Senoirity

[MeweCow]

Does anyone know which krewe has been around the longest?

How may krewes are there?

On average, how many krewes drop off every year?

[tedhicks]

I know for a fact that Krewe of Yazoo began in 1983 as the "44th Louisiana Catshredders" Seems like our old friend Dave Pawlus saw some precision lawnmower drill team in...Ohio??? or something. We kicked around the idea of starting one in BR, since Margo and I had participated in the '82 parade, and she in '81.
Dave and Lee Randall, Dave and Judy Pawlus, Mike Konvicka, Steve Barker, Alice Fredlund, and more. Friends gathered, mowers rolled and the rest is history...or herstory.
We still have that banner. Daver, let me know if I've left anyone out.
Ted 8)

[ParadeTyrant]

I was browsing the website when I noticed your post. I have no idea who has the most seniority, but it doesn't mean anything anyway.

We have ridden in every parade since 1986 as one Krewe or another.

We started out in 1985 riding in the back of Mike Richmonds dump trunk as the "Krewe de Gravel"...painted up small rocks and threw them.

In 1986 we again rode in Richmonds dump truck as the "Rolling Roadblock Refugees"

After that we rode as the Krewe of Southdowns Lounge.

For the last 10 or 12 years we have been the Krewe De Gras Du...always the same perverts, I mean people, on board tho...

I find that most of us can't throw as far as we used to...they must be making the beads lighter these days as they don't seem to go as far

Since this is our 20th anniversay ride our slogan this year is "We don't "flock" as good as we once did, but we "flock" ONCE as good as we ever did"

[Kyoshi]

I have been a regular "audience participationist" of the Spanish Town Parade for years and while I have seen krewes come and go the Lawn Mower Precision Team was always there. I always thought that they have been in the parade since it's beginning (and I had no idea they were calling theirselves "Catshredders" then...a name I am most happy that they no longer use) Anyways, that's my two cents. Throw Me Somethin' Meester!
Kyoshi

[DisplacedFlamingo]

Personally, I like the name Cat Shredders, they should have kept it. Unfortunately since Spanish Town Mardi Gras has become more family oriented the part of the original meaning and humor has been lost so I wouldn't expect "new" people to understand why people would want to name their krewes such things. Personally, I miss the plastic phallic throws of the first year I went. Don't get me wrong, I still love Spanish Town Mardi Gras, I just think people need to get over themselves and let Spanish Town Mardi Gras go back to what it really once was, true satire. If you don't want to see the offensive stuff then don't go to it, simple as that.

[Kyoshi]

Oh, I agree about the bawdiness and the like....just not with the "Cat Shredder" part (I personally like cats and don't think that conjuring up visions of people intentionally hurting the animals with their lawnmowers is a good idea....there's humor in everything but cruelty is not nearly as funny as you might think. Especially given how people think of their pets (esp in Spanish Town), it's like marching in the middle of a Jewish Community dressed as Hitler to some people...might be funny to some, but it is bad taste. The plastic phalluses, underwear, boobs, etc...yeah, that's more what Mardi Gras is. Granted the Gay/Lesbian community involvement as well, and people in general, I feel, have come to grips that Spanish Town is gonna be a bit "Adult" anyways. I'd even dare-say that the bawdy the better! I remember the float that bore the "Louisiana Quarter" (in honor of each state's 25 cent piece over the years) as a pair of breasts with the motto "Louisiana, Show Your Tits" (and let's face it....who doesn't go to Mardi Gras these days and kinda hopes some girl/guy would maybe flash their goods)...imagine if Spanish Town minted a doubloon like that! The collectors alone would come out of the woodwork! (as it is, I can only remember one year where the Spanish Town parade had their own doubloons). If anyone is afraid of what they might "See" then you're right...they should just stay home. Or they can go elsewhere for a parade, goodness knows there are others. But there are none like Spanish Town, which combines people of all walks of life, and it's that combination that makes it work! It, in my opinion, embodies what Mardi Gras really is about...and you don't have to belong to some wealthy family/ritzy club/snobby group to be a part of it.
But if nothing else, the Spanish Town Parade is, to me, a chance for Baton Rouge to let it's hair down. We need this sort of release every so often...life's too filled with stress and misery as it is not to step back and laugh. Think, too, that it's part of what it means to be free! Only in America can you get away with the political satire we have, and what better place to do it (and party) than in a parade. It's our way of pointing out the silliness in our lives and embracing it.

[SPLASH]

Kyoshi,
I couldn't agree more.
Leave the "family fun" to other parades like Orion and Jupiter.
Preserve our Lagniappe, Life and Lasciviousity (is that a word?)!
Prudes go home!
Etc, etc.

"It's Our Duty to Flock Your Booty!"

Selma P.
Krewe of SPLASH
Krewsey Show Director