.

Here are some pics:

























I have to admit that I still don't quite understand Mardi Gras. I mean, I get the part about the last big celebration before the austerity of Lent, but that does nothing to explain why it's all so weird and bizarre. Of course, the gaudy strangeness is what I really love about Mardi Gras, so I'm not knocking it; I'm just observing that I don't get it. Maybe if I did, it wouldn't be so cool. Perhaps there's supposed to be some mystery about this. Mystery and booze. And boobs. Okay, I haven't seen any Mardi Boobs so far--I bet that's just a New Orleans thing--but the mammarian reputation of Mardi Gras precedes itself, so it's worth a mention at least.

Hee hee. "Mardi Boobs." I crack myself up.

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