As James said, one of the biggest things Europeans have going for them is that they grow up surrounded by this history - that's not to say that everyone has an equal level of appreciation/understanding for it, of course - but for all of them it's an inescapable part of their culture they are surrounded by and inundated with from birth.
That's like assuming people in the US have an understanding of American History... or even their own local history. I would venture to say that a lot of people don't really have that understanding, and many don't really care. Being in the right setting doesn't mean the people in it know anything about it.
I don't know of any strict LH groups here in the US that require all hand-sewn garments for medieval impressions either. I'm sure there may be some out there, and that would be a bit extreme. But then again, if you don't want to play by those rules, don't try to join that specific game. That's what I take umbrage with. It's the people who see a group that has a certain set of rules, then they get all upset when they won't relax their rules for them. If you want to play a more relaxed game, join or form a more relaxed group, but leave the people who enjoy the strict presentation alone and let them do their thing.
I agree that it takes all levels of accuracy to bring a good presentation to the table because you don't want to exclude people's knowledge when they may have some garments that are not correct. But you have to draw the line somewhere. That's what always gets people's panties in to a bunch. There comes a point where the inaccuracies are detracting from the presentation. That is a fine line to walk. The first video I posted is well beyond that line. It shows virtually nothing correct about the material culture of the chosen time period. That's why I used it as the example.
I think a lot of people are falsely making the assumption that I think everyone should be super accurate all the time. That's false. Look at DoK, there are hugely varying levels of accuracy at that event. But that's why we're able to have such a large and successful event with such a wide variety of knowledge. Now when it comes to my own personal standards for myself, I prefer to do things as accurate as my knowledge and skill allows. That's how I, and my group operate, but we only hold ourselves to those standards.
**also, don't forget the point of this discussion was to bust the myth that European living history is all of that stitch-counting museum-level quality, it's not**
I was trying to say only that Europeans have the advantage of growing up surrounded by/living in the history of the period under discussion and the focus of these events - inundation does not equal comprehension, however. And while
generally I believe Europeans are better educated about their own history, the specific level of understanding on this topic is, of course, another question.
I also agree that Europeans are, as we are, interested in many factors and these events bring all kinds of people to the fore. Definitely from attending some of their bigger annual LARP events in addition to recreation exhibitions, etc., I would say you can find enthusiasts of all ranges
Certainly agree people should adhere to the standards of the group they belong to and find the right combo of what appeals to/fits them. Not intended as a counterpoint, but was just trying to add (perhaps badly) that I think different LH groups can still bring something to the table in terms of educating, enlightening and exciting people. Mike's principles appeal to me.
