RenFaire dates - 2010

[Sir Brian]

I really enjoy when the kids are just blown away by getting to meet a knight. Somehow that feels like it might get cheapened if I participate in the Day of Wrong.

I can certainly agree and applaud that sentiment! 

I have talked about putting my big stuffed griffon as my crest on DOW last year and this year as well but didn’t for the simple reason of being too lazy to mess around with the mounting on my helm only to change it back for closing weekend @ CRF. 

But yeah my wife and I read that post on FB and although we agree with some of the points brought up we basically considered it imprudent of the OP to post on FB as it opened up a venue for like-minded people to exercise their pet peeves with their comments, in which some of them were quite frankly belligerent enough to provoke Gandhi into seeking some violent retribution. I also found the irony of the OP on FB to be sardonically amusing insofar as it was the cast and a few select regulars who started DOW and are now lamenting that it is out of control, which kind of reminds me of the story of Pandora’s Box (jar) in Greek mythology…

I have often said WTF? At more than a few of the weird garb seen on DOW, yet I have also greatly enjoyed seeing some of the creativity and effort put forth by some of the more “exotic” garb. I will always roll my eyes at the pirate hookers and furry critters but hey if they want to look like that then more power to them.

What really irked my wife and I was all the comments and talk about restricting/banning/regulating people’s garb. Security does that to a certain extent anyways by turning away potentially dangerous or inappropriately garbed patrons but many of the comments on that FB post was suggesting about going a lot further which begs the question:
Who gets to make that call at what is or isn’t appropriate? Should there be a council of elected/appointed patrons and/or cast members who get to monitor the gate and the patrons? – “I’m sorry but you have to leave because your garb isn’t within the 200 year range of the era we are trying to maintain here.” Is that what it would come to? What about the fantasy/WOW characters? ~ Should my drow friend Kilsec/Dale forego of ever wearing and portraying his most excellent drow personae? 

My point is that DOW was started all that time ago as a lark by a few of the SAME people who NOW want to curtail or abolish it all together, which doesn’t instill my confidence at the successfulness of such an endeavor and IMO would only incite a few of the more rebellious patrons to even greater controversial measures.

I truly find it more appalling that so much concern and effort is put into something that is kind of petty when there are far more serious issues at the fair that should be addressed, like the underage and excessive drinking. So essentially that FB posting and some of the more petulant comments that followed it has my wife and I considering to drastically limit our visits to MDRF next year and perhaps go to some of the other renfaires going on during this time of the year. 

[Sir Edward]

Yeah, that FB thread really threw open a can of worms, or "crapstorm" as someone put it. I saw a lot of good points raised, but some real eyebrow-raising comments as well. Clearly there are folks who despise anything outside of the correct period (whether it's fantasy elements like fairies and wizards, or modern anachronisms). And then there are others that don't care.

My feeling on the "Day of Wrong" (or DOW as it's getting abbreviated) is just that it's gotten out of hand to the point of not being fun like it was when it started. It was fun because it was subtle and amusing, but now it's lost its charm. But I think the people who are calling for having garb police are over-reacting. Someone put it in very simple terms and compared it to having a t-shirt contest (my rock band is better than your rock band).

I wouldn't take it too personally. I think a lot of folks have been letting some latent frustration simmer beneath the surface, and now have been given an opening in which to vent.

There was one comment in there that got me a bit irritated though, but it was from just one person way back in the thread, so I'm letting it slide. Someone insinuated that people with masks or helmets aren't trustworthy, because it can hide their identity should they commit a crime, like shoplifting from one of the booths... I mean WTF. Really? I'll bet she drives a car... maybe we shouldn't let her drive to faire anymore because she *might* run someone over. Or the faire should stop selling alcohol because someone *might* become a drunken fool. Oh wait. Too late. The point is, helmets don't turn people into criminals.  

[Sir Brian]

Yeah it started a crapstorm, however my wife and I don’t take it personally at all. I would say that we are more annoyed at the presumptuousness of some of the more stringent garb Nazis and their haughty assumptions that other patrons need or even want their jaundiced approval. That kind of discourteous and contemptuous behavior only begets the same and it essentially has become a bit tiresome for the both of us. The saddest part is Rosemary and I have only experienced that sort of infantile conduct at MDRF which is why we love to finish off our renfaire season at CRF! 

And I lmao at the comment about the helmets and masks as I considered it one of the more asinine of the comments posted and an excellent example of how the whole angry mob mentality quickly deteriorates a discussion into a cyberspace version of an episode from the Jerry Springer show.

Besides how in the hell would anyone wearing a helm not be noticeable? 

Police Officer: “Can you describe what the perpetrator looked like miss?”
Salesgirl: “uh no officer he was wearing a big steel helmet with this huge golden bird on it so I didn’t see his face”
Police Officer: “Uh right, maybe we’ll catch a break by checking the crowd”

[Sir Edward]

Hahah, indeed. Yeah, it's hard to blend in with the crowd if you're the only guy there with a blue dragon on a helmet.

Actually, I'm a bit dismayed to hear you guys have received some "garb nazi" comments at all. Maybe I've been blissfully unaware, but I haven't seen anyone doing that, except in regards to the blatantly non-period and non-fantasy stuff (furries, BDSM, stormtroopers, etc). How often do you see that?

Fairies and knights and wizards have always been at renfaires, and in a way I'm amazed that anyone would be surprised by that.

