Carnival A-Z: Dorothy Mae Taylor

Or, the Grinch that stole Carnival

Many people don't realize why Carnival organizations exist, this major misunderstanding has, in the past, and continues today to lead to some serious problems. A few things to realize about krewes:

1. There are as many different kinds of krewes as there are people. If one isn't offered membership in a krewe, it may not be because the krewe is trying to have a super exclusive membership by accepthing no one. That person may just have values or interests that differ from those of the krewe's membership. Another factor that may exclude one from member ship is...

2. Krewes are family organizations. Membership of a krewe is usually composed of members of a few families, and some very close friends. Sons join fathers and uncles as members. When a man marries a former queen/maid, he is frequently offered membership.

3. As a spectator stands on the neutral ground enjoying the brilliance of the floats, gawking at the precision of military drill teams, catching airborne trinkets, listening to the sounds of marching bands, an generally enjoying himself, he may easily forget that he has paid nothing for this wonderful entertainment. The cost of the entire parade lies with no one save the krewe members. The krewes do this for the benefit of the public on their own dime(s). This is a large part of what makes Mardi Gras great.

In the early nineties, a woman on the city council decided that she didn't like the secrecy involved in Mardi Gras (she must not have realized that the city has a law in place that states that anyone riding on a float in a Mardi Gras parade is required to have his identity concealed!). She tried passing legislation that would force integration of people who have little connection with any members into the krewes. She wanted to families to accept strangers into what were essentially family reunions. Family reunions that already had a tangible benefit to non family members. At no cost.

Alas, many will await the day that the night god returns to the streets to greet his Crescent City, but the waiting will likely be for naught.

Comments

[Clay]

Related:

http://noladishu.blogspot.com/2007/07/dorothy-mae-taylor.html