Faire: Should it be Fantasy or Historically Accurate or a Mix?

[tigrlily64]

Well, we've all been arguing about the sci-fi aspect of non h/a, and we all pretty much agree on the fantasy pirate aspect, but what about the 'danes?  You could say they're disrespecting the event by wearing modern clothing that would never be worn in the renaissance period.  However, you could also compare the trekkies to them, by saying they're wearing what they want and that's comfortable.  If the 'danes don't want to dress up, it's fine, but when someone else decides to put in the effort it's not?  I don't think so.  Besides, they give street performers a little bit more material.  Yes, it's fun to comment on a lday's lack of a skirt, and by God, you can see her calves!  But how much fun is it to ask Darth Vader about the faraway land such a powerful knight must journey from?  Plus, maybe they really do wear clothes like that every day.  You never know with those trekkies.

*Realizing that not only did she say she disliked trekkies/stormtroopers/etc before, but has also opened up a huge can of worms, Tigrlily hides behind a privy.  Man, it stinks back her!*

[Tipsy Gypsy]

Star Wars, Anime, Star Trek, et. al. strike me as rather silly and out of place, but I don't get my knickers in a twist about it. I just shake my head a little, shrug, and have a little more mead. Whateverrr... The goth vampire with a cellphone at TRF a couple of years ago cracked me up though!

At the end of the day, as long as everyone goes home healthy and happy, that's all that matters. And if they learned a little something that day, bonus!

[Gimli]

And to be honest a invasion of 100 stormtroopers a awesome thing to see! 

[Blackjack Roberts]

I haven't read all of this post, so I could give an honest opinion.

In truth if fairs were truly accurate no one would be able to get within 10 feet of anyone else. Let's face it, personal hygiene was not the order of the day. And would you really want to eat a meal with your fingers, that was served up by someone else's unwashed bare hands?

There is an element of fantasy in every fair, no matter how historically accurate it appears.

That being said. Although I have no problem with anyone who wants to attend a faire in a Sci Fi mode, I do think it sticks out like a sore thumb. A clash of themes if you will.

I would prefer to keep the Sci Fi with the Sci Fi, and the historical romantic with the historical romantic.

Just me two pence on th' subject, Mates.

[Synikul]

In truth if fairs were truly accurate no one would be able to get within 10 feet of anyone else. Let's face it, personal hygiene was not the order of the day. And would you really want to eat a meal with your fingers, that was served up by someone else's unwashed bare hands?

You don't have to go that far to make the accuracy argument. Let's start with getting rid of Ye Olde Pepsi Cola, bet the patrons would love that.

[Captain Cornelius Howard Duckman]

And because it must be pointed out:

Star wars is actually period. After all, it did occur long ago....

[Noble Dreg]

And because it must be pointed out:

Star wars is actually period. After all, it did occur long ago....

You are correct, but remember, it was in a galaxy far, far, away!

I vote for keeping it there.   

[theChuck]

In truth if fairs were truly accurate no one would be able to get within 10 feet of anyone else. Let's face it, personal hygiene was not the order of the day. And would you really want to eat a meal with your fingers, that was served up by someone else's unwashed bare hands?

wait.. you're saying that not everyone ate chocolate covered bananas and french fries?

YOURE BLOWING MY MIND, MAN

[gem]

I guess my thought is, if your day at fair can be ruined by what someone else is wearing... wow.  I think it might be time to step back and re-evaluate things.

[DuCoeur]

In order to be successful a faire must have a mix of the Fantasy and historical.  Even "Faire" during the renaissance had a bit of fantasy thrown in.  Altho the mundanes, werein renaissance garb because that was the fashion of the times....I digress.

Pirates used to bug me...but hey lets face it kids love them.  12 Jack sparrows still makes shudder but...whatever.

I love To see Fairey's, and trolls and Barbarians, and Knights, and princess's strolling the lanes.  it lends to the magic of Faire.

Furries are a bit creepy, but hey we are Rennies who are we to judge.  Star Wars and Star Trek???  Well I guess the comic con doesn't run as long as Faire so even they need a place to go.

I would love to see a 100% historically accurate faire.  I would defiantly invest in the research for garb and go in total character for a weekend.  It would be an imersion experience that I would love...

[Just Randall]

William Shakespeare, 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'.

[silverstah]

If it didn't have the fantastical creatures, it wouldn't be fun. If it isn't fun, people don't come. If people don't come, it goes bankrupt and out of business.

