I just don't know about you, Stampede.

The Calgary Stampede is over. I personally am  exhausted. To go to that workshop on Lasqueti Island, I sold my soul to work the Stampede.  Now that it is over (again, hoorah!) I slept until noon today and I do not regret it. I imagine theyre are many livers that are in recovery at this very moment.   The Stampede is largely stupid. It makes a ridiculous amount of money on things like “Monster”  hot dogs (as Stephen says, really just the size of a regular hotdog) for $6.50 or deep-fried butter for the same price. Some rides cost over $40.00, but each ride is generally around $6.00. To see the Chuck Wagon Races and potentially see 3 horses die in one go is $65.00 dollars and the poncho you can buy when it’s raining and you’ve realized you’ve gone to the grounds in a tanktop and shorts is $5.00. It’s a money making machine. In a moment of sheer hunger desperation, I even paid an outrageous $3.00 for a single churro. I have a friend who worked as a live statue for the stampede and can now pay for five months of his rent. . In ten days the restaurant I work at made just under $300,000 dollars. The most money I made in one shift was $350. 

The stampede makes a lot of money, but it's also really expensive. It’s unethical: note 8 horses died this year during the Chuck Wagon races. And it’s kind of trashy: I’m not sure if it’s considered statuatory rape if I happen to see a short-shorted, bra-as-top fifteen year old strutting around in my field of vision. And I shudder to imagine what all the tourists who come for this outdoor “show” might think of the city when they leave. 

But at the same time, it was nice to see the city so alive. I liked walking down Stephen Avenue and seeing a magic show and being given free Jugo Juice, Jollyranchers, and the new IceBreaker mints. I liked getting off work at 1:30 AM and seeing people still hanging around and having a good time outside. I liked being able to sit on a patio until 3:00 AM. 

A lot of theatre artists get hired for Stampede. And I recognize that as a theatre person, it would be really great to have a paying gig like the Stampede every year.

And most importantly, I liked being able to pay $16.00 to see Mother Mother and have them sign a vinyl case for me. 

Oh the moral dilemmas of our age.