We love Mardi Gras (the French for ‘Fat Tuesday’), traditionally the day when people over-indulge in certain parts of the world prior to Ash Wednesday and thus into Lent, a time of fasting from some or other ‘vice’.

New Orleans’ Mardi Gras has, in recent years, become associated with the practice of flashing (boobs) for beads. Which is where SLN comes in.

In essence, SLN are ambivalent to the practice. While it nominally demystifies and normalises the presence of bared boobs in everyday life, and thus may be regarded as ‘a good thing’ in terms of gender equality, it’s also ‘a bad thing’ as the entire practice revolves around the sexualising of female breasts.

Mardi gras, particularly in places like Rio, is also associated with skimpy, daring, revealing costumes. Again, we will demonstrate our ambivalence here, but largely fall on the side of supporting women in elaborate, fantastic costumes -even if they are revealing, and in a sexual, titillating manner, because we can simply look on the costumes in awe.

And, as usual, SL responds with great Mardi Gras activity. Our favourite location is probably Mardi Gras Town. Where you can, indeed, grab some beads or even a mesh T-shirt with the slogan ‘I flash for beads’ on it. So plenty of opportunities for you to involve yourself, to encourage ladies to flash or, if you’re female, collect enormous quantities of beads if you desire.

We’ll try and bring you an in world report on Tuesday itself and…you never know…this is SLN after all, maybe even join in!

Some SL avatars get into the spirit of Mardi Gras down on Bourbon Street, forming a brass band and doing a bit of dancing.

Barbara

SL photo taken at the Mardi Gras Town sim. More photos to follow from around the Mardi Gras inspired sims of SL between now and Tuesday night.