Parade marchers disqualified for blackface trying to emulate Philadelphia Flyers mascot Gritty
Source: New York Daily News
These parade participants got a little too nitty Gritty with their costume designs — and it cost them dearly.
Several marchers of Philadelphia’s Mummers Parade — an annual New Year’s Day tradition since 1901 — were disqualified for wearing blackface while trying to emulate beloved Flyers mascot Gritty.
The 7-foot-tall, goofy-looking creature is furry and orange with large, googly eyes and always decked out in Philadelphia Flyers gear.
At least two members of the offending group, the Froggy Carr Club, which was established in memory of a beloved friend and football player who died of a head injury decades ago during a game, painted their faces black.
Read more: https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/ny-mummers-parade-disqualified-blackface-philadelphia-tradition-20200102-cvjjqy6mszfshkpenhhm3nu7tq-story.html
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Grew up in South Philly, (Tasty Kakes, Termini's & Pat's cheesesteaks!) and spent every New Year's Day sitting on that cold, stone curb watching the Parade. It's kind of tough to explain to people...the closest I've come is telling them to picture the Rose Parade on acid. Cops, longshoremen, fire fighters, & construction workers dressed in satin, feathers, and sequins dancing down the street is a little too much of a stretch.
And just as a personal aside...when I was first introduced to my husband, my exact words were, "Nobody's last name is Mummer! That's a parade in South Philly!" Well, many years later, here I am.
but Ferko went all out with the instruments I see, busting out the accordions and glockenspiel. 
Mummers on TV on New Years was always a tradition in my household growing up because we would also be taking down all the Christmas decorations while the parade was on. Sadly we were in the ER with my mom 5 years ago on New Years and a week later she was gone, but we still had the Mummers on in her ER cubicle.
There's a lot more choreography than "back in the day"...back then it was pretty much the "Mummer's Strut" when it came to dancing. And no staging. But this is one of the country's great parades. Too bad it hasn't been carried nationally. I mean, really...for my money the Rose Parade is dull. THIS is a damn PARADE. 
and I'm guessing it was corresponding to the route changes and where the judging would take place (wider area to perform) and eventually making the decision to have the Fancies perform indoors at the Convention Center (and apparently the string bands joined them).
That ending from South Philadelphia was probably what took them over the top. And I was surprised that Ferko came in 9th after that excellent performance. 
I know a lot is made of "Carnivale" and "Mardi Gras" but the Mummers are pretty similar to that in terms of costumes and performances (although not associated with Fat Tuesday). I always felt my poor city has never been given the credit it deserves - even historically. 
So WTF is up with the blackface???
It was traditionally the "Wenches" that did it (and of course that whole category is extremely touchy too based on the name "wench" and the connotation that goes along with that). 
by Oona Goodin-Smith and Barbara Laker, Updated: January 1, 2020- 9:33 PM
A Mummers brigade has been disqualified from the annual Philadelphia New Year’s Day parade competition and may face additional penalties after city staffers monitoring the parade route observed a marcher with the Froggy Carr Wench Brigade wearing black face paint.
In a tweet, Mayor Jim Kenney condemned “the use of blackface by someone affiliated with Froggy Carr,” calling it “abhorrent and unacceptable.”
“This selfish, hateful behavior has no place in the Mummers, or the city itself,” Kenney wrote on Twitter. “We must be better than this. The group was disqualified and we will be exploring additional penalties.”
According to city spokesperson Lauren Cox, Kenney’s remarks referenced a marcher with Froggy Carr, whom city staffers observed along the parade route and whose photograph was also widely circulated on Twitter in a now-private tweet. A Mummers spokesperson referred all comments to the city.
