And so it comes to pass....

[scentgirl]

I think the background checks are a good idea. As a merchant at shows for 25+ years, I often cringe at the "hidden" criminal or otherwise "undesirable" element in the campground.

As a community, we shouldn't be subjected to desperate people looking for a place to hide. When you consider why they need to "live off the grid," it's not always a romantic, idealistic story of someone choosing to buck the system to live a creative life. Many times, there is someone looking for them or they suffer from severe problems similar to  homeless populations; substance abuse, mental problems problems etc.

I can name several people that have caused many problems to me personally over the years, and they are still out there, stealing and causing trouble for others.

[Zardoz]

This is gonna be an interesting season, that's for sure! 

[Laird Fraser of Lovatt]

in the Chinese sense of the word?  Lol.

[Zardoz]

in the Chinese sense of the word?  Lol.

Yeah, I think so 

You know though, while we're all talking about our concerns about who's contracts didn't get renewed, cast shifting around, the faire becoming more 'family oriented', costs going up, vendor background checks, and all, Keep in mind that these are important topics to us because the folks on this forum are much more involved in faire than the average patron, either as vendors, cast, faire regulars or playtrons, etc, and we know the folks involved.
But also remember that compared to the couple of hundred folks here, there are few hundred thousand TRF patrons who are blissfully unaware of all this stuff, and sadly won't really notice the changes.
 

[Rapier Half-Wit]

I understand that everyone wants to feel safe. And back ground checks, aren't necessarily a bad thing.

However...
Somehow many people seem to have developed the idea that anyone that works in the government is somehow more altruistic, or immune to the same basic human weaknesses as everyone else. When in reality, those in power are much more likely to be swayed and influenced by the power that comes with their position of authority in the government. Power can be a much greater intoxicant than anything you can put into your body. Why do you think that elected officials will go to any length to get re-elected? And then they get caught in the mens room with their pants down around their ankles, literally.

Right now the Transportation Safety Administration board (TSA) is embroiled in a public relations war over their groping of little girls and abuse of the elderly and mentally handicapped in the airports. Ask Susie Castillo, Miss USA 2003, who was groped by the TSA and documented this in her public blog.
http://www.susiecastillo.net/blog/
There are videos on YouTube that have gone viral, showing the TSA's abuse of their power.

Is any of this negative publicity even daunting their attitudes of being corrupted by their power? No. Matter of fact they are taking their "grope show" on the road with VIPR. The TSA is now making surprise visits to train stations, bus stations, truck stops, etc, and utilizing their medically untested Backscatter Xray machines. Take a look at the Xray image that Susie Castillo includes in her blog.

Don't be so quick to give up your personal rights and freedoms to the government, expecting them to "keep you safe" from the "bad guys", thinking that the bureaucrats have your best interests at heart. When in reality, they are just "shooting up" on their power over you, that you have handed them.

Any power once relinquished is nearly impossible to get back.


"Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." - Benjamin Franklin.

[Breandan]

You'd be surprised about the patrons not noticing the changes. I deal with a LOT of non-rennies, and when the subject is brought up I generally get pretty blunt responses. The two big complaints I hear from average patron types- as opposed to those involved in any depth with faire- are A) the tickets are too bloody expensive (standard bitchfitting, they'd be complaining about that if the tickets were $10), and B) "It's more like a cheap Disney World or Six Flags than a renaissance faire." Their words, not mine, but I've heard sentiment like that from a lot of folks. I've also heard the usual "That ren faire place is full of hippy s***, bunch of weirdo pagan druggies out there", but those aren't the types to buy tickets, so I write them off as benighted sots who waste my precious oxygen and aren't worth the biomass they're printed on. Of those who actually DO buy tickets, there is a sense of "I paid how much, for THIS?" that I have gotten of late. They love the artisan demos, and they love the booze and a lot of the shows, but it has become less like stepping into a Renaissance village and has become more like a medieval-themed flea market or mall for a lot of them. I think TRF has lost its magic along the way, and become the Medieval Times of outlet malls. It breaks my heart, frankly, because I remember what this festival meant to me for 20 years. I would like to see the new management team and staff turn that around and redirect it back to the magic that made it special, but whether this will happen or not remains to be seen. I have heard the new GM is looking at Sherwood as a model of how to do it right, which gives me hope, but rumours like that are a dime a dozen, so... *shrugs*

