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♪ [Paul Simon singing “Take Me to the Mardi Gras ”] ♪C'mon take me to the Mardi Gras ♪Where the people sing and play ♪Where the dancing is elite ♪And there's music in the street both night and day.

♪Hurry, Take me to the Mardi Gras.

The whole idea about following the excitement of the season and enjoyable of the day, ♪You can legalize your lows ♪You can wear your summer clothes, ♪in the New Orleans ♪And I will lay my burden down ♪Rest my head upon that shore ♪And when I wear that starry crown ♪I won't be wanting anymore, wuuh public television station.

And I would just like to say at this point in time that all these people here are here for our purpose.

And you know why they're here.

It's very cause it's Mardi Gras.

♪You can jingle to the beat of Jelly Roll, wuh ♪Toomba, toomba, toomba, Mardi Gras ♪Toomba, toomba, toomba, deh thank you.

Thank you.

Yeah.

♪ Mardi Gras in New Orleans means a lot of different things to a lot of different people.

To most folks, it's two weeks of sheer madness, controlled anarchy, to others who might be in charge of staging the elaborate balls and parades.

It's a year of plotting and planning.

Design and construction and instruction in the ways of the Regal for those who are selected to reign over this year's festivities as mock royalty in our papier Maché kingdom.

For some New Orleanians, it's a great time to get out of town and go skiing.

While for a tourist, it will probably be a long weekend of wretched excess.

Standing out in the streets, screaming for trinkets thrown from passing, floats by complete strangers and drinking and dancing in the streets till all hours of the night.

Generous fodder for a multitude of tall tales to mesmerize their friends when they finally go back home.

For me, the last three weeks leading up to Mardi Gras Day have been absolute mayhem.

When I first got the assignment to do an hour on Mardi Gras, I thought it'd be a piece of cake.

I said to myself, Hey, don't throw me in that Brier patch.

I figured I'd shoot a couple of parades, hang around the streets, maybe go to a ball or two, and I'd be done right, Wrong.

Once I got into it, I realized I'd be guilty of a gross miss service if I just talked about the obvious.

Sure.

There's a lot of partying and dancing and having fun, but there's a serious side to it, too.

And it has an incredible history.

An artist in town named George Schmidt did a series of paintings chronicling the history of the celebration from its official beginning in 1857 up to the present.

Well, I've cut across about a I guess it's about a hundred year period.

I start the painting, start with the Grand Duke.

Alexis, the two paintings, the Grand Duke, Alexis of the Kamaz Parade, which is 1872.

And this painting right here, which is a which is the first rex, which is of 1872.

Then across the room, there's the Boof gras, which is basically that these three paintings represent the sort of sort of an initial imagery of the period.

And then it goes to leap second, several decades at the turn of the century, right before World War One, with pop Jack Lane's Reliance Band lining up at the Rex Parade in 1914.

And then it jumps across to another period the late post World War two period 1949.

Zulu, Louis Armstrong, Zulu, 1949, and then the Duke and Duchess of Windsor at the Combs ball, which is 1950.

And then they missed each other by only one year.

They can all share in fabulous as they would have been.

They would have seen each other in two different sections of the ballroom, so to speak.

But then it leaps across that smaller picture, which is the August Pres meets Charlton Heston meets August at the airport.

George really piqued my interest in the history and pageantry of Mardi Gras, so I decided to do as much stuff as I could, just about without exception, Mardi Gras balls or formal affairs.

So I went to get the proper clothes and while I was waiting to be fitted, I stumbled on to a major coming of age ritual in New Orleans, a young man being fitted for his first set of evening clothes.

And the really funny thing about it was he was being fitted by the very same man that fit me when I was maybe 17.

And Mr. Roger Perlis is still stressing the same fundamentals about wearing evening clothes correctly.

The whole purpose of this is to look elegant and to look elegant.

You've got to do it properly.

First of all, you've got to make sure your pants are up high, that your vest covers your pants, top of your pants, and the coat covers your vest so it doesn't show below that.

And then on top of that, you want very much to show a little linen on his shirt.

So you shot in the sleeves a wee bit, right?

So that distance and you will show some.

