Hulk Hogan?????

I’ve been prodded out of the rock I’ve been hiding under by this curious bit of news:

Hulk Hogan to reign as king of Bacchus
Posted by The Times-Picayune December 18, 2007 11:52AM
Categories: Krewe of Bacchus

Hulk Hogan, star of the wrestling ring and reality television, will ride as Bacchus XL two days before Fat Tuesday, the megakrewe announced today.

Hogan, who will lead Bacchus’ nighttime procession on Feb. 3, said one factor that motivated him to accept the title was the chance to visit the patients at Children’s Hospital, a traditional stop for Bacchus’ monarch, according to a Bacchus statement.

…

The Krewe of Bacchus has always chosen a celebrity to lead its parade. Granted, not always an A-list celebrity, but someone who is generally well-known and popular. Danny Kaye was the first Bacchus king, and many out there today may not know who he is.

But I do know one thing, and that in the history of carnival, this is as low as it gets. Hulk Hogan may be a “celebrity,” and that may be the sole qualification of who is chosen king.

But Hulk Hogan is no Danny Kaye, or Raymond Burr, or Jim Nabors, or Phil Harris, or Bob Hope, or Glenn Campbell, or Jackie Gleason, or Perry Como, or Henry Winkler, or Ed McMahon, or Ron Howard, or Pete Fountain, or Dom Delouise, or Charlton Heston, or Kirk Douglas, or Lorne Greene, or John Ritter, or William Shatner, or Alan Thicke, or Billy Crystal, or Dennis Quaid, or Steve Guttenberg, or Gerald McRaney, or Harry Connick, Jr., or Jean Claude Van-Damme, or John Larroquette, or Dick Clark, or Tom Arnold, or Drew Carey, or Jim Belushi, or Luke Perry, or Larry King, or Nicholas Cage, or John Lovitz, or Elijah Wood, or Sean Astin, or Michael Keaton, and he’s certainly no James Gandolfini, who reigned in 2007.

Now, some wonder why not some other celebrity, such as Harry Shearer, Brad Pitt or John Goodman, who have a connection to New Orleans? I can see how Brad Pitt may not be able to be king for scheduling or logistical or security concerns, but come on now, Hulk Hogan? I just can’t get over it.

And it’s the same night as the Super Bowl, which we all know the Saints will be starring in.