- Earlier this week was Mardi Gras.
My hometown of New Orleans.
[cheers and applause]
If you don't know, "Mardi Gras" is a French word
that means "to pass out in a fountain."
[laughter]
It's a gigantic party, and I wanted to give someone
a chance to experience Mardi Gras for the first time.
How many people here have ever been to Mardi Gras?
[scattered cheers] Just a few of you?
Oh, boy, you don't know what you're--
Well, you're about to see what you're missing.
I sent our PA Ari there.
He had no clue as to what anything was.
And it is quite something.
I experienced it every year growing up.
Here's what happened.
[marching band playing]
- Who funds all this?
Oh, I'll take some beads, please.
Thank you.
It seems rude that they gave me these beads
and I didn't give them anything in return.
Hi. How are you guys?
All right, I'm tossing up playing cards.
- Whoo! - Oh.
No, no, that didn't work.
- [singing] Uptown Funk you up
- That's great.
- You're not moving.
- Sorry.
Okay. I don't know who she is.
Hi. I'm Ari.
Everyone's being very friendly.
- Yeah. - Oh, my God!
That is awesome. I frickin' love Ellen.
- Oh. - Is it Ari?
- Yeah!
[singing] - Hot damn
- Say my name, you know who I am
I'm too hot
- Hot damn
- Am I bad 'bout that money, break it down
[jazz music playing]
[funky music]
- Hi. - Hi.
- Sure, I just have to talk to the naked lady.
- No, you're from "Ellen."
- Hi. Excuse me, madam?
Ma'am?
Hi, I'm Ari from "The Ellen Show."
Do you guys come out here every year?
- I come out here every year.
- Well, it was nice meeting you.
Oh, we get to do-- that's great.
Okay. Bye.
[hip-hop music]
- [rapping] Mr. Worldwide
Let's celebrate, yo
- It's a little different from day to night.
It has gotten dramatically more crowded.
The smells have gotten more intense.
And it's definitely--
it's definitely a little sick-ier.
- [singing] I just want to celebrate
[all cheering]
- I love you, and I have never seen anything--
- She's telling me how much she likes me.
- No, you're--it's not just you, it's your personality.
- Thank you. - It's your "humanitarian-ship."
- Oh, wow.
You're really gripping me over here.
Uh...
I smell weed.
- How you doing, Ellen? I love you.
[crowd cheering] - Ellen. Ellen. Ellen.
- We love you, Ellen!
We're from Mexico.
- Hi from Germany. - Hello from Germany, ja.
- No. Wrong show.
He doesn't know. He doesn't know any better.
- [singing] We're making history
- Hi. Hello. Hi, guys.
Oh, wow. They're very excited to be here.
They're very excited.
- Hi. - All right.
[hip-hop music]
Hi, everybody.
Whoo!
I got a beads.
Oh, it's stuck on my neck.
- [rapping] Waiting for you to shake it and shake it
- Oh, I hope I didn't hit her too bad.
I don't have good aim with this.
Uh-oh, it's stuck on my goggles.
Ellen underwear!
I got Ellen underwear.
Oh, my gosh.
Oh, no, they're showing skin.
I'm gonna give them a hat to cover up.
- [singing] Boom, boom
That's the way we like to play
- We made it out alive.
It was rough.
There's a lot of happy people in there.
They're very happy to be there.
It's clear that they want to be there.
They're very inebriated.
Oh, hi. How are you?
- Do I flash or not?
- Uh, all right, yes-- for purposes.
I'll look the other direction.
- Whoo! - Whoo!
- Oh, my God. [crowd cheering]
[siren wailing] Oh, and the cops are coming.
Oh, my.
[laughter]
[cheers and applause]
- Ah, thank you, Ari.
Oh. [chuckles]
Yep.
That's where I'm from.
[laughter]