O'Hooligans

Sunday, March 16, 2008. St. Catherine street, Montreal, post-St.Patrick's Day parade. Photo by me.

I think the photo says it all.

I had to work through this year's parade, which ordinarily is like Christmas to me and my family. On the upside, I was downtown and got to view the parade's aftermath through sober eyes for the first time since adolesence. It occurs to me that St. Pat's is Mardi Gras for WASPs, with pipes and jigs instead of jazz and orgies.

So what does St. Paddy's have to do with hip hop, besides some similarities in terms of gaudy dress and headwear?

Nothing at all, but I do have to mention this: hardcore thugs at the parade make me laugh every year.

You know who I mean. They huddle up along the St. Cat's storefronts, trying to hide their beers in their jackets while glancing around furitively, just waiting for someone to step. Meanwhile me Irish mum is wearing one of those beer hats and Auntie Maureen is doing shots of Jameson out of a little green plastic tumbler hanging on beads around her neck.

Don't the homies notice that there are about 1000 cops standing around, not giving a damn?

For three hours, thugs, would you just be Irish?

You can go back to being sketchy again right after, I swear.