In many countries around the world people are gearing up for the biggest debauchery fest the year will present. Call it what you will, Carnivale, Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras, this is a holiday not afraid to parade the crazy. Really, all holidays have origins that are riotous, loud, and completely bonkers, but nowadays most of the Saturnalias are hidden under a guise of gentleness. Mardi Gras ain't afraid to be the black sheep of the family...except in my hometown of Huntsville, AL.
Don't get me wrong, I loved that we finally got with it and put on a parade last year. After all, the Huntsville area is a growing city of a half a million people, and Alabama is where the first Mardi Gras parade was held in the States. It's time we got with it. But not everything in this city has to be family friendly. Where's the cleavage, people?
I didn't work on the parade last year, but from the outside looking in, the city and the police hated the idea and were doing everything they could to stop it. Bead throwing is the thing the city chose to outlaw. Perhaps because the connection to boobs? Floats full of children (yes, children) were pulled from the parade under suspicion of throwing beads from the car. I'm all for safety; running over children is bad. However, I was in the St. Patrick's Day parade and the cops watched DRIVERS throw beads from their windows without saying a thing. Double standard anyone?
The parade throwers are making progress, and this year brings some barricaded areas where the horrible "bead-throwing" will be allowed. Of course, this doesn't address the real issue of Huntsville's fear of crazy, lewd behavior. I guess no one in the city government has been downtown on a Friday night? I think it's time to parade the crazy.
In the meantime, I will continue to support that awesome job the parade planners are doing. And I will show up and cheer on the parade with a drink in my hand and my boobs slightly covered. Join me?
Or perhaps you are going somewhere really awesome for the holiday. Please send me pictures!
