Playful deviance as an urban leisure activity: secret selves, self-validation, and entertaining performances

Framed by Erving Goffman's (1963) concept of backspaces, this article interprets the accounts people provide for participating in playful deviance during Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Backspaces provide a liminal license for people to transgress norms, participate in playful deviance, and present their secret self in urban settings. The major findings are that playful deviance is an urban tourist attraction that provides self-validation and enjoyment for participants. Examples of playful deviance include flashing the breasts, penises, buttocks; masturbating; performing or receiving oral sex; or having penetrative sex in public with strangers on Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras.