Ahead of the next Mummers Parade, brigades had to submit the details of their performances and many went through sensitivity training. (Fox 29)
“Once you see the breath, when you wake up in the morning, you see your breath in the air when you're going to work, then the only thing on your mind is January 1st!”
Tom Kelhower and Tom Kee are counting down the days to the Mummers Parade. They're with the Riverfront Wench brigade, going for a record three wins in a row. But preparation this year? It's been different.
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“That's one of the toughest decisions I think we have to make this year, is our makeup, I really do. So that we don't offend anybody,” Kelhower said.
Their theme is horse racing's Triple Crown, the costumes coming together. The starting gates already built.
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“We're doing a jockey theme. It's been brought up to use mud. Jockeys get the mud on their face. You gotta use a brown. They're asking us not to use brown makeup because it will offend someone.”
It follows last year's controversy, after a different brigade wore brownface and another mocked Caitlyn Jenner.
This year, all brigades had to submit the details of their performances, many went through sensitivity training, and all are encouraged to watch a series on online videos.
"What's entertaining and fun for one group may not ever be considered entertainment or fun to another group."
The Chairman of Love the Mummers says-- it's not about censorship or stifling creativity. It is about understanding the line between satire and being just plain offensive.
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