Krewe du Vieux 2007 and other nifty stuff
I was able to attend a couple of events of the Tulane Maya Symposium. The highlight was the keynote address by Dr. Karl Taube, discussing interesting less well known aspects of iconography and tying them in to the same motifs in other parts of Mesoamerica and up to the US Southwest-- including nifty illustrations of ancestors arriving from creation on the flower road featherd serpent shown from formative murals in Guatemala to Pueblo art some 3,000 years later. Super fabulous for folks interested in such things.
Yesterday was moderately cold but clear as I drove downtown in the afternoon for Krewe du Vieux. On the way down Loyola Avenue I saw a small group gathered in front of City Hall. Today's paper explained it: A Catholic group was protesting Blasphemy in a Krewe du Vieux parade 2 years ago! To quote:
"The crowd recited the rosary and sang hymns "in reparation" for "blasphemies" they said were perpetrated by the krewe in the 2005 parade. While much of the reaction to the 2005 parade was delayed, based on viewing of images on a Krewe du Vieux Web site, many Catholics were angry about one participant's use of fake breasts next to the words "Our Lady of very Prompt Succor" [....] They also protested one float's use of the image of a lamb chop, with signs proclaiming "He Died for Ewe" "
My immediate reaction on reading this: Ha ha ha ha!
Usually we've only gotten Jimmy Swaggart fundamentalist protestants protesting Carnival. Welcome to such distinguished company. Actually I think such "blasphemies" are very traditional for Carnival: In Europe back in the day, they would crown a fool as "king" and recite a silly nonsence "mass", making fun of the two things that had to be held most sacred of all the rest of the year.
The Krewe gathered at the warehouse den down in Marigny a few hours before the parade, with kingcake, beer, and dancing to a nice band. I was with one of several groups doing Alice In Wonderland related stuff for the "Habitat For Insanity" theme. We were assigned to make Mad Hatter hats out of paper bags. Some artistic cosumers can do something impressive with such a start; as I didn't feel up to that I decided to make the cheapness work for the concept, and did little other than a quick spray paint and adding signs on either side reading "FEMA HAT /In this style/ 16 month wait". It seems to have gone over well, as throughout the march I was hearing spectators saying "Look, FEMA hat!" and "Ha ha! FEMA hat!".
This is the first time I marched without my glasses (post eye operations). I left my driving glasses in my car and just carried a small pair of reading glasses in my pocket (which I only needed to pull out briefly when signing in at the Den). A number of aquaintances seemed not to quite recognize me, getting that "I know I know you, but I can't quite place..." look. While I saw a number of folks I knew long the route, for the second year I saw no sign of the group of friends who said in advance they'd be catching the parade in front of Molly's. I flung handfulls of stuff into the crowd there anyway. Afterwards, post parade party at the Lowe's Palace.
Today Ms. Hollie & I are having our Super Bowl Avoidance celebration.
Yesterday was moderately cold but clear as I drove downtown in the afternoon for Krewe du Vieux. On the way down Loyola Avenue I saw a small group gathered in front of City Hall. Today's paper explained it: A Catholic group was protesting Blasphemy in a Krewe du Vieux parade 2 years ago! To quote:
"The crowd recited the rosary and sang hymns "in reparation" for "blasphemies" they said were perpetrated by the krewe in the 2005 parade. While much of the reaction to the 2005 parade was delayed, based on viewing of images on a Krewe du Vieux Web site, many Catholics were angry about one participant's use of fake breasts next to the words "Our Lady of very Prompt Succor" [....] They also protested one float's use of the image of a lamb chop, with signs proclaiming "He Died for Ewe" "
My immediate reaction on reading this: Ha ha ha ha!
Usually we've only gotten Jimmy Swaggart fundamentalist protestants protesting Carnival. Welcome to such distinguished company. Actually I think such "blasphemies" are very traditional for Carnival: In Europe back in the day, they would crown a fool as "king" and recite a silly nonsence "mass", making fun of the two things that had to be held most sacred of all the rest of the year.
The Krewe gathered at the warehouse den down in Marigny a few hours before the parade, with kingcake, beer, and dancing to a nice band. I was with one of several groups doing Alice In Wonderland related stuff for the "Habitat For Insanity" theme. We were assigned to make Mad Hatter hats out of paper bags. Some artistic cosumers can do something impressive with such a start; as I didn't feel up to that I decided to make the cheapness work for the concept, and did little other than a quick spray paint and adding signs on either side reading "FEMA HAT /In this style/ 16 month wait". It seems to have gone over well, as throughout the march I was hearing spectators saying "Look, FEMA hat!" and "Ha ha! FEMA hat!".
This is the first time I marched without my glasses (post eye operations). I left my driving glasses in my car and just carried a small pair of reading glasses in my pocket (which I only needed to pull out briefly when signing in at the Den). A number of aquaintances seemed not to quite recognize me, getting that "I know I know you, but I can't quite place..." look. While I saw a number of folks I knew long the route, for the second year I saw no sign of the group of friends who said in advance they'd be catching the parade in front of Molly's. I flung handfulls of stuff into the crowd there anyway. Afterwards, post parade party at the Lowe's Palace.
Today Ms. Hollie & I are having our Super Bowl Avoidance celebration.