When you see a term like 'bladder banger' you mind automatically goes straight to thinking of something deviant.  Well it's not, but it's still pretty strange and something you would only see in the south.

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If you're a dork like myself, you watch a lot of Discovery Channel.  Dirty Jobs is one of my favorite shows and on Tuesdays they have new episodes.  They always gross me out with some of the jobs that people have to do to ensure that the rest of us have a pretty good life.  Last night I had the pleasure of learning what a bladder banger is.

No it's not at all related to necrophilia or anything like that.  It turns out it's a big part of the Mardi Gras celebration in Mobile, Alabama.  On a side note, did you know that the Mobile Mardi Gras has been going on longer than New Orleans has been around?  Suck on that Louisiana.

Back to bladder banging.  Mike Rowe went into a place that takes cow bladders, cleans them out, blows them up, drys them out and then paints them for a creepy looking Mardi Gras mascot to bang around during the parade.  So my question is, why cow bladders?  I guess this goes back to the old days when people believed in voodoo and such.  Banging the bladders around  apparently wards off evil spirits.  What a dirty, pointless job.  Thanks for the learning session though Discovery, more useless knowledge for the old noggin.

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