The End and the Beginning: Parade Talk to Parade History
Dear Readers of Parade Talk blog
Dear Readers of Parade Talk blog
I’m an academic who dutifully researches the literature and conducts fieldwork by reading, talking, listening, taking notes, photographing, and audio-video recording; yet when I write this “Parade Talk” blog, I channel a creative flow, widely uninhibited.
More than sixty plus days ago I ventured into outer space territory. I searched for space themes in parades locating the spaceships, clear helmeted space suits, and alien representatives in real and fictional parades.
What do we want? We want people to pay attention to our concerns about inequalities, injustices, and civil rights. How do we do that?
Are you a movie director, writer, or someone who thought, “you know, this show would be better with a parade scene”? No. Maybe you’re a person who believes parades are boring? Oh, the horror. Either way, I have a list of humorous parade parodies from movies, television commercials, sketch comedies, and live streaming broadcasts that are sure to make you reconsider what you think about a parade.
In October, I searched the Internet for parade and parade-like events related to Halloween, Zombie Walks/Crawls, and Day of the Dead. The number of events worldwide was astounding, from rural to suburban and urban settings, the visual and text documentation of these events and the people who attended them was extensive.
Have you thought about character costumes, mascots, or uniforms in parades affiliated with a recognizable brand? It might not be your first thought when seeing a bunch of people in Wonder Woman costumes striking poses, Smokey Bear waving from a truck bed, or a big faux fur bird, bear, or alligator mascot in sports jersey walking with a marching band in a par
After attending the Topless Day Parade in Venice Beach, California August 26, 2017, I considered multiple ways I could approach this topic of nudity in parades and marches. Here are eight possible approaches to talking about nudity in this event and other parades and marches with nudity:
When I think of a parade as a puzzle
, it gives me an imaginative way to think about it and its many pieces. The parade, in its entirety represents a communal effort of people gathering and creating something for themselves and public consumption. It’s a banana split extravaganza that our eyes eat up.
1) You must get to the parade and that means driving or walking to the parade carrying a spacious bag to stash those parade trinkets, flyers, and other paraphernalia passed out or thrown. (Bring some water too)
WHY?