Mummers Parade
A couple of firsts in the Mummers Parade
I can’t say when women wormed their way into the parade. A lot can be hidden under makeup and costumes.
Mummers Parade
String Bands strut without props, scenery
High winds destroyed some String Band props and scenery, meaning there will be no judging on New Year’s Day
Mummers Parade
Mummers, minus the spice
The 2022 Mummers Parade probably had the lowest turnout and offered the least controversy in recent memory. Past controversy was sparked by actual wrongdoing -- such as 1 out of 10,000 Mummers smearing blackface (banned for more than 50 years) on their faces -- or imagined wrongdoing, such as
Culture
When blackface is (a) fine
Using blackface is a sin, in a secular sense, but should it be a crime? City Councilwoman Cindy Bass thinks so, and has introduced a bill to make wearing blackface a crime, with a $75 fine. She thus reduces something really hateful to something like a parking ticket. This issue
Mummers Parade
Mummers: Ban Democrats
In an exclusive (and satirical) response to Major Jim Kenney’s threat to ban the Mummers Parade, the Mummers have demanded an end to the Democratic Party in Philadelphia. In a letter to the four Mummers divisions, Kenney specifically noted two men appearing in blackface, which is prohibited by parade
Mummers Parade
I am the dumbass dimwit
In my most recent post, I broke one of my general principles and embarrassed myself. The general principle is to avoid using the term “racist,” which is thrown about too casually, unless I was sure. I withhold it because I regard it to be a serious, toxic accusation. My reticence
Culture
Racists smear Mummers Parade
(A portion of this story has been retracted. See later post.) Audiences were sparse at Wednesday’s Mummers Parade — the largest spontaneous folk celebration of American racism, homophobia, transphobia, sexism, xenophobia, Islamophobia and peanut allergies. What I just wrote is sarcasm, directed to those, mostly among the young(er), who