Let him understand you've got that mark to wear about what we want to do.

And you remember to wear suspenders to keep your pants up.

Otherwise you're going to find out they're going to drop and you're gonna be stepping all over the bottoms.

And this is the whole secret of looking, right.

And the purpose of it is when you look right, you feel right and you feel right.

You've got all those girls with you that can come Mardi Gras a day.

But it's also a season and people often refer to it as carnival day or carnival season as we know it today.

Mardi Gras began with the formation of the Mystic Crew of Comas, which is still considered the most socially prestigious organization in all of Carnival.

They're also the stuff is their parade on Mardi Gras evening is the season's finale.

In 1872, the Rex Organization began and they parade during the day on Carnival Day, the actual date of Mardi Gras floats from year to year.

But it's always 40 days, not counting Sundays before Easter Sunday.

So one thing Mardi Gras has always been is the big blowout before the fast.

But in 1872, it took a visit from a foreign dignitary to get things rolling.

It was started for the most unusual of reasons.

It was kind of a civic boosterism type of gesture.

The Grand Duke Alexis, the Russian Grand Duke was coming to town.

It was part of his his swing through the United States.

And word reached that he'd be arriving to New Orleans.

And keep in mind that New Orleans is basically a dusty little frontier town that is at this point, but with a tradition of French elegance and French grandeur.

And so the citizens of that day wanted to put on some kind of a celebration to honor the the Russian Grand Duke.

So they put together a parade and they figured that being he was royalty, why not create our own royalty to to meet this Russian royalty?

And so they started the parade and they created the king, and they called him Rex, which was the Latin word for king.

And so the parade was created then, as is a gesture to greet him.

There's a story also that there was a a touring group that was in New Orleans putting on a musical comedy called Bluebeard.

And one of the actresses and it was the name was Lydia Thompson.

And as the story goes, apparently the Russian Alexis had had the knife for Lydia.

Now, it's unclear whether or not his tour brought him here directly to pursue her, but was apparently there was some sort of interest.

At least that's what the community gossip had.

So if you're taking notes on the history, Comas was the first organization which established the continuing parading tradition, and that was 1857.

But it took the REX organization in 1872 to really pull things together when they organized to greet a visiting Lovestruck Russian Grand Duke.

Since then, the number of organizations has mushroomed, and it seems like everybody is in on the action.

It's just getting bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger.

I don't know how much bigger it can get.

I think it's I just think it's wonderful.

It's sensational.

It's getting to be everybody is into this great big act.

Everybody in town, I mean, no matter who you are from, what's social strata, whatever group, they are all involved in it and all having a marvelous time.

Small groups, crews that are not society crews that are not well funded, crews kind of like use royalty in monarchies fundraising devices.

Their qualifications must be that they enjoy it, that they make a nice appearance and of course can afford it because it really runs into money.

Irma Strode ought to know because she's just retired as captain of the crew of Iris, where she's been running the show for 33 years.

We certainly are in snobs, but all of our ladies must be recommended by members of the crew of Iris.

In case you haven't figured it out, a crew is a mardi Gras term.

Generally used to mean club organization, and it was coined in 1857 by the oldest existing organization, the Mystic Crew of Comas.

And most groups use it.

Most Mardi Gras crews are male dominated.

The men are members, and they ride in parades and mask at the balls.

But Iris is an exception.

All the members are women, and they sure seem to enjoy themselves.

♪ ♪ after every member of the organization has made an entrance, it's time for the Grand March.

The king arrives to greet his queen and all their loyal subjects.

The music used in Iris and many other carnival balls comes from the 1872 Mardi Gras.

Knowing the Grand Duke, Alexis was interested in Lydia Thompson.

Many of the bands played a song from her show Bluebeard called If Ever I Cease to Love.

I guess to let him know his romance was no secret to the people of New Orleans.

It's been a tradition ever since ♪ the king and queen then embark on a grand procession around their mythical kingdom.

This time accompanied by all the members of their royal entourage.

All ladies should wear full length evening gowns and they should wear gloves.

Now they've gotten away from it to a point, but at least on the first row, they should wear gloves.

