Mardi Gras: Made in China

I enjoyed this video for the main reason of how it clearly shows how a social holiday has turned into a ridiculous, unnecessary event. I enjoy celebrating Mardi Gras, don't get me wrong, but we as Americans have turned the aspect of using beads into a massive waste producer. The city of New Orleans, let alone any other place that uses an asinine amount of beads, does not need to purchase and sell this many beads. These beads have power for a week at most, and then are literally thrown on the ground, left in hotel rooms, or the rarest case, someone actually kept these cheap plastic beads to wear another time. I have been to South Padre for spring break and saw the bead/mardi gras culture first hand and I didn't even think about, or notice, the ridiculous amount of beads all over the city. It wasn't until this video that I really started to think and wonder why these beads dominate the holiday of mardi gras. Even if they were made in the USA, I would still think that the sheer number of beads produced and sold for the purpose of mardi gras is unnecessary. It creates so much waste and are used for reasons that are morally wrong the other 51 weeks of the year. The waste stays longer than that one week, so why should people use and try to collect this many beads, for a couple days, and then let those same beads become permanent waste? The fact that they are made in China, in factories that employ young children at a measly 10 cents an hour tops it all off. First, the chemicals used to make the beads are toxic and cause cancer when melted. From the video, you can clearly see how unsafe these working, and living conditions are for these children and young adults. From the video, many of them appeared happy and were quoted in saying that they would rather be doing what they are doing, then the other options they have in their life. I, personally, didn't expect that to be the case, but it makes a little sense. It doesn't make it right though. I enjoyed how the employees laughed at us Americans when told how we use the beads. I really think this holiday could be just as exciting and entertaining without the use of millions and millions of beads.