The Baby Dolls: Breaking the Race and Gender Barriers of the New Orleans Mardi Gras Tradition

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 · 35 ratings  · 10 reviews

Start your review of The Baby Dolls: Breaking the Race and Gender Barriers of the New Orleans Mardi Gras Tradition

Aug 10, 2014 Robin Ryan rated it really liked it

You don't read too much about the role of women in Mardi Gras. Vaz gives an interesting history of The Baby Dolls who created their own Mardi Gras and New Orleans tradition. You don't read too much about the role of women in Mardi Gras. Vaz gives an interesting history of The Baby Dolls who created their own Mardi Gras and New Orleans tradition. ...more

The Baby Dolls are a Masking tradition in New Orleans, dating back to the Storyville era (early 1900s) with women dressing as either little girls or in some cases as actual baby dolls. Originally started by African-American prostitutes in Uptown who wanted to represent themselves independently on Mardi Gras day, these groups have gone through various incarnations, starting with the Million Dollar Baby Dolls, re-appearing in the Gold Diggers, Golden Slipper Baby Dolls and Satin Sinners, again in The Baby Dolls are a Masking tradition in New Orleans, dating back to the Storyville era (early 1900s) with women dressing as either little girls or in some cases as actual baby dolls. Originally started by African-American prostitutes in Uptown who wanted to represent themselves independently on Mardi Gras day, these groups have gone through various incarnations, starting with the Million Dollar Baby Dolls, re-appearing in the Gold Diggers, Golden Slipper Baby Dolls and Satin Sinners, again in the 1970s-/80s with the Bastiste Family Baby Dolls and the Gold Digger Baby Dolls, and latest in the early 2000s with the Treme Million Dollar Baby Dolls, Ernie K-Doe Baby Dolls, and Millista White's Baby Doll Ladies. The original Baby Dolls were women at the bottom of the social hierarchy (poor, black, female, prostitutes) who stressed their independence and success. The Baby Dolls wandered the city, dancing, smoking cigars, drinking and throwing money at male passers-by. In fact, in the early incarnations, money that the Baby Dolls earned was an important part of the masking – the first Baby Dolls all had to start out with wads of bills that they had earned tucked in their garters that they used as both a prop and a means of winning "bucking contests" with other Baby Dolls (whoever had the most money won). Baby Dolls always marched as their own group (sometimes with men in a supportive role but never as the focus) and consistently refused invitations to march with other "Black Mardi Gras" groups (Zulu, Mardi Gras Indians, Skull and Bones). Gradually the newer groups have evolved into more "respectable" social aid and pleasure clubs that there are today. Vaz's book is an interesting look into the history of the Baby Dolls, including interviews with present and past members and photos from all periods of the tradition. She also deals with the Baby Dolls connections with early Jazz, cross-dressing, and comparisons with the female-only Carnival groups in Trinidad (female stick-fighters and the pissenlit (bedwetters). While this book is readable, it is fairly dry and could use better editing (there is a fair amount of repetition between chapters – almost as if some were originally intended as stand-alone articles). I give this a solid 3.

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Feb 09, 2021 Angelle rated it it was amazing

Mardi Gras is coming up a week from today, but celebrating next Tuesday is going to be much different than years past — I won't be going to parades. I won't feel the joy of unexpectedly bumping into friends on the street. I won't come home at the end of the day covered in glitter. I didn't even make a costume. I understand why this year's festivities are different; I just wish it wouldn't have gotten to this point. So since I'm stuck at home and not able to participate in all my favorite Mardi G Mardi Gras is coming up a week from today, but celebrating next Tuesday is going to be much different than years past — I won't be going to parades. I won't feel the joy of unexpectedly bumping into friends on the street. I won't come home at the end of the day covered in glitter. I didn't even make a costume. I understand why this year's festivities are different; I just wish it wouldn't have gotten to this point. So since I'm stuck at home and not able to participate in all my favorite Mardi Gras traditions, I decided to do the next best thing — I read about one of them.

I grew up in New Orleans, and ever since I was a little girl, I would see groups of Black women parading in vibrant satin dresses, looking like real life dolls strutting their stuff in step with brass music blaring down the street. It always felt special to spot the Baby Dolls out dancing and celebrating, but I never knew anything about their history. "The Baby Dolls" by Kim Marie Vaz gave me a new appreciation for them. Their origins date back at least to 1912 when women, mainly prostitutes, living in the famous red light district of New Orleans formed groups to mask, dance and perform during Carnival, typically all male-dominated traditions at the time. These trailblazing women dressed like dolls, but they were anything but innocent or dainty. They drank, smoked cigars, danced erotically and flaunted wads of cash in their garter belts. Their pageantry was unparalleled, but more importantly, they challenged gender roles, broke racial barriers and paved a unique path toward empowerment. These badass ladies had an unapologetic "do whatcha wanna" way of life that can still be seen in one form or another generations later. Kim Marie Vaz did a stunning job elevating the voices of these women whose traditions flew under the radar for 100+ years.

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Jan 10, 2021 Johanna rated it liked it

Learned some really interesting history, but overall it felt like the author threw in every single piece of content she had rather than narrowing to the relevant, which made the book a bit tedious at times.

Certainly an interesting topic, but a better organizational structure would've kept the book from seeming so repetitive. Certainly an interesting topic, but a better organizational structure would've kept the book from seeming so repetitive. ...more

If you're well-read in New Orleans history and culture, Vaz's book is going to go over material you know like the back of your hand. But her main points--that the Baby Dolls' cavorting helped (ever so slightly) to form what would become jazz, allowed an oppressed group self-expression and empowerment and space to play, and sent messages of triumph and possibility to observers--are definitely worth voicing. It's brief, and Vaz's style is dryly academic, but I did enjoy it in spots and certainly l If you're well-read in New Orleans history and culture, Vaz's book is going to go over material you know like the back of your hand. But her main points--that the Baby Dolls' cavorting helped (ever so slightly) to form what would become jazz, allowed an oppressed group self-expression and empowerment and space to play, and sent messages of triumph and possibility to observers--are definitely worth voicing. It's brief, and Vaz's style is dryly academic, but I did enjoy it in spots and certainly learned from it. ...more

Jan 25, 2016 Annie Calhoun rated it it was amazing

It's a really fun and fascinating read about a subject most people don't know much about. Highly recommended to anyone who's interested in the history of New Orleans. Read the rest of my review on my website, NOLAcourtesan.com. It's a really fun and fascinating read about a subject most people don't know much about. Highly recommended to anyone who's interested in the history of New Orleans. Read the rest of my review on my website, NOLAcourtesan.com. ...more

An impressively researched look at tradition,
music, dance, gender and race in a little-documented
part of New Orleans history.

Great book on the very interesting history of the Baby Dolls in New Orleans.

Interesting! This was One Book One New Orleans 2016 pick.

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The Baby Dolls: Breaking the Race and Gender Barriers of the New Orleans Mardi Gras Tradition

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