‘tit Rex Parade & WGNO’s Post-Oscar Show

The ‘tit Rex parade is a miniature-float satirical spectacle of big creativity in tiny form. I would be appearing on WGNO’s post-Oscar News With A Twist so we needed to head to the pre-parade lineup and skip the glacially-paced dragging of the delicate floats with frequent stops to pose for photos and closer looks. A reaction to super Krewe parades, ‘tit Rex was inspired by the local tradition of kids decorating shoeboxes and parading them through school, so the creations are nostalgic for many.

A crowd of Barbie and her crawfish-eating, Hand-Grenade-drinking friends in waited for the floats – their arms outstretched over NOPD barriers, their kids sitting atop ladder chairs. They might be my favorite part of going to the lineup since they don’t join the procession.

Like Krewe du Vieux and Krewedelusion the night before, many floats depicted the Hard Rock Hotel collapse. Other targets of the “That’s A Little Much” theme included sinkholes, the Sewerage & Water Board, bike safety, Fox News, over-garnished Bloody Marys and the cars, etc. found in the sewer recently. I think my favorite float was the recently closed Gene’s Po-Boy lovingly recreated in all its pink glory.

Though I just appeared on WGNO earlier this week, I hadn’t been to WGNO’s studio since promoting Django Unchained and the release of Know Small Parts: An Actor’s Guide to Turning Minutes into Moments and Moments into a Career. It’s the kind of newsroom that you see in movies with moody lighting, rooms with glass walls revealing cool equipment, and a giant, open office area where it’s easy to imagine being creative and productive.

I had a great time working with the hosts, Susan Roesgen and LBJ. Since I had no idea what we’d end up talking about, I spent some of the day reminiscing about past trips to the Golden Globes and other award shows, other Oscar nominations and wins for Quentin Tarantino, Leonardo DiCaprio, and other friends or people I’ve worked with throughout the years. Away from Hollywood for over a decade, it was a nice opportunity to revel in my 25 years in the industry and all that came with it. I was so happy when Brad Pitt won for his work on Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, I happy-cried thinking Quentin might finally win best director and picture. I cried regular tears when he didn’t. That’s showbiz.