I can think of at least three examples of living history 'faires' that focus on accurately representing how life was lived in their chosen time period - Old Sturbridge Village, Plimouth plantation and Colonial Williamsburg.  PP and CW are the two "big" H/A places on the east coast - I'm sure that all over the country there are many other small ones like OSV.  (Oh - I just thought of another one - Olde Salem, in Winston-Salem, NC)

These places are constantly investing thousands of dollars in research to come up with new ways to present history to the masses.  They both entertain AND educate - and have proven to be VERY effective business models without the need for faeries or wizards.

Now, don't get me wrong - I ADORE fantasy faires.  I think they're loads of fun, and I do attend them - but I think it's improper to say that a purely H/A show could not stay in business.  CW started back in 1926, when a Williamsburg gentleman saw the decay of the colonial buildings and started their restoration.  PP has been around at least as long as I can remember - we went there on a school field trip in the 80's.  A H/A presentation IS an effective business model - as has been exhibited by these and other businesses.

Why go to a Ren Fest? Most people left history back in school ....... they probaly aren't that anxious to go back to it.

Funny - most people I know go to renaissance festivals BECAUSE they are interested in history.  They enjoy reading non-fiction books about the time period, and they research aspects of the era that interest them. 

[Cobaltblu]

The fact remains that probably 95% or more of people who attend renaissance faires are non-garbed patrons ("mundanes") and they are not dressing up at all and they go to a renaissance festival simply to experience the renaissance.  Out of the garbed people ("rennies") the vast majority dress in a reasonably renaissance/medieval manner and I assume attend largely to experience the renaissance.  However as we have seen in the responses to this post a good percentage of rennies feel scifi characters are fine at a faire.

Non-cast appropriately garbed people add to the atmosphere and help the renaissance faire be successful.

If 95% (mundanes) of the people who attend faires are simply going to experience the renaissance I think there would be a very small negative effect on attendance (and therefor revenue) if a few people who dress in scifi costumes do not go do.  However if stormtroopers and trekkies and furries and anime characters do not go, that will increase the authentic atmosphere of the faire which benefits the other 95% mundanes and the other 4.9% rennies.

I am sure since a certain percentage of rennies do not agree on preventing scifi characters from attending...that some might not go to a faire or have fun if scifi characters were prohibited.  Perhaps they might not go or have fun because they can't see stormtroopers?  Or perhaps they won't go or have fun out of a sense of kinship with the stormtroopers who are having their "rights" trampled on?

By scifi characters I do not mean to include trolls and faeries and elves (which I think are ok since those were "real" in the eyes of people living years ago).

And while it may be true that to many people the past is a jumbled mess...every mundane person knows that furries stormtroopers star trek and so on are not part of the past.

Every mundane also knows elves and faeries are not part of the past however they are at least based on fantasy and legends and could be explained away by the fact that they were real in the eyes of people hundreds of years ago.

Again, regarding the issue of whether the faire can be a success without scifi characters...the faire management usually have strict rules for cast member garb and accent and so on.  Those cast rules and restrictions are put into place because management knows what will help and what will harm the faire.

So if you love faire and want faire to be successful why not try to dress vaguely period as the cast already do?

Why not simply be polite and respectful of the obvious intent of the faire management and not dress as a sci-fi character?

The mundanes do not dress in garb but thats ok because they ALSO are not dressing in inappropriate garb which sticks out like a sore thumb and harms the atmosphere.

Regards,

CB

[nliedel]

I'm with Gem, if someone else's garb, as they see it, is going to wreck your day, then Ren Faires are probably going to bother you. I'm not a fan of some garb that walks in the door, but it's all revenue and if the fair is going to stay in business...Turning back someone, who is covered (parts that should be clothed showing, are another thing) is going to get onto the news somewhere and end up causing trouble for a faire's reputation.

Honestly, if it were history as it was, and I had to wear lead makeup with vinegar, I think I might take a pass. Especially if there were lice and plague involved.

[silverstah]

I guess my thought is, if your day at fair can be ruined by what someone else is wearing... wow.  I think it might be time to step back and re-evaluate things.

Um, THIS.  I agree with what Gem said, wholeheartedly.

What is "appropriate" and "rude" is a very grey area.  The folks who like to dress in bunny-fur and chainmail that leave VERY little to the imagination think that they're dressing appropriately.  Personally, I find it a bit on the vulgar side.  But I don't let it ruin my day - I find something ELSE to look at. 

Really - most renaissance festivals are big enough that if you don't like something, take ten steps and there's something new to see.