It's just a nice thing.

One of the nice of these of of the Mardi Gras season and what went on.

♪ Another thing I can say, lady should never sit on the first row and cross their legs, especially the ones that have her opening up to here.

It's really disgraceful.

♪ After the court has been paraded around the auditorium, the floor is open for the call out dances.

That's where the members get to ask the invited guests to the floor for a dance.

Since no one is supposed to know who the Masters are, they use a go between a member of the floor committee to ask the guests to dance ♪ as a reward for dancing with the master.

It's traditional for a crew member to give their dance partner a present, especially design crew favor as a memento of the occasion.

So, yes, almost got it.

This is beautiful.

You learn the nicest things under the skin Is everything here?

And goodness.

Didn't know I was going to.

Thank you.

That's very well.

I'm not going to be intimate.

Something.

No, I'm not.

This is what, you know, next year at Skin.

♪ Three nights later, I found myself at the municipal auditorium once again, this time to attend the debutante cotillion of the young men.

Illinois's one of the season's premier events in black high society.

This is a strictly formal soiree, so you don't have the masked antics one comes to expect at a carnival ball.

It's an extremely serious affair honoring the daughters and relatives of the members as each young lady in the court is presented.

Her accomplishments are announced to the spectators.

This young lady is now serving as class president.

The for over a year ago said this now to the starlight and she is also a member of Explorers Club and a member of the school's National Honor Society, where they a remarkable 316040 was dancing, reading, meeting new people and talking on the telephone ♪ all by Louisiana State University.

The Met all Hail Queen, ♪ the one of the highlights of the crew of young men.

Illinois is the first dance after the processions are complete.

A minuet with the maids in the court and their fathers ♪ ♪ Once the Mardi Gras season picks up steam, you can count on parades during the day and at night every weekend.

The newest addition to the list of parading crews is a crew of palm trees, an attempt at bringing the Brazilian samba school kind of parade to New Orleans.

Palomares is a multiethnic organization that seems to have no interest in trying to resemble most other parades.

For one thing, floats are self-propelled rather than pulled by tractors, as in most parades.

The music is also different, stressing samba, and they feature a marching percussion group made up of members of different high school bands across the city.

♪ Mary Jane, you're Jane.

How did you happen to become Jayne Mansfield in this celebrity tragedy?

I was the only one that had hair blond enough and breasts large enough for like who?

Who measured.

Several years ago, the Contemporary Art Center leadership decided the art community in New Orleans needed a greater participation in Mardi Gras.

And so the concept for the crew of clones was born, and it's anything but traditional.

Different groups within the crew of clones get together and decide their theme and make their own floats and do all their own costumes.

The result is a somewhat ragtag affair, but for those who participate, it's the highlight of the Mardi Gras season, steeped heavily in satire.

Clones often crosses the fine line of good taste and decorum, but it's all in good fun, and they always seem to get away with their social indiscretions.

This year's theme was celebrity tragedies, and the king and Queen were clones of Elvis Presley and Jayne Mansfield.

♪ ♪ you ought to go see the Mardi Gras when you see the Mardi Gras.

Somebody I'll tell you was Carnival for the ball.

The crew of clowns is a real blowout this year.

It was held at the federal Fiber Mills building in the Old World's Fair site, which I guess was in keeping with the celebrity tragedy theme.

Unlike most other Mardi Gras balls, Clunes doesn't have any grand processions, no invitations, screening committees, no formal dress requirements, no social pretense at all.

You pay your money and you takes your chances.

And most balls, you're lucky if you can get up to the throne to and pass along your regards to the day's monarchs at the foot of Clunes.

It's not out of the question to find yourself making out in the photo booth with the monarch of your choice the Thursday night before Mardi Gras is traditionally reserved for moments the God of ridicule.

I go to this one every year.

It follows a normal uptown route, and I like to watch it from St Charles Avenue, where there aren't a lot of commercial neon signs glaring in your face.

And you can best appreciate the glow of the Flambeau ammo carrier's lit the first Mardi Gras parades on record and are still the primary light source and just a handful of the older parades moments is a traditional, prestigious Mardi Gras organization.

