d'Etat's Inferno - No target is off limits

An old Krewe d'Etat float mocking Katrina looters

Le Krewe d'etat really outdid themselves this year in their no-holds barred satire in their February 12 parade. Here are their pictures.

All I can say is that it's a good thing the riders are completely masked - as they openly target the powerful and mighty in New Orleans, Louisiana, and the United States - with absolute fearless comedic and satirical abandon. The theme this year was "d'Etat's Inferno" - and the criticism was as harsh (and funny) as Dante's.

And you just can't beat their Latin motto: "Vivite ut vehatis, vehite ut vivatis" ("Live to ride, ride to live").

Some highlights:

• A float depicting outgoing New Orleans mayor Ray Nagan "asleep at the wheel" - with reminders of the various scandals, his extensive international travel on the taxpayers' dime, and various stupid remarks he has made in the last eight years.
• A float making fun of the local burlesque personality Chris Owens and other celebrities who have been surgically reconstructed (such as Joan Rivers, Cher, and Dolly Parton), complete with warnings that they may melt in the heat.
• A tribute to Bernie Madoff, whose Ponzi pyramid scheme ripped people off of billions of dollars.
• A float in honor of ACORN, (The Root of All Evil) - which the Krewe claims stands for A Corrupt Organization Run by Nitwits. There were references to pimping, prostitution, and voter fraud- as well as lots of ripped off taxpayers. Classic!
• The Dancin' Dilibertos (in honor of the late Saints broadcaster who said that if the Saints ever won the super bowl, he would wear a dress). After all, what New Orleans parade would be complete without guys in dresses?
  
• Of course, Tiger Woods was on display, complete with "score cards" listing his girlfriends' names, a depiction of Elin whacking him with a club, and his sponsors being crossed off one at a time (but with the addition of "Trojan"). Harsh!
• Then there was the Hypocrites Club featuring senator David Vitter in his underwear holding a "service menu." Ouch. Also featured: governor Sanford of South Carolina and his Argentine mistress, and senator John Edwards and his "love child" - portrayed to look exactly like the perfectly coifed narcissistic former senator in grotesque miniature. The float also read: "Politicians gone wild."
• There was a float poking fun at all of the tasteless Viagra and Cialis commercials, including a huge prescription bottle some funny names of a fictional doctor and patient. There is also a warning about calling your doctor after four hours and cartoons of randy old folks in bathtubs - not to mention the ubiquitous list of side-effects - including "big smiles."
• There was a tribute to Barack Obama's "Nobel Prize" - including fantasies about him winning the Heisman, the Oscar, the Masters, and becoming the CEO of GM.
• One of the most delightfully distasteful involved a local crook (sorry to be triple-redundant), a contractor in the Nagin Administration Craig Meffert. He is depicted as a severed talking head (the ax-man was U.S. prosecutor Jim Letton, a local hero) with an extensive list of all the criminal acts and scandals (money laundering, tax fraud, kickbacks, conspiracy, wire fraud, etc. and no use of the word "alleged" in sight) - including sending the mayor to Hawaii for an ethically-challenged paid vacation.
  
• There was also a spoof of the recent mayoral elections showing a multi-headed monster of candidates (Anybody But Nagin).
• More spoofs of Nagin - "C. Ray's Magical Illusions" - showing the many broken promises of the mayor.
  
• One of the most biting spoofed outgoing New Orleans chief of police Warren Riley, depicting him as a forked-tongue lying serpent. The float reminded us of the hallmarks of Riley's administration: guns, drugs, missing evidence, shoddy reports, etc.
• Of course, Mose and (former U.S. senator) Bill Jefferson were depicted as a two headed monster- along with their entire family - in prison garb.
  
• And, clearly demonstrating that there are no "sacred cows," even a mockery of the greed of Saints' owner Tom Benson.

Like I said, it's a good thing these riders are masked. Gadzooks!