Jackson Jambalaya

Jill, Jill, Jill, I hate to see that you are ill with that dreaded disease, “Think you are more important than you are”. Because if you think that dropping out of Mal’s parade and taking it to Reunion is a brilliant idea, you might want to reconsider.
First, you are part of a bigger idea, not the idea. The Mai’s Parade has been around a lot longer than the SPQ’s. Second, you are the one to that chose to march in the rear, and for the walkers that’s a disaster. Had you stayed in the front, you would have finished an hour earlier. And third, you complained that with so many people participating it hurt your fund raising efforts for the Children’s Hospital. You’ll have to explain that one to me, because I saw no effort from any of you to collect donations along the parade route.
Remember, Malcolm White helped make your group what they are, and blindsiding him was, at the very least, in poor taste. But, then again, it’s all about you. But all things considered: I think moving your group of overage, overweight cougars to Madison is an excellent idea. Maybe, you can convince “Mary Queen of Bricks” to be your Grand Marshall.

Anonymous 12:11: Funniest thing I have ever read. If I were Jill, I would be saying, "ouch!".

Damn 12:11, that is a wHinery full of sour grapes.

You seem to think Ridgeland is safe place to stay but I say if you live in a glass house please don't throw stones because somebody has a brick Mr. u know who and it want be long..We don’t always have a choice as to the circumstances under which we make our toughest decisions. Sometimes, we do what is necessary, not that which is ideal. The perfect is the enemy of the good. Yes I said PERFECT... It's call Christ that lives in us he did the work for all the idealist who want to challenge this....

WWSPQD?

1:01....that was pretty good.

My favorite part is that the new parade will include school groups. Makes me wonder if Gene McGee has ever SEEN a SPQ parade.

Do you put the High School or Jr. High band with the women who wear the bare plastic a$$e$?

And the "Girls Scouting For Boys" Queens, with the badges for (seriously, I saw them) "Best B.J." Do they march with the Brownies or the Cub Scouts?

Even if asked, I can't imagine that ANY of those out-of-town women are going to tone it down for 2011. They come here for the specific purpose of getting drunk off their rear ends and acting like fools.

Will the Ridgeland PD be as tolerant of public drunkenness by cash-full out-of-towners as the JPD have been?

BTW, I got to sit with some of the Queens this year at the parade and they were NONE to happy with JCB this year. I don't know what she did, but they weren't shy about telling all around that they were mightily disappointed with her.

It is JCB's franchise. They are free to find another parade if they are that unhappy.

Anon @ 1:37 PM: "They come here for the specific purpose of getting drunk off their rear ends and acting like fools."

That is something for Jackson to be proud of? We're redeveloping our downtown to be an entertainment destination so that people can come here, get drunk off their asses, act like fools and not have to worry that JPD will enforce our local laws for public drunkenness and indecency?

This is funny:

# JFP confirmed last week that Sweet Potato Queens are moving their parade to Renaissance in Ridgeland. Hearing last Saturday in March 2011. 8:12 PM Mar 21st via TweetDeck

Its not news if you don't actually report it.

2:01pm: "We're redeveloping our downtown to be an entertainment destination so that people can come here, get drunk off their asses, act like fools...."

Well, yes. It's an entertainment district, not a Sunday School class.

Nevermind KF that they have hammered other local outlets for doing the same.

For the past several years, these Sweet Potato Queens and their legions of followers have pretty much overshadowed the Mal's St. Paddy's Day Parade and related activities. The whole thing came to be about Jill Conner Browne, her books and franchise. I wouldn't be surprised if this wasn't a move by Malcom White to reclaim the parade and day as his own.

As Malcolm so eloquently noted on the local news last evening- It's not about Him or JILL- it's about the Children!
Maybe Jill forgot that!

One parado, two parado...

Well, the thing with those queens has gotten completely out of hand. Even Jill herself looks a little uneasy and embarrassed about it all, seems to me.

Malcolm didn't do it, it all came from Jill. Not saying Malcolm isn't blameless in the frosting of the relationship between the two these last few years, but it wasn't his call.

Anon 12:23 -- Huh?

Its about the children? You've got to be kidding.

I will continue to support Mal, but no way am I going to waste my time watching a bunch of bimbos walk in Ridgeland.

Guess you forgot it too-3:27

Both the Parade and the Queens raise a HUGE amount of money for Blair E. Batson Hospital, so, yeah, it's about the kids. The weekend gets a few hundred thousand dollars for Batson. Good on both Malcolm and Jill.

For Mal is about the kids AND the booze sales.

And for Jill, it's about the kids AND the book sales. They both make money and they are both honest about it, so what?

Yawn.