The queen and the maids in the court are usually debutantes, and they're very strict about secrecy.

There are serious penalties for taking off your mask, and membership in the organization is not discussed in public by those considered fortunate enough to belong moments.

This tradition of secrecy goes back to their beginning, when in the early years they would seriously satirize the local carpetbagger regime as well as national politics.

In 1877, they got in big trouble, which seemed Haiti's dream of moments.

Governor Francis T Nichols had to apologize to the White House for what some people considered scandalous behavior.

I think there was certainly intent on secrecy because they were born shrouded in secrecy and they have the intuitive good sense to understand that if something is a secret, if something is masked and something is mysterious, then people's interest will be piqued, people's curiosity will be stroked.

That is why the kings of the gods, comas and mummies are masked, which is quite a far cry from the celebrity kings who were not only unmasked but brought here for an entirely different reason.

It's a side show coming to town.

Look who's here.

I think that's half of the fun.

And I think that everyone feels that, you know, no one really knows who the members are in most of the older organizations, no one ever knows who the king is.

And that's always one of the big tongue in cheek things that everybody enjoys and speculation about it.

And it does add to the mystique and the overall charm, I think, of Mardi Gras.

From what I understand, the moments organization was very, very critical of the city politics or state politics or national politics at that time.

They they every year have something to ridicule some specific happening of that year.

The word tradition is the right word.

They they've done it every year and they refuse to be exposed as to their particular identity.

And that's the idea of the mask.

And the idea is a little craziness involved.

You go out and have fun and do things maybe that you wouldn't do without the mask on.

We're proud to present to you this evening.

This is a little at Queens and at the court.

This is a night the carnival of our nation, the ceremony, the grand ball of the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club is not to be missed.

If you ever get a chance to attend.

Zulu began in 1909.

It was incorporated in 1916, and since then it's become one of Mardi Gras premiere celebrations.

The Coronation Ball.

The crew of Zulu is quite an affair where the members and their guests bring elaborate feasts to help celebrate the occasion.

♪ after the grand procession, the entire hall breaks out into a massive second line, which is a dance done traditionally following a brass band.

♪ Well, we haven't understood at our meetings.

We do have rules, and anyone who doesn't want to abide by them, we would ask them to not be part of it.

But we.

Well, Mardi Gras is something that is real fun.

But it should be done in good taste.

And we do not allow the ladies to drink or eat or in the case of the parades and never without their masks.

We had to and we had to ask for their resignations.

There's a two week stretch between the Irish Ball and the Irish Parade.

I guess it gives the members some time to recuperate.

I always enjoy going to watch the ladies board the floats and prepare for their ride.

Hey, thank you.

From there, it's easy to work your way down the parade route to find the ideal place to watch it go by.

This is where they come.

This file.

Right.

See all.

And have a good time.

Bye.

Bye.

Bye.

One of the things you have to realize about going to parades is the most important thing there is, is begging beads.

So if you go to the parade, you got to get into getting the beads [crowd cheering] [crowd cheering] by the Saturday afternoon before Carnival, the entire town is in the grip of Mardi Gras frenzy.

They're parties everywhere.

People are loose.

And you can begin to see the informal groups that get together to celebrate the season in neighborhood bars across town and in people's houses near the parade routes, folks gather to get into the proper spirit and march out to watch a parade.

♪ ♪ what's going on there.

What a day when a lot of people have a good time.

As if there isn't enough going on already on Sunday morning before Mardi Gras.

A group of friends have been getting together for years to give their out-of-town guests a chance to meet one another in an atmosphere less formal in the Mardi Gras ball.

It's an afternoon of good food, stiff drinks, music and dancing that helps prepare even the most reluctant for what's in store for them for the remainder of the celebration.

I love there's just no way to de of it said if I ever got rich, can't invite all these people to Fort Worth that I'd buy my friends to sit upstairs and watch people have a good time.

Do you all have anything like this?

No, there's no carnival.

Informative.

After the party, I headed over the place where the Bacchus Parade forms up to check out the flow to be riding on later in the evening.

Bacchus allowed me to join the parade halfway through, so I wanted to see what I'd be getting into and who I'd be with.

