San Fermin - New Orleans Style 2008Uploaded by EddyG9 on 15 Jul 08, 8.46AM CDT.
One of the great things about living here is that events that in other places would either be quashed by lawyers, insurance companies, feminists, city fathers, pietists, and other wet blankets, are not only permitted - but encouraged and celebrated.
Take, for example, this past weekend's 2nd annual "Running of the Bulls" in the French Quarter.
Of course, as with every properly festooned Corona bottle, every O. Henry story, and every Chubby Checker concert - there is a twist.
Read the story here. [A slightly different angle from our beloved local humorist Chris Rose can be found here.]
Now, honestly, how many places in the country could you see such a spectacle at 8-o'clock in the morning with the blessing of the local government, have it gleefully reported in the newspaper and on the TV news, and know that there will be no angry community activists, no dour letters to the editor, no advocacy groups and their attorneys, and no posturing politicians expressing "outrage" and demanding the event be stopped?
Even if you don't approve of all the goings on at this New Orleans event, if you can't find something in this article to laugh at, you should apply for a handicapped parking sticker for being "humor-impaired." At least enjoy our eccentricity vicariously. Better yet, plan your vacation around the Third Annual "Running of the Bulls" in New Orleans, and come join the mayhem!
I used to think John Kennedy Toole's A Confederacy of Dunces was a comedy. Not so. It was straight reporting on New Orleans life - which is the comedy.
Laissez les bons temps rouler!
Padre! Thanks for the great blog entry. As a co-founder of the event, one of the most important forms of feedback has been from independent bloggers! I cannot agree w/ you more about our fair city and it's flavor, and we are glad to add to the gumbo!
ReplyDeleteMark your calendars for 7/11/09, el tercero encierro de San Fermin in Nueva Orleans!
Pastore Mickey (El Padrino)
"humor-impaired"? How politically incorrect! That comes from a wit-normative view that suggests those who laugh are the normal ones. That just isn't funny!
ReplyDeleteOnly in New Orleans. Man how I miss home.
ReplyDeleteSometimes truth IS stranger than fiction, and sometimes life in America is deliciously funny!
ReplyDeleteHow can I get a gig as one of the "bulls"? I am full of the qualifications (oh, wait, never mind, that's not the right kind of bull. . .)