While hundreds of thousands of revelers were in her city to celebrate Carnival and dozens of out-of-town law enforcement officers were on hand to protect them, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell played the role of Debbie Downer by flipping the bird to a float rider in the Krewe of Tucks parade.
Then Wednesday, in defending her obscene gesture, the mayor raised doubts about whether she understands what makes Carnival so grand.
Images of Cantrell’s offensive moment circulated widely on social media, but she did not explain what happened until more than a week later.
“I was flipped the bird … and, um… I just had to go ahead and do a little bird flip and say, ‘I love you,'” Cantrell said.
“It was a shot, in my opinion, not at me directly but at the city of New Orleans, and I’m the mayor of the city. … To be so disrespectful to the city that has worked so hard to get the privilege of having Mardi Gras, that’s what that was all about. Hopefully, that will never happen again.”
Well, we agree with that last sentiment.
The mayor is right that the city worked hard to stage Carnival, especially given a police force that is overworked and understaffed on her watch.
And while she should have let the moment pass, the Tucks rider who flipped her off was obviously out of line; such behavior reflects poorly not only on himself but on his krewe.
Still, Cantrell has it backward if she believes that paraders owe the city nothing but gratitude.
The greatest free show on earth isn’t free for krewes that stampede down St. Charles Avenue. Maskers pay dearly for the blinky beads and stuffed toys and footballs that pour off the floats that pass by Gallier Hall. The riders on a single float can pay six figures for a thrill that lasts four hours.
The mayor may not be gracious enough to appreciate what they do. But the smiling children and their parents and grandparents show their gratitude every time they raise their hands and say, “Throw me something mister.”
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