It turned out to be a pretty interesting bunch.

He said, You don't get on it.

It's really good.

Yeah, really.

What's your name?

♪ Vargas.

First parade in 1969, inspired by a group of New Orleans businessmen intent on throwing a party for visitors who couldn't stay in town through Mardi Gras day.

It's always held on the Sunday before Carnival, and it's become one of the major forces of Mardi Gras.

Unlike the more traditional cruise, Bacchus is extravagant.

The floats are more elaborate, there are more bands, and the maskers seem to throw an endless supply of beads, doubloons and souvenir cups to the throngs that line the parade route.

They also take great pleasure in having a celebrity king rule over the proceedings.

There seems to be a feeling very often today that bigger is better.

New is an improvement.

In many cases, these turn out to be promises that you see on soap boxes, though not news, not necessarily better.

And bigger is not necessarily better.

I think that every club would do well to go back and look at the designs of the 19th century and the early 20th century, which were designed by fantastic artists and executed by corps of very skilled scenic painters and designers, and the most spectacular papier maché artist to ever walk in New Orleans.

George cilia different strokes for different folks.

But there's one thing I can tell you.

There is absolutely nothing like the thrill of ride in a mardi Gras parade, especially Fox.

I take the paper all and let's sort the road in Australia.

I like this how you wanted it.

I got it six times out of seven.

They come out and it for me.

All right.

Thanks.

There are literally hundreds of thousands of people lining the five mile parade route, and they're all excited and dancing in the music and having a great time begging for throws and being a part of what's going on.

It's incredibly exhilarating, but there's no other other than what we like to say about Nelson is he's one of us.

Is one of us.

At the end of the ride, the parade pulls into the River Gade Convention Center, where all the people attending the supper dance are waiting.

The parade then rolls through the hall and the maskers get off the floats and into some serious partying.

The the more civic organizations and we're here again, we're talking about the boxes and the Endymion.

They will invite huge tables of people that they're associated with, maybe in business.

And when the floats come in to that particular auditorium, which here again, the dome or the river gate, they get off the floats and go right to their table.

And you might have Doc Severinsen playing, you know, and it's a real wild party and everybody's having a good time.

And the mascot is still in the costumes and, you know, all the people coming in off the street, the great ladies wear the elaborate dresses, you know, that they'll spend, you know, anything from 150 to $1000 in a dress to wear one time [crowd cheering] [crowd cheering] Today, city of New Orleans continues to be the place that we love to live, to work, and to play God.

But New Orleans, they'll Proteus The Monday night before Mardi Gras day belongs to Proteus.

God of the sea.

One of the old, traditional, socially prominent crews.

This year, Proteus chose as its theme a book by John Chase about New Orleans streets called Frenchmen Desire Good Children.

He's ever spent any time in New Orleans?

I'm sure you've been aware of some of the rather strange names of some of our streets.

Well, certainly proved to be a fertile theme.

How do you decide who throws it?

that's that's a tough one.

You know, maybe the guy that has the baby in the hand or maybe the good looking girl that's holding the you know, holding the the loose balls open and that type of thing.

You know, it's just an enticement to go crazy.

And everybody has one of the prettiest parade zips along at a fairly brisk pace because they need to get to the municipal auditorium to prepare for the ball.

Also, these guys start celebrating early in the day.

Usually you go to the various bands or there's a party before some restaurant and there's a lot of drinking and good food and good cheer.

And then they ride to float to get off.

They go to the ball.

They're doing it all over again.

And it's usually, you know, 8 to 12 hour period for each organization of constant party.

♪ The real society balls are really Debbie time cotillion.

That's the main business of the society ball to present the debutantes.

And so if you come to this carnival and you don't know who the deputy dance are, it doesn't mean a whole lot to you.

And so a carnival ball is really a private sort of thing.

I mean, the old line, traditional carnival ball is really private and it's all they pretend to be.

They don't pretend to be provoking extravaganzas.

They don't pretend to be entertainment specials or anything.

They pretend to be just a very private sort of a party.

It is not like anyone can come in to community, no matter how rich he was, and go to a movie like Drew and say, Look, you know, I got a lot of money.

