In the heart of Times Square, amidst a giant sausage and a talent competition with a drag Melania, a UPS worker and a clay woman, Editor-at-Large Hrag Vartanian witnessed 'The Most American Pageant Ever!'. The event, described as a 'renewed portrait of America', felt more like an ironic commentary on the nation’s 250th anniversary. Curtis Sliwa's presence in his red beret added to the bizarre mix. Meanwhile, Todd Fine calls for the Mayor to reclaim Thomas Jefferson’s broken statue quill, using it against 'MAGA and Silicon Valley authoritarianism'. All of this makes for an intriguingly absurd celebration of American culture.







