Mardi Gras Mambo

Beads, Breasts and Beer


Any New Orleanian can attest to the power of the day that beads, bare breasts and beer seem normal together, are all in plain sight, especially on Bourbon Street and create an unforgettable break from stark reality. Four key men in Treme’ find themselves dealing with a very nontraditional Mardi Gras.

Chief Lambreaux his family members and friends all get a crushing blow to their spirits from the New Orleans criminal justice system. Instead of parading through the streets of New Orleans with fellow elaborately dressed local Indians, Lambreaux spends the first Mardi Gras after Hurricane Katrina behind bars. His bond hearing, stemming from his arrest inside an apartment at the Calliope Housing Projects gets rescheduled just hours before Lambreaux expected to walk out of jail. His family and friends believe Lambreaux it’s no coincidence that he’s being held until Mardi Gras is over.

Antoine finds himself recycling emotions he has for his ex-wife. He drinks, catches beads and dances at a parade with his girlfriend. However, when his girlfriend leaves with their daughter, she tells Antoine to enjoy himself. Antoine believes her kind words are a pass to creep. He ends up in his ex-wife’s bar, late Mardi Gras night. She’s depressed about the death of her brother. He gives her a massage and you can guess what happens next.

Creighton tries his hardest to enjoy the festivities of the greatest free party in the world. He and his family dress up in a costume and march around the city for a few hours. However, the Tulane professor finds it difficult to enjoy himself without being aggravated. He does not last the whole day, leaving his wife and daughter at a parade, while he walks home.

From the beginning of the day until midnight, Davis has a blast. Who else dresses up as Jean Lafitte, bonds with his parents through alcohol, dances in the streets, and smokes marijuana all in a 24-hour period?

How do you feel about the men on Treme?

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