NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) – Twist got an exclusive look inside the den where the Krewe du Vieux is putting the finishing touches on their floats for Saturday’s ride. Subkrewe Captain Lee Mullikin gave reporter Stephanie Oswald a tour filled with all kinds of naughty stuff we can’t show on television, but it will all be on display Saturday at 6pm in the French Quarter.
Mullikin welcomed our TV crew with a sign that said “Welcome News with a Tryst.”
“Sex, politics and religion are the holy trinity of our satire, okay, and we do our best to convey something meaningful in our silliness and our naughtiness but we’re honest about the fact that we just enjoy being naughty sometimes—and silly—and I mean what better city to do it in than New Orleans, right?” says Mullikin.
The double entendre starts with this year’s theme “XXX” signifying the krewe’s 30th birthday, and the accurate rating applied to nearly every one of the floats created by the 17 subkrewes.
Political satire is a big part of this three-decades-old event.
“Our mayor has been an interesting force in the city. He’s brought about many powerful changes many of which were really badly needed and we’re gonna have some fun teasing him about a couple different things,” says Mullikin.
You could say Mayor Landrieu may have some “monumental” issues with some of the satire—there’s a good mix of politicians and body parts… and politician’s body parts!
Reporter Stephanie Oswald talks about Kewe du Vieux with Twist anchors Martha Spencer and Curt Sprang (NOLA38 News with a Twist at 11pm):
“We remind everybody to leave the kids at home if you’re squeamish about this and if you don’t want them to see these things; otherwise there’s a lot of educational opportunities you could say,” laughs Mullikin.
Another great plus for adults is the presence of top-notch brass bands that march between each float.
“We get some of the greatest talent in the city because we catch them in the six to nine slot before their regular jobs start at 10 o’clock,” explains Mullikin.
And if the float you’re watching isn’t offensive, just wait for the next one—it will probably be worse! Bottom line, it’s all about freedom of expression.