CRF in Rocky Mountain News

[pktaxwench]

I could also title this "That Article everyone was talking about this weekend".

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/jul/25/renaissance-man-escapes-to-his-dream/

I read it late Saturday, and I seethed.  WTF?  Sheeple? Has anyone actually ever heard/used that term?   How better to insult people and continue the stereotype that Rennies are losers?   As much as Colorado tolerates the hippies in Boulder and all the California transplants, that article was probably enough to turn off 80% of the population of Colorado against the idea of going to CRF.  This is a conservative state, and that's part of why I love it.   A good number of  Evangelicals in this state annoy me, but overall, I fully support the hardworking conservative way of this state.

I was so peeved about this article that I had a good long think about it.  Slept on it, discussed with others, slept on it again, thought some more, and still was ranting.  I went online, found the article, and ranted a bit in the comments section, I was so seething mad. 

But, well, lets see if I'm still around next weekend.  Honestly, right now I don't want to be associated with Rennies such as that.  If they (the Powers That Be at CRF) fire me for expressing my opinion concurrent with identifying myself as part of the paid performance cast, oh well.  That is life. 

Seriously, I just can't get past this concept that being an irresponsible shiftless gypsy as being an ideal lifestyle that only the true artists can attain.   It makes the rest of us Rennies look bad.  Maybe I've gotten embittered in years of performance, but grrrr...   That article is, in my opinion 100% negative press for the festival.  Have you ever heard of Faire called Zion?  Do we mundanes feel trapped in Babylon 9 to 5?  WTF?

That Makai, whoever he is, is very lucky I'm too busy performing to hunt him down.  However, if I encounter him while out shopping with the Royal Court on Saturday... some very unladylike behavior and language may result.

Grrr.

EDIT:

Here's the article that ran concurrent with the above article; in the newspaper it was on the far right side in one of those 'greyed' boxes where they have extra related info.

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/Jul/25/the-renaissance-fest-workers-pecking-order/

I'm sorry, I didn't realize there was a pecking order, here or any of the other Faire's I've ever worked at.  Did I miss the memo?

Double Grrrrr.... I discovered the spell check a bit too late.  Yes, you may mock my spelling errors I posted before I found them.  I'm going to go back to lurking now. 

[Demetrius]

There are hippies in Boulder?

I love the irony- both houses of the Colorado Congress have a non-conservative majority, our Governor is a Democrat- the President of CU, in Boulder, as well as a majority of the Regents are Republican (for many years they were all R's).

Anyway, I'm just glad I don't think about politics while I'm at faire- and I could care less what the Rocky Mountain "News" has to say about anything, muchless the CRF.

PK, I hope you come back, but I hope you come back because you enjoy it. It's only 16 days out of the year- and as we approach the final weekend we all see it goes wayyy to fast.

[Awen]

I could also title this "That Article everyone was talking about this weekend".

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/jul/25/renaissance-man-escapes-to-his-dream/

I read it late Saturday, and I seethed.  WTF?  Sheeple? Has anyone actually ever heard/used that term?   How better to insult people and continue the stereotype that Rennies are losers?   As much as Colorado tolerates the hippies in Boulder and all the California transplants, that article was probably enough to turn off 80% of the population of Colorado against the idea of going to CRF.  This is a conservative state, and that's part of why I love it.   A good number of  Evangelicals in this state annoy me, but overall, I fully support the hardworking conservative way of this state.

Giving a reporter false information (such as what was in the RMN article) is called f***ing with the reporter. It's to make the reporter, who knows absolutely NOTHING about CRF or renaissance faires in general and can't be bothered to do his/her homework first, look like an idiot. I'm sorry it make you mad...

[Spinaka]

okay i have to put in my two cents on this matter. i was very upset when i read the article this morning. yes every one was talking about it this weekend. and it does make me mad about many things.

One= the pecking order issue. When did this ever come up. I have been working CRF for 6 years and i have never heard of such a thing. And the fact that he said that the weekenders or what ever he called us that he was proud of us as little brothers or sister. WTF? what makes him so much better/ he travels with the shows and i stay and work my job. who is he to say that he lives a happier life then i do?

Two- get over the dress code people. every place of employment has a dress code. it doesnt matter where you work. even if you work a ren fair you still have a dress code. i am not a fan of paradise but he has a certain look he wants to put forth. and no body knows this better then me. one week before the show opened i was asked to wear a different costume. I am on court. i sucked it up and got over it.

three- i have a lot of friends that are rennies going from show to show. i wish i would have for at least one summer. i respect the life they live. one of my friends down there just this weekend made me respect her even more because she is raising her son while do this. but what makes me mad that this article is so derogatory to so many people.

so all i can say is Way to bite the hand that feeds you Michia or what ever you decided your name is now.

