How the Other Half of the Country Lives

I caught the documentary Order of Myths at the IFC last night with my friend Adrienne (who knows the filmmaker). The film focuses on the Mardi Gras parades and balls held every year in Mobile with particular focus on the two pairs of Mardi Gras kings and queens. There is one king and queen chosen by the old guard white societies and one pair chosen by the newer black societies - each of which have their own separate parades and balls. The tradition and pageantry put forth by each part of the community is so elaborate - I have never seen anything quite like it (although my friend Adrienne who has lived in New Orleans tells me Mardi Gras is very similar there). The racial separation is also astounding - for instance, the king and queen from the black society decided to attend the coronation of the other king and queen which led to a discussion of how important and groundbreaking that was - the king and queen from the black society seemed shocked at the polite reception they received. I readily admit that I am not too up on the traditions and culture of the south (as a born and bred New Yorker) - I once walked around the campus of Ole Miss and felt like I had landed on another planet. However, it was really interesting to learn about the history of Mardi Gras in Mobile and how it reflects the society and community down there. It is still quite alien to me but at least I learned a little something new about how some of my fellow American citizens live.