I want my daughter be a debutante no matter how refined she is or no matter how beautiful she is, if she is not part of that inner circle.

Because, you know, that's what the society is all about.

It's a recognition of old family, old law and old blood within the community.

Well, whenever a girl comes of age, she's old enough to make her debut.

She's you know, eligible to be a maid in the ball.

So when it's time for her to come out, she's asked her families, asked if she would like to participate in the ball.

And almost without exception, they say yes, because it's good.

You know, people that's why men belong to organizations, so that their daughters can can be it.

People give parties and that's the way people get to know.

They pretty much enjoy it.

Yeah, I think they do.

I think a lot of times it gets to be too much with the parties every single night.

But I mean, I've enjoyed it.

What would you tell your friends about doing this?

Mean you're going to go back to the University of North Carolina?

Actually, I've tried to explain it to them and they really cannot understand how it is.

Why do people go to Mardi Gras balls over and over and over again?

Well, some of them go because they really enjoy it.

I guess they just dig it and they have a wonderful time.

The others all seem to have an excuse.

Well, you know, my cousin is making her debut.

My sister's in the ball, my niece make some relatives.

And then they really feel that this royalty spreading apart or apart, it takes over them.

They are related to the royalty, too.

So this family, the glandular attitude, just goes along with the whole thing.

It's not real.

And then it's like because it's not real to make it happen, you have to sit there and be part of the fantasy and you cannot bridge it.

You have to give your energy by Tinkerbell.

You'll believe in Tinkerbell.

She dies.

It's very serious in the minds of local people.

Your Majesty, is nice of you to come out.

Thank you.

You look marvelous.

Thank you for your hospitality and having you.

Thanks.

Tradition has it that Zulu comes from Africa, so it makes perfectly good sense that he should arrive in New Orleans by barge before being whisked away to lead his parade through the streets of the city, accompanied by the soulful warriors who act as his security guards.

He anxiously awaits the moment when he can climb onto the throne and greet his faithful followers.

What do you I'll be throwing we'll be doing coconuts, deploying spears back, scratches.

And I have a special trinket this year.

It's called a Zulu bank down in New Orleans, where it takes a while to go on a salary, bartering around there with my love for my mom.

Mardi gown, my mobile, and hey, hey, ready to change your life here?

All that and a whole lot of love.

Not far away, the finishing touches are being put on Rick's king of carnival for at least a year.

Brooke, I make it.

Thank you.

All right, that's it.

See out there, Raise your hand.

I'm going to watch him closely ♪ Hey, you on the tube!

Smile.

Hi Mom!

I got a ticket.

[crowd cheering] [Al Johnson singing Carnival Time] ♪The green room is smokin' And the plaza's burnin' down ♪Throw my baby out the window And let the joint burn down ♪All because it's carnival ti-i-ime ♪Whoa, it's carnival time ♪Oh, well, it's carnival time ♪And everybody's havin' fun ♪Claiborne street is a rocking ♪From one side to the other ♪The joints are jammin', packin' ♪And I'm about to smother ♪All because it's carnival ti-i-ime ♪Whoa, it's carnival time ♪Oh, well, it's carnival time ♪And everybody's havin' fun ♪Right now, it's carnival ti-i-ime ♪Whoa, carnival time ♪Oh, well, it's carnival time ♪And everybody's havin' fun ♪ all your relatives know that you're out like this.

Are these all your relatives?

One big happy family here, guys, I'm telling you.

What exactly do you call this?

This mother and the boy's mother and the boy's mom and her boys.

my goodness.

Where did you find a rig like this?

Made it off.

You made this yourself?

Yes.

How long does that get?

In?

August.

And we finished the day after New York.

And do you live here And you did this?

I do, yes.

I'm the reigning queen of the crew of David, which is the second year of our existence.

Is this the dress you wore for the ball and myself?

There is a 50 year old scepter, which was made in 1934, one of the oldest crews in New Orleans.

Also, one question, how do you go to the bathroom?

And it's just don't you just have to suffer?

That's what royalty is all about.

You have to be sort of, you know, and still smile and the feet are hurting.