I'm having a hard time picturing a raucous, whooping St. Paddy's parade on the streets of the sedate, upscale and so toney Reunion. I'm sure they have permission, but what about sign carrying? Don't you need a signed note from Mayor Mary to carry a sign within the confines of her kingdom? God knows you better get approval first before you even think about building so much as a doghouse there. I personally won't be there to witness this SPQ Special Event, because they are so overrated (middle aged overweight drunk women making asses of themselves while over estimating their own importance)and I cannot understand their appeal. Secondly I dislike driving around in that area since you can't really tell where anything is since there are NO signs that can be readily seen from a street. Damn, signs help give a place character.

I personally won't be there to witness this SPQ Special Event, because they are so overrated (middle aged overweight drunk women making asses of themselves while over estimating their own importance)and I cannot understand their appeal.

Well then. Did you complain to Mal or anybody else about their participation in the parade up to, and including, this year? Did you attend the parade regardless of their participation?

Most, if not all the original sweet potates have quit. except, of course Jill

So what.

Who knows what the SPQ's secret to "getting a man to do ANYTHING?"

8:54 -- I know.

And we very rarely mean it.

What does Mayor Mary have to do with all this? Last time I checked Gene McGee was mayor of Ridgeland.

This is all about money. Money, money, money.

Mr./Mrs. 6:33,
The event is being held at Renaissance, not Reunion. The Renaissance is in the city of Ridgeland, not the city of Madison. Mary Hawkins Butler is not the mayor of Ridgeland, I am. Let me know if I may assist you with anything else.
Thanks,
Gene McGee
Mayor Ridgeland, MS

6:33 I was going to respond, but Gene McGee already took care of it. Get a clue!

As for JCB, what a prima donna. Sheesh!

it is being held at Renaissance to promote the shopping center developed by JCB's friend and SPQ - original SPQ Joan Bailey and more recent SPQ daughter Leigh Bailey.

Jim Barksdale won't allow this trash at the Rennaissance !!!

You knew that was getting zapped.

Mayor Mcgee, what will the dress code be next year at the parade? Will the queens have the same freedoms they have had in the past St. Paddy's parades? Will alcohol be allowed at the parade?

Rock on Gene!!!

I personally won't be there to witness this SPQ Special Event, because they are so overrated (middle aged overweight drunk women making asses of themselves while over estimating their own importance)and I cannot understand their appeal.

And all the drunken middle aged overweight drunken MEN making a$$e$ of themselves? Over estimating their own importance? Oh, but that's different...

8:15 the poster above who left that dropping is clearly an ignoramus. JCB and any other business person is free to make decisions as they see fit. The Jackson downtown only homers can't accept that cold hard fact.

8:44, of course she's free to do whatever she wants. I think most of us are questioning if it is WISE.

Ridgeland community events tend to be family-oriented. JCB has said that the parade in Ridgeland will include schoolkids. But is there ANYTHING about how the Wannabes present themselves that weekend that says "family friendly"?

It would appear that either Ridgeland is going to have to deal with a MUCH bawdier event than they are used to, OR JCB will have to tell her attendees to massively tone it down. Neither of those options seem good for business -- local controversy or irritated tourists.

Downtown Jackson on St. Paddy's Parade day is about the only time and place in Mississippi that those women can get away with the kind of stuff they are used to -- if they had been acting like that for 15 years in Shubuta and now were thinking of moving to Possum Neck, I'd be asking the same questions.

Who CARES if YOU THINK it is UNWISE. It ISN'T YOUR decision. Get OVER it.

Mayor Magee has nothing to do with dress codes or any other codes in Ridgeland. Buster and Jim determine those things. if they tell the mayor to throw brickbats through windows, he starts hunting brickbats.

"Who CARES if YOU THINK it is UNWISE. It ISN'T YOUR decision. Get OVER it."

Dumbass - comments are for opinions. And if a lot of people thinks it's not wise, who the heck will attend? Go back to sleep.

Dumbasses.

We all know which big mouthed downtown-only stalwart has a major hard on against Buster Bailey.

I have commented to Malcolm about the overrating of the SPQ to the parade, and no - I didn't go this year because it doesn't amuse me to see these wannabes and the time they take up. The SPD Parade used to be fun - including the SPQs. But now that the wannabes have gone from one car to hordes it lost its appeal. The winner here is Mal and the Parade. The SPQs will fade into oblivion trying to parade through a shopping mall.
I will go to the SPD parade next year. Not about to drive to Ridgeland just for a SPQ spectacle.

Dumbass ... DUMBASS.

That Sweet Potato Queen stuff was funny for about 10 minutes a long, long time ago. Then Jill came out with these cleverly-written, but appallingly low-brow, books and a monster is spawned.

There's something kind of desperate and sad about the sight of these middle-aged women, all tarted up and baudy and ready to roll. It's all just...unseemly.

middle-aged women, all tarted up and baudy and ready to roll.

