Shhh...
The most satirical parade in all of Mardi Gras
is preparing its latest strike.
Le Krewe d'Etat, founded in 1996, has over the
years made a paradoxical name for itself as both one of the most irreverent,
yet aesthetically intricate parades in the whole of New Orleans Carnival.
With its floats being constructed by the elite
Royal Artists float builders behind Rex and Proteus, d'Etat takes the classical
aesthetic sensibility of fully sculpted float presentations and applies it in
the most devious possible fashion—a roving set of 3D satirical comic strips
brutally skewering politics, pop culture, sports, and anything else worthy of a
jeering wisecrack. Even the form of the parade reflects its tone, with the idea
of a traditional Mardi Gras "king" getting revolted
into d'Etat's Dictator, "the Dic," who lords tyrannically
through the streets in full Napoleonic garb.
D'Etat is also nothing if not a bit clandestine.
For a group whose bitingly celebrated parades are a highlight of Mardi Gras'
biggest weekend, invitations to their own machinations are nonetheless hidden
by-design, only whispered of within the private society balls of Carnival.
After extensive private research, I can confirm, with complete honesty, that
the Dic's Krewe is harder to approach than any other parading organization and
at least three internationally recognized orders of knighthood.
Once you eventually find yourself "in the know;"
however, d'Etat quickly reveals itself to be a close-knit group, taking pride
in its elaborate production value and sense of community. In just under three
decades on the streets, d'Etat balances its old-school production values with a
brief, yet rich, history. Talk to any of the members and you'll get no shortage
of stories: d'Etat's earliest iteration semi-covertly taking over the floats of
the since-dormant Krewe of Pegasus, as well as the long-running rivalry-of-the-satirists
between d'Etat and Thursday night's equally venerable Krewe of Muses.
The krewe has its own innovations as well being
both the first parade to toss LED-illuminated beads as a signature throw and
its dancing sub-krewe "the Dictator's Dancin' Darlins," being the first
all-male dance team in Carnival. The Dictator always rides first, followed by
the announcement of the theme, a mule-drawn replica of New Orleans' iconic
Roman Candy wagon, and a certain High Priest who owns no phone, no social
media, and whose identity is known only to God.
On a brisk weekend morning, somewhere in the
shadow of the Superdome, the krewe descends upon its top-secret float den for
its preparatory open house—the floats on full display in all their irreverent
glory. Members discuss satire, politics, and business over open bars, wives
look on at the fully illustrated bulletins and posters of the year's top-secret
theme, and families flow through the den to take in the larger-than-life
send-ups of the preceding 12 months' worth of the outré and the jocose. Wooden
and metallic doubloons, t-shirts, keepsake odds and ends, and those signature
LED beads are all stocked up along with premium belts, visors, and menswear
that look more at-home with Perlis than on Bourbon.
What is the theme of d'Etat this year? It's
always kept a secret, so no one in the press can divulge. If I had to give a
hint, I would say that d'Etat's satirical art has long drawn comparisons to the
feel of political cartoons and comic strips, and maybe that feels a little
apt this year in a slightly different light. Nonetheless, between Donald
Trump, Elon Musk, Jeff Landry, LaToya Cantrell and more, there's been a lot of
material for the krewe to really go sky-high with.
With Krewe d'Etat now set to strike,
anticipation is swelling everywhere for the rest of Mardi Gras. The Krewe of
Orpheus held its own yearly open house, bringing the best of old-line and
superkrewe aesthetics together for a Lundi Gras spectacle theme "As Above
So Below." The Krewes of Bacchus and Endymion continue to prepare their
own epic journeys through Uptown and Mid-City, and parades new and old like
Argus and Kings are bringing the feel of Mardi Gras to Jefferson Parish and
beyond. And with last Sunday's parades of Carrollton and King Arthur now re-slated
for this Tuesday night, the final eight days of Mardi Gras are jam-packed to
say the least.
Le Krewe d'Etat is the second Uptown parade rolling this Friday,
February 28, following the Krewe of Hermes and preceding the Krewe of Morpheus.
For route information, see Where Y'at Magazine's parades page.