And but still, when your public is there, you have to be right.

Looks like your baby is having a good time.

Yeah, well, he drank too much.

You see, Partying hard.

Yeah.

What?

How would you improve Mardi Gras?

How long for a mardi Gras?

I don't think you can improve it.

I think it's fine.

Just like it is.

I the crowds have been really nicely put under order.

I'd like to thank all the little people that made this possible.

I'm not going to forget them.

Later, as the sun begins to go down, crowds packed the French Quarter and Bourbon Street savoring the last few hours of merriment.

What brought you down here?

Mardi Gras.

Is this your first one?

No, I come every year.

You come every year from Akron Ohio?

Yes.

Hi.

Is this the first time you've dressed?

What would you call us?

Right.

Is this the first time you've done this?

Yeah.

Where were you last year?

Second.

Did you have more fun than ever this year?

For fun this year.

And where are you from, Sean?

Texas.

Have you ever been to Mardi Gras before?

Yeah, you have been.

What do you think about it is actually fine.

What did you do today?

Had fun?

I fun?

Yes.

Is this your mentor back here?

Yes.

Yes.

How old are you for?

What are you going to be next year?

Five.

Mardi Gras first.

Mardi Gras is a good time.

It's fun sound for everyone to just be themselves.

♪ Masking is a was a form of intoxication that, you know, you put the mask on and you breathe your own fumes.

You know, of course you drink and all that.

It's like a drunk machine through the whole day I was drinking through the mask, you know, recycling my belches.

And towards the end I was sent to the corner of Canal and and now in Saint Charles by the Pickwick Club.

Suddenly, you know, like it says, I was blessed and blessed.

I suddenly got this tremendous sort of sense of ecstasy, feeling of ecstasy and epiphany, you know, and all of a sudden, the entire front of them, all of women, the queen of comas came that beautiful dragonfly.

Then this parade came pass and it was something like Valhalla Tales from the Valhalla.

And I was just standing there in tears.

I was in tears by the time it was over.

So that's what I'm getting at.

You reap you, you know, it helps you reach a certain state of ecstasy.

So that kind of celebration is really all about, Where's your costume?

I know, I know.

I'm on Mars and.

All right.

Yeah.

How come?

I'm like, what was your man ET.

ET?

You ate and you left your mask at home?

I don't believe it.

What is all this about?

Well, it's an important old tradition.

It was the queen of Rex and the captain of colors, you know?

That's right.

I was a page.

And what I had in common right?

1955.

And what are they going to do right in 55 right now?

What are they going to do right now?

They're going to run each other around here, all get together.

We call it the King of Comics as a loving instead of a scepter.

I tell you a little different.

Other than that, they all look especially they don't ever call.

It can't come as you can't just call gone like Rex is Rex right?

But Rex means king, which means it almost means nothing.

Means John Milton.

That's Comus and the queen of Rex Little fellows in the back.

I was one of those.

That's Rex and the Queen, Right?

And they're the guys with the funny hats.

I think those are all the comics captains of the news.

Well, all right.

They're going to sack me.

What I wore in 1955.

Really?

They changed.

Has come, has changed.

And then since then, you know, doing so.

No, I don't think so.

Not probably since 1855, maybe 57 or whatever.

Those people weren't doing that nobody would be dressed like this, you know, no matter what I do.

Yeah, that's true.

Maybe like it is.

And Dallas would be Tuesday.

[police siren] Mardi Gras is over.

Please clear the street.

after the meeting of the courts and the police parade up Bourbon Street, Mardi Gras is officially over, but some people just know when to quit.

Things are still going on.

But the later it gets, the more halfhearted the effort.

For some folks, Mardi Gras is an excuse for wretched excess.

For others, it's their way of keeping social score.

And for still others, it's that one chance every year to be someone else.

But for everyone, it's a lot of fun and an experience.

Not to be forgotten.

And also for everyone.

Come Wednesday morning, it's over.

Land is upon us.

It's a time for repentance and sacrifice.

A time for reevaluation and self-motivation.

I need to get some ashes ♪ Funding for this program was provided in part by this station and other public television stations.