Laissez les Bon Temps Rouler!!

“Back in 1981 Spanish Town residents of Baton Rouge started their own Mardi Gras parade. The first parade rolled—or walked—along Spanish Town Road. Long-time residents say that the first parade was very small. In fact, they say that fewer than ten people lined the streets. Children were the marchers, and they banged on fruit cartons and threw a few beads. Then, the spectators would run to the next corner and throw the beads back to the marchers, so that the parade could continue. Today, many years later, the parade has grown to be so large that it almost seems too big!

What do you think of when you hear the words “pink flamingos?” The zoo? South America? Miami, Florida? Lawn ornaments? Gaudy clothes with flamingos all over them? Bad taste?!! Perhaps you’ve never even thought about pink flamingos. Perhaps your own aesthetics—your sense of what is “beautiful” or “appropriate”—tell you that pink flamingos are “poor taste.” After all, plastic pink flamingos have been decorating American lawns for many years. But these plastic flamingos are often called “kitsch” by American society. Kitsch is inexpensive stuff, mass produced, and considered by “cultured people” to be of “poor taste.” Velvet paintings of Elvis Presley would definitely be considered kitsch by many people. But, remember, some people, with a different aesthetic, prefer kitsch! In Spanish Town, we really like kitsch.

Sarcasm and irony play a large role in this neighborhood parade. It is not intended to be “family oriented,” though many children attend with their parents and have a great time. The parade is designed to mock people in positions of authority. Sometimes it is even a bit indecent. Ever since its second year, the parade has had a theme, and, typically, the theme allows the floats to make political commentary, or even to be “tacky.” Some of the themes in the past have been:

“Everyman a King” (1982)
“Poor Taste is Better Than No Taste at All” (1986)
“Louisiana’s Dirty Laundry” (1992)
“Politically Incorrect” (1998)
“Louisiana Purchase: Name Your Price” (2003)
“Flamingos Gone Wild” (2004)
“FEMAture Evacuation” (2006) – post-Katrina

Just use your imagination! Which Louisiana political figures do you think are mocked? If you say Edwin Edwards, Bill Clinton, and George Bush, among others, you’re right! The parade after September 11th used Osama Bin Laden as a target, as you can expect.

The more traditional Mardi Gras krewes of New Orleans have classical names, such as “Krewe of Rex,” “Krewe of Endymion,” or “Krewe of Bacchus.” However, Spanish Town krewes have more playful, even impolite, names. The founding krewe’s name is “Mystic Krewe for the Preservation of Lagniappe,” and they are in charge of collecting the floats’ entry fees. These fees are donated to the Louisiana Food Bank. This krewe originally adopted the pink flamingo as its symbol, which later became the symbol of the entire neighborhood.

Other groups are called “Wasted Krewe,” “Krewe of Roadkill,” “Krewe of Krime,[which is my Krewe]” “Krewe of Le Mouk,” and “Krewe of Moulah,” to name a few. Awards are given out for such honors as “Deepest Concept,” “Best Ethnic Float,” “Best Pleasing of Judges,” and the “Best Bribe of Judges.” Indeed, the bribing of judges is not only accepted but encouraged. There are also more typical awards of “Best Float” or “Best Music.” Sometimes the judges are punished by krewes for their decisions. One year, a float threw water balloons at the judges’ stand. However, the next year, the judges got revenge by throwing cream pies at that float.

As is traditional, there is a Mardi Gras ball preceding the Spanish Town parade. But, again, this ball is done with a difference.
The ball is first announced when the organizers place about 20 giant, plywood, pink flamingos in the lakes near LSU. It is very strange to be driving on Interstate 10 and see the flamingos nesting in the LSU lakes.

A long-time tradition is for residents of Spanish Town to “kidnap” a lake flamingo and “relocate” it to their own yard. I have talked about the many flamingos decorating lawns; but the most “treasured” flamingo is one of these giant lake flamingos that has been kidnapped and relocated.

Once the flamingos are put in the lake, the ball has officially been announced. The ball has grown to be so large that it is now held in a really large convention center and the 3,000 ticket limit is sold out within hours of release. Originally, the ball was held in neighborhood homes, and the entrance fee was a canned good for the Food Bank. As the ball grew larger, it moved to the Varsity Theater (a place where rock concerts are held now), then to the Argosy Atrium—a bit larger than the Varsity—and now to the largest convention hall in Baton Rouge. Today, the fee is $30 to get in. Donations are still made to the Food Bank.

To attend the ball, people do not have to wear tuxedos and evening gowns. Instead, the dress is “costume” or “creative formal.” In addition, people buy their tickets in advance, reserve a table, and then decorate their own table. Music is usually provided by a rock, blues, or Cajun band, and participants can even vote for their preferred music on the Internet.

After the ball, residents of Spanish Town begin preparing for the annual parade, which rolls at noon on the Saturday before Mardi Gras day. On the day of our parade, people who live in the neighborhood are expected—even obligated—to open their homes to friends, family, and some strangers. I always begin the day by cooking my traditional pot of red beans, which can serve about 30 people. The party stores in Baton Rouge have begun to see the economic value of stocking flamingo decorations, so we can now put out flamingo tablecloths, ceiling decorations, napkins, plates—even light bulbs!

Many guests arrive in costume, with pink being the dominant color. In fact, many parade-goers—well over 100,000 people—costume in pink. People wear flamingo sunglasses, flamingo hats, flamingo shirts, flamingo shoes. At noon, we walk to Spanish Town Road for the parade, which, these days, lasts for two hours! We scramble for beads, laugh at the floats, criticize the floats that are “boring,” dance to the music, and generally have all the fun that a person can have at a Mardi Gras parade.”

[Edited from an original piece written by Dr. Jocelyn Hazelwood Donlon, a folklorist in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who lives in Spanish Town.]

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Ok…so the above is not original. Sorry, but good background for what is to follow. I hope. I’ve been crazy busy but will have pictures and more later. The ball was two weeks ago with over 3,200 attending and it was nutzoid! The parade is this Saturday. Wooo Hooo! This year’s parade theme: “Buy Youx Bailout.” We’re going to have some fun with that. Weather prediction is good so far…nearly 200,000 spectators expected.

The craziest thing of all though is…guess who this year’s Grand Marshal is?

Me.

Ain’t that some shit?