I Will Out Berkeley You!

October 1, 2004 7:34 AM

How Berkeley Can You Be Parade?
NSFW (unless your work doesn't mind naked men strutting their stuff).
Found during my surf after the debate last night and well worth a peek, the outraged commentary is pretty funny but it might be lost on the intolerant or those who've never been out to visit Berkeley. Among the pics is this true, true gem (Klingons do NOT ride in golf carts, not even fat Klingons!)
posted by fenriq (20 comments total)

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What, you guys forgot to tell me about the meetup again?

*strips off clothes, runs outside to join the freaks*
posted by DaShiv at 8:05 AM on October 1, 2004

Hey, my buddy Karl was in the art car fest, but didn't rate a pic, I guess. Thanks for the chuckles. Berkeley, here's to ya! America, what have you done today to make your city more like this shining example to the rest of us?

DaShiv, that naked guy... he's not, um... you, is he?
posted by mwhybark at 8:09 AM on October 1, 2004

I didn't know ParisParamus made a web site!
posted by clevershark at 8:45 AM on October 1, 2004

*strips off clothes, runs outside to join the freaks*

The folks in parades like these in Berkeley are not "freaks," just conforming to a different set of community standards.
posted by jonmc at 8:52 AM on October 1, 2004

Best enjoyed on a ratty sofa dragged out onto the sidewalk, smoking shisha and eating takeout from the Thai Buddhist Temple.
posted by eddydamascene at 9:02 AM on October 1, 2004

Berkeley's great, where else can you have some guy riding around town in a pink leotard as a political statement?

Though Santa Cruz has the Parade of the Mud People (basically stoned UCSC students who got naked and rolled in the mud and walk down one of the main thoroughfares in town), and our city council gave out joints last summer!

Berkeley may have the national cred but Santa Cruz is just as weird.
posted by fenriq at 9:46 AM on October 1, 2004

I want one of those "U.S. out of _______ (fill in the blank)" buttons!
posted by ikalliom at 9:48 AM on October 1, 2004

From the website:
[Speaking about Billionaires for Bush]:
The irony only becomes apparent when you realize that while the protestors may themselves not be exactly billionaires, they are quite well-off (over $70,000 median income city-wide) compared to the average American.

Actually, according to Wikipedia, the median income for an individual in Berkeley is $44,485. Its true that the average household income in Berkeley is around $70,000, but even that amount (and who knows how many people it is spread across) is barely enough to live in the Bay Area. Its laughable that anybody would attempt to to somehow link the two vastly different incomes ($70,000 vs. 1 Billion?) , but then, conservatives are hardly known for their logical arguments.

Oh, but the photos were funny!
posted by Boydrop at 10:08 AM on October 1, 2004

Hay clevershark, I think you should do your best to drag PP into threads he hasn't posted in. GREAT IDEA.

Anyways - funny photos, and even some of the captions were funny. Especially, yes, the Klingon. Earthling golf cart, shit.
posted by kavasa at 10:48 AM on October 1, 2004

"Kingons do NOT ride in golf carts."
Apparently, they do now!
posted by jmccorm at 11:03 AM on October 1, 2004

Anyone else reminded of the Comic Book Store guy's wedding on The Simpsons?
posted by sixdifferentways at 12:35 PM on October 1, 2004

The CBG was wed!?
posted by kavasa at 2:08 PM on October 1, 2004

The folks in parades like these in Berkeley are not "freaks," just conforming to a different set of community standards.

Ah, but jonmc, we're proud of being freaks here in Berkeley.
posted by DaShiv at 3:35 PM on October 1, 2004

I want one of those "U.S. out of _______ (fill in the blank)" buttons!

Me too. : )

Funny pictures. Now that's a parade I'd like to attend!
posted by SisterHavana at 4:00 PM on October 1, 2004

i'm glad my boss told me about this thing as i would ahve been sad to miss it. honestly, the reason i live in berkeley is for this random kind fo shit (i've lived in the suburbs and frankly the author can keep them). Surprisingly he did manage to get most of the participants (though he missed a great pair of pink bunny slippers (with people dressed up as bunnies driving them) and spent WAY too much time on the naked people (aparently he's so appaled he JUST CAN'T NOT LOOK). Seriously though, it's a pretty fun little event and yet another reason that berkeley is a very cute town (i refuse to call it a city as it's really just another suburb of SF but with a big ol school). Sorry i have no photo's to post, sadly my camera went dead...maybe next year.
posted by NGnerd at 6:31 PM on October 1, 2004

[Self-links]

The bunny slipper art cars.

This art car was at Burning Man as well.
posted by DaShiv at 7:25 PM on October 1, 2004

Lovely!

They are actually freaks, jonmc. We just have more than our share.
posted by scarabic at 7:53 PM on October 1, 2004

That looks like it was a lot of fun. Unfortunately for that young kid, the memories may very well last him the rest of his life.
posted by Keyser Soze at 11:00 PM on October 1, 2004

At least when he grows up he'll have lots of self respect. Face!
posted by Keyser Soze at 11:01 PM on October 1, 2004

Now that's the Berkeley I've come to know and love... and damn, that IS one wild-eyed communist. Mao more than ever, indeed!

By the way, you can view all kinds of stats about Berkeley at mapstats, if you're so inclined.
posted by ph00dz at 11:27 PM on October 1, 2004