[Zardoz]

Breandan, No I'm not surprised. I hear the same sorts of things from my "non rennie" friends, with "Everything is too expensive" and "the parking is a nightmare" usually leading the pack, with "it's getting too commercial" and "too crowded" close behind. These are 'long range' changes, they develop over time, so the casual patrons just adapt to them without noticing too much.
But the thing is, these are people that do go to the faire at least a couple of times a season.  I remember last year I was telling such a woman about some of the changes, and my being mad about Mandy not playing Anne Boleyn anymore. Her response was like "Oh, some of y'all work there?" after I explained more. she said as long as they didn't get rid of the mud show she'd be ok!

I guess my basic point is that it's a big business, and it grows every year. Last year over 400,000 folks came through the gates, and the powers that be are gonna run it in a way that appeals to the majority of those patrons.  

[DonaCatalina]

You'd be surprised about the patrons not noticing the changes. I deal with a LOT of non-rennies, and when the subject is brought up I generally get pretty blunt responses. The two big complaints I hear from average patron types- as opposed to those involved in any depth with faire- are A) the tickets are too bloody expensive (standard bitchfitting, they'd be complaining about that if the tickets were $10), and B) "It's more like a cheap Disney World or Six Flags than a renaissance faire." Their words, not mine, but I've heard sentiment like that from a lot of folks. Of those who actually DO buy tickets, there is a sense of "I paid how much, for THIS?" that I have gotten of late. They love the artisan demos, and they love the booze and a lot of the shows, but it has become less like stepping into a Renaissance village and has become more like a medieval-themed flea market or mall for a lot of them. I think TRF has lost its magic along the way, and become the Medieval Times of outlet malls.
*edited for space*

I have heard a lot of the same from people who used to think it was great fun to drive down to TRF for a weekend or two. Now I'm getting more of the "Why would I pay that much when the place is more like a flea market with more sci-fi people than Renaissance stuff??" It's hard to explain to someone who is an occasional visitor that the limted number of cast characters can only cover so much of a huge fair site,vendors change....etc.

[Merlin the Elder]

You folks have a whole different perspective that I, because of your proximity to so many faire choices. I probably look past a lot of the warts simply because it's such a treat for me to even get away to make a four-day weekend trip. It's hardly worth the trip if I'm not going to spend a lot of time at faire. But I do see some of the problems.

Like everyone else, I hate seeing business get in the way of our fun, but then it's the business that provides it... Catch 22.

[Rani Zemirah]

You folks have a whole different perspective that I, because of your proximity to so many faire choices. I probably look past a lot of the warts simply because it's such a treat for me to even get away to make a four-day weekend trip. It's hardly worth the trip if I'm not going to spend a lot of time at faire. But I do see some of the problems.

Like everyone else, I hate seeing business get in the way of our fun, but then it's the business that provides it... Catch 22.

This is exactly the way I feel about the situation, as well...  It's such a rare treat for us to not only get to Faire, but to spend time with so many of the people we hardly ever get to see, that I tend to overlook many of the things I would change if I were making the decisions, and just try to have as much fun as I can while I'm there!

[crashbot]

All you can do is make the best of it by surrounding yourself with the people who have always made it a good time.

[Rani Zemirah]

Exactly... and since there are so very many people there whom we love to spend time with, just about everything else is mostly beside the point! 

[Strange]

You know, I've always felt fairly lucky that at faire and in life, I've managed to gain a small circle of good and trustworthy friends.
I don't consider many men as brothers, but a couple of them are part of my faire family.
My shopmate Tim has been my friend for many years, as has Crashbot, and I always look forward to Barbarian Invasion when we can all get together, if only for a short while, and enjoy the day. Now if we can just get Alex's punk weed puller out there...

Honestly, I take a loss every weekend I go to faire, but being around such an array of kindred spirits makes it worth every penny.
That, and I get to share mead and whiskey with strangers, which is good too

[crashbot]

Yep, it's always a good time. Something I look forward to every year, thats for sure. Alex said he wanted to come out and camp, but somehow I do not see that happening, lol.