Hey, those are my kind of gals!

Give Stuart Irby some booze and he'll be ready to go.

Does Jill not see that part of the reason they were accepted and embraced, is that they were a part (not THE part) of the craziness of St. Paddy's Parade. Those women are going to look and feel like freaks marching through prissy Ridgeland.

GET OVER IT Dumbass.

4:57 you are soooo right. I can't WAIT to go and LMFAO!

You are a DUMBASS.

...Take them out of context and they will look like they are a day late to Halloween. This could be a big mistake. If the push is to give Ridge and Madison it's own St. Paddy then they will all look like wannabees.

Ridgeland is the mecca of all cities in Mississippi. Everyone wants to live here and everyone tries to be like Ridgeland. That's why the SPQs are coming here next year. Hopefully we can put another fountain out at Renaissance to commemorate this wonderful achievement.

GreenLady says:

I think its high time they go to Ridgeland...and its high time Toto pulls back the curtain on the Wizard...I mean Wizardress of Oz (Jill). This is about money grubbing (hers)and it ain't about no fundraisin'. A few of the Texas women "escaped" from the Hilton and came downtown to Hal & Mal's Friday ....none too happy that they were being held hostage at the Hilton and not allowed to mingle with the "commonfolk" parade partiers in downtown Jackson. All of her original queens quit so now she has to import people to be queens. Theres not even one left. If they want to march around Madison, fine.....

they "escaped"? were they going to be made to drink purple kool-aid or something-

8:47 -- They were serving free vodka, which is kind of the same thing.

What's wrong with free vodka?

Has anyone asked the storeowners in Renaissance if they feel this will be good for business that day or bad for business?

I predict this will not affect the St. Paddy's Day parade that much at all.

http://www.mcherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100325/NEWS/3250306/Queens-moving-march-to-parkway

Hundreds of Sweet Potato Queens are set to march in Ridgeland next year pending a deal with city and tourism officials that would bring a signature parade to the Jackson suburb.

She and Ridgeland officials have made a "good faith agreement" and tentative plans to call the new event "Ridgeland's Zippity-Doo-Dah Parade" and hold it along Highland Colony Parkway the fourth weekend of March, the weekend following Mal's parade, Browne said.

"We're happy that they chose Ridgeland," said Chris Chance, city recreation and parks director. "We're becoming more and more the place that people want to be."

Zippity-Doo-Dah? Here come the Disney lawyers.

Yep....or you better add a float with Mickey Mouse on it.....

"Zippity-Doo-Dah Parade" They can't be serious. That sounds so lame! I predict that name will be lampooned a thousand ways. "The Zippity Doo-Doo Parade" or how about "Unzippity Your Doo-Dah Parade"? or "Zippity Your Moo-lah to the Cause-lah" .....They to go with a name like "Jill Conners Brown Day Parade"...

I think Ridiculous and JDD above nailed it. Without the proper contextualization, that is, as part of the merriment of the St. Paddy's Day activities, this is just not going to work. It'll be nothing more than a floozy parade.

Yawn.

Sweet Potato Who?

A little late to this party, but I for one am THRILLED to see them gone from Jackson. Tried to eat a nice dinner on Friday night, and instead got to listen to one of the Wannabe's shrill, drunken, low-class antics all night. When I finally shot her a dirty look, she said she was in the mood to "f*ck a b*tch up" and then . . . she threw a dinner roll at me. Yes.

Bye-bye, Wannabe SPQ from "TuscaLOOSa-AlaBAMa-Roll-Tide." You won't be missed.

I too am glad they are gone, along with the 15 minutes of fame they all imagined they had. Can't wait to see how STUPID they will look in Stepford.

Marching there will be a hoot. Beware what you ask for, you may get it. Trailer trash will stick out there like a sore thumb.

PARADE VET - Anyone who really believes she is not making a big pile of money off her SPQ parade weekend events, I have a nice piece of land to sell you in Florida. Be assured that this is not about the "chirren"....

On her FB fan page (which is public) she mentions the the new parade as "Ridgeland's Zippity-Doo-Dah Parade (TM)" How can she trademark it if Zippity-Doo-Dah is Disney property?

She is rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

..maybe the theme of their float could be the Titantic and they could rearrange the deck chairs to music. And FYI to the comments who that there are no original queens left. There is actually one left who didn't quit, Cynthia Hewes who works in the District Attorney's office. She's one of the good guys....but she may quit now...

What happened to Donna Barksdale?

And Carol Dailey and Annelle Primos?

what about Vivian White, Mal's ex-wife? She paraded even after they were divorced.

This ain't the Titanic. This is the Lusitania, awaiting a hot torpedo.

Who the hell do these "ladies" think they are. Had it not been for St. Paddy's, noone would have ever HEARD of JCB or the SPQ's.