[Dragonlover]

I'm through studying...anybody have a football?....

[Sir Wolf]

if u have a "stitch nazi" problem. hehe show me their kit and let me deal with them hehehhe. i haven't followed what threads you guys are talking about but sounds like people to into themselves to have a good time. i'm all for history and historically correctness, but i'm also for having a good time and fantasy and whatever else looks kewl. heheheh. so just blow em off and have fun with us!

[Sir Brian]

Well there isn’t one particular incident at the faire, but Rosemary and I did get into a bit of a tiff with a garb Nazi on flickr who had posted some pictures of Rosemary and another girl dressed as a fairy and she had made some disparaging remarks. Even though it was the woman’s flickr page it is still on a public domain and as such doesn’t give anyone the right to disparage another person(s) even if you don’t know them. The woman is a regular at MDRF and hangs with many of the other garb Nazis and since that incident has nothing but venomous looks for us. 

Essentially, those more controversial comments on that FB posting really only confirmed what Rosemary and I already knew was the underlying and pervasive attitude of the faire staff and some of the more elitist patrons towards fantasy or non-historical garb and personas. It is the reason why they don’t let the bubble fairies wear wings or allow vendors to wear wings or other “fantasy” elements to their garb. 

So I suppose I am saying that Rosemary and I have found that particular attitude at MDRF a bit tiresome this year. Perhaps next season when we visit other fairs that aren’t so Fairy phobic we’ll get our serenity rejuvenated. ~ VARF definitely helps in that capacity.

[Sir Edward]

OK, in a way I'm glad to hear it was a more isolated incident. It's true that there will always be some who just aren't happy unless they're complaining about something or putting someone else down. I guess it's up to us to hold our heads high and say "f**k 'em!" Garb Nazis are a reality everywhere, unfortunately. And I have a feeling renfaires, SCA, etc, tend to draw a large proportion of people with insecurities, and so it spills out onto everyone else at times.

This is why I make a point of not judging people. Everyone's there to have a good time. If someone shows up in armor made of plastic and cardboard, I praise their creativity rather than look down on them.

Anyway, whatever you guys need to do, you know I've always got your back. If there's anything you need, just ask.

And still, I can't imagine anyone disparaging Rosemary like that. It shows how insane they are. She's always gorgeous in her fairy outfits!

[Sir William]

Sorry for just now getting on here knights, but my wife and I had an awesome time meeting you guys!  Sir Brian et al, my apologies for missing Saturday...family issues got in the way.  I look forward to seeing you guys THIS weekend- which day, Sunday, right?  The very last day?  Maybe I can make both...but definitely one of them for sure.

As for DOW, am I right in assuming we're NOT going that route?  I'm cool with that...not sure if I can come up with something suitably wrong for the event in any case.

[Sir Wolf]

ya i mean its a ren faire not a living history event. "ren faire" in itself is a historical novel at best. i dont care how hard they work to make something look right or scene or script or costume or whatever its not historically correct. heheehe. i know a lot of hard work goes into the costuming for sure (i know the cast costume designer and maker and she's good) but the conversations, interactions etc is fantasy when it boils down to it do you REALLY think henry would associate with the general public or even really walk around with them? hahaha. so just ignore it. flag the photo on flikr and get them into trouble for using your likeness or as spam or inappropriate etc

[Sir Edward]

Yep, the plan is to be there on Sunday. I'm not going to be doing DOW, but you can if you want. I'd just make it subtle if you do.

[Sir William]

Nah, I wasn't all gung-ho about it but was willing to go along with the rest of the brethren on it.  I'm glad we're going to keep it as we normally do...as others have said, I really get a kick out of the kids.

Sir Edward, did you know that little boy we took pictures with had waited for us for some time to arrive?  Glad I heard that modern contrivance buzzing in my beltpouch!  His eyes shone when he saw us...it is THAT which makes all this worthwhile to me.

[Sir Brian]

Thank you all for the support and it is the impact we make upon the kids that makes enduring all the other burdens possible.
The burdens being:

• The discomfort of wearing the armor all day and the wonderful aroma of being basted in your own sweat. 
  
• The hours spent cleaning and maintaining your armor and arming clothes.
• Never being able to finish a meal without being asked to pose for a photo.

“Excuse me put do you mind if I pick the pork chop meat out of my teeth first? – Ah to hell with it I’ll just put the helm on.”


But yeah it is definitely worth it. 

[Sir William]

Pork chops?  Where do you get pork chops?  You must show me!

I agree...on the FB thread and elitists in general, I have noticed that they keep their off-putting words to themselves when you're right there in front of them.  I mean really, they had nothing to say while you were there, right?  Stands to reason their opinions are best served by keeping it to themselves- with this internet there's come a whole lot more people with things to say- that fear the percussive after effects that could occur if they gave voice to them.

Cowards, in a word.

[Silvanus]

Glad I haven't read the other forum thread you guys are referring to. It would have just upset me.

I did have a recent incident at MDRF where I was accosted by some (sad to say) college kids and informed that the Crusades were "bad." (I was wearing my usual 12th-century Crusader kit.) I paused for almost a full minute, trying to decide what books to refer them to, in order to correct their mis-education.

Instead I smiled and quoted from Kingdom of Heaven -"To kill an infidel is not murder; it is the path to heaven." And raised my cider to them. Not terribly chivalrous of me, I know.

Some folks are just not worth the time to argue with.