This has become a party bigger than ever. Those two things, to most people, bring out the party in Mardi Gras. Beads thrown from the iron work balconies are given to unmodest people that bare their chests. Crass as it may be, these are traditions that have carried on for centuries. Each year there is a collectors bead.
Most people are willing to do anything to get it.
With alcoholic beverages and nudity, the French Quarter is not a great place for families. The parades are a lighter scene.