Barkus 2013, dog-lovers Mardi Gras parade!

The 2013 Barkus parade has gone to the dogs yet again. Of course, that’s the point of the canine-oriented Carnival tradition. This year many of the four-legged marchers and their masters took a satiric bite out of the endearingly down-home reality television show Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, which centers on a kiddy beauty pageant contestant. Spectators were treated to interpretations titled Honey Bow Wow, Honey Roux Boux, Buddy Boo Boo, Honey Bee Bees, Honey Rue Rue and, naturally, the Krewe of Honey Do Do.

Barkus’s main function has always been a see-and-be-seen opportunity for man’s best friends and those that love them -- with some gentle subversion of the grander parades mixed in. Part of the charm is that it’s not a spectacle that takes itself too seriously. Considering the single mindedness of the four-legged marchers, it’s also never been the most tightly structured procession. Having said that, from my vantage point on Dumaine Street near Bourbon Street this afternoon, Barkus 2013 seemed a bit too casual, with too many rudimentary costumes, uninspired throws and gaps in the parade progress.

Don’t get me wrong. The gorgeous spring-like weather, the convivial crowd, the French Quarter atmosphere and the endless varieties of passing pooches made for an amusing afternoon – how often do you see a chocolate Shar Pei in a tutu and tiara. And Barkus’s F-18 fly over was especially stirring. Okay, I know that the jet streaking over the Vieux Carre was probably just a coincidence, but since I gave the Chewbacchus parade credit for the full moon, I felt it was only fair to give the nod to Barkus for the fighter plane.

Favorite canine costume: The pair of rainbow-colored (apparently) spray-painted poodles that seemed to be part of the audience instead of the parade – it’s not always easy to tell.

The rating: Doug MacCash rates select 2013 Mardi Gras parades. From best to worst, the ratings are: Ruler of the Route, Rolling in the Right Direction and Lost its Way.