But Mardi Gras is not solely about exhibitionism and one-night stands. Although the participants may not be aware of it, there is a sociopolitical component to the sexually charged proceedings, and it's more affirmative of societal norms than rebellious. At least, that's what Wesley Shrum and John Kilburn of Louisiana State University argued in a 1996 paper focusing on the festival's public displays of nudity. "A practice that seems to be mere debauchery," they wrote in the journal Social Forces, "is an expression of moral commitment to the market economy, as well as conventional notions of ... Read More
Studying Drunken Promiscuity at Mardi Gras
February 14, 2010 • By • 1 Comment
Not surprisingly, researcher Craig Forsyth found alcohol consumption plays a role in the decision to parade one's private parts, and a lot of alcohol is consumed during Mardi Gras. According to a survey of 2004 attendees reported in the Journal of Sex Research, "68 percent of the men and 63 percent of the women reported having at least five or six drinks per sitting. Almost one-quarter of the men reported having at least 16 drinks per sitting; 15 percent of women reported the same." The survey, by Robin Milhausen of the University of Windsor, Canada, found 32 percent of those surveyed ... Read More
Unmasking Mardi Gras Deviants
February 13, 2010 • By • 1 Comment
In a 2003 paper, David Redmon of Emerson College argued Mardi Gras behavior fits nicely into sociologist Erving Goffman's 1963 theory of "backspaces" — places where people can escape the glare of judgmental neighbors and bring out hidden sides of their personalities. Redmon referred to this out-of-town behavior as "playful deviance," noting it usually occurs "when small groups of tourists travel to symbolic spaces of leisure to participate in temporary forms of transgressions." To study this phenomenon, Redmon spent a total of 500 hours at seven New Orleans Mardi Gras celebrations, ... Read More
The History of Mardi Gras Beadwhores
February 12, 2010 • By • 9 Comments
In a 1992 issue of the journal Deviant Behavior, Craig Forsyth introduced the term "beadwhore" into the academic literature. The head of the criminal justice department at the University of Louisiana, Lafayette, recounts hearing it for the first time at a Mardi Gras parade. He was wondering why the float riders weren't throwing any beads to his 3-year-old son, whom Forsyth was carrying on his shoulders. The ritual of tossing trinkets to the crowd had been part of the Mardi Gras tradition since the 1830s, and Forsyth and his son were yelling out the traditional plea of "Throw me something, ... Read More