West Hollywood's two big events -- the annual Gay Pride parade and Halloween Carnaval on Santa Monica Blvd. -- are both in need of some serious fixing, Bob Pool writes in today's Los Angeles Times.
Apparently city officials believe the Gay Pride parade has gotten too lame and boring -- while the Halloween celebration has gotten too out of control:
The sight of painted drag queens strutting down Santa Monica Boulevard in sequined gowns held up by basketball-stuffed brassieres might have been jaw-dropping three decades ago.
But no more.
"Our parade is pretty lame. This being the entertainment capital you'd think there'd be more creativity," said Jimmy Wood, a 38-year-old West Hollywood realty agent who has attended the parade for years and says the floats seem to be the same every year. "I like the drag queens and all the other usual suspects. But they need to get the studios involved. Our parade is pretty weak in production value."
[snip]
While city leaders say the parade is losing steam, they've received complaints that the Halloween celebration is getting too wild. It attracts upward of 400,000 participants and onlookers.
Now the city plans to discuss tweaks to that event as well.
The Gay Pride parade debate began last year, when tabloid queen Paris Hilton was named a grand marshal of the Gay Pride parade. Paris isn't exactly known for her skillful work with gay rights; the always notorious woman's apparance at the parade caused an uproar.
Meanwhile, the annual Halloween event, the largest of its kind in the country, grows larger and more unruly every year.
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