[pktaxwench]

My husband thinks the Royal Court, when off being pagentry and whatever else you want to call our aimless walking around the Faire, should wander over to his booth on Elephant loop - the one with all the pretty nekkid fairies - and bleat like sheep.  Afterall, someone ought to represent the Sheeples.  We'll just have to figure out how to bleat indignantly.

I have to wonder if he'll even be around this weekend though...or if he'll pack up and head out of town a week early.  The road rennies right next to us were pretty pissed at him when we left camp on Sunday evening.

[Demetrius]

With great apprehension I read the entire article. My question now is- is there another faire somewhere we don't know about? 
The whole "sheeple" thing is insulting and stupid, and demonstrates a complete failure on the part of the author to accurately describe what CRF is about.

Zion? Babylon? Wow... he has my pity.

Employees of the faire (and many do call themselves "rennies" but will most likely stop doing so now) come from a huge variety of backgrounds; Veterans, Military (including some who have been to- or are in- or will be going back to- Iraq), teachers, nurses, students, writers, professional actors, etc,. It would have been great to have read about them (other than the tiny mention in the one paragraph).

Personally, the comment about "low wages" is silly. We work 16 days of the year there and we count down the ten months we are gone in complete anticipation of the faire's return- and we do this for the money? I work my behind off and this guy in the article wouldn't last five minutes at my job, but I love the customers and I have a blast with all the employees I work with, including all the people on cast- so there is more to the "pay" then just what we receive in the form of a paycheck. Think of all our co-employees who have said the same thing.

Bill Gallo, who wrote the article, could have taken two minutes to talk me, or numerous other employees to get a richer perspective, and if he was 'fooled' by the one or two people interviewed, perhaps he should pursue a different line of work.

As for how the place is "managed" OMG- it is a business! And if it fails at that then all we have left is the parking lot. I can't believe this is such a difficult concept for some people. Gallo unfairly set up Jim Jr. (who is one of the nicest people I have ever worked for) and puts him in a position where he can be deemed as the bad guy just for trying to make CRF the awesome place it is.

I could go on and on (I graduated from grad school- twice!)...

We need to write to the Rocky Mountain News and request a real journalist next time.

[Bahlien]

There was a big mess over a journalist trying to get into the grounds two weekends ago(19th and 20th). Paradise locked the employee-weekender camp down until 9ish to keep them out. Apparently this poor excuse of a fool thought publishing inaccurate rubbish about our fair would be acceptable.  Absolutely nonsensical if anyone even thinks about accepting that article as fact. 

I did journalism and news paper whilst in high school, and I must say that the particular "article" is the worst piece of field research and writing ever for a "professional".  Need I point out there are several grammatical errors in the article and worst of all most of them are in the quotes.  Secondly, its a poor shame that the fellow "interviewed" fed him the biggest BS story he could.

My response to the writer :
"While some people may use fair as an escape from the real, political driven world does not mean that they abhor reality as a whole or  what ever full/part time job they may hold during the week. Or any other kind of life style at that. Anyone who attends fair, working or not, is there because they want to be there. To enjoy creating or being entertained, by the unique atmosphere that only a renaissance festival can create. This is as it is any other place in the world where people can do the things they enjoy doing. It is no different.  Being labeled a "rennie" is not something to be stereo typed, frowned or spat upon, nor any other sort of stereotype. Such is the nature of small minds.   This is something I gladly point out.

As for management, all of them have been in the business of running the renaissance festival for years, and know what they are doing. They do get feed back from patrons and as good managers they will enforce whatever policies they need to improve and expand fair as needed."

   There's more to it but I wanted everyone to get a read. 

[cowgrrl]

Was there absolutely no one else they could have interviewed?

And, I have never heard any cast member or staff or Rennie at any Texas Faire I've attended say "Howdy. How y'all doin' today, m'lord? N' how y'all, m'lady?"  Never. Ever. Ever.

[Princess Alice]

wow.
that was just about the worst written, most ridiculous article I've ever read.

[Awen]

If you get a chance go back to the Rocky article and read the comments...the subject of the article, Makai, or Kai, posts a response regarding many of the complaints raised by people here and at CRF. There's also a few comments from some of the people here, thanks pktaxwench and others.

Makai points out something that didn't surprise me - the reporter spoke to people who did not fear retaliation from the Paradises. Makai said he has been told by Sr. he will not be invited back next year. It doesn't surprise me, given what I've heard and seen about the way some people are treated.

By the way, who are the two "pillars of the community" who were not invited back to Faire this year? (Makai notes that in one of his responses).

[Demetrius]

If I owned the faire I wouldn't want that guy to come back. Any employee who thinks of the customers as "sheeple" and who lacks the basic understanding of how a business operates is simply a detriment to the success of the business.

The article in the paper impugned the character of the faire. The squeeky wheel does not always get the grease- it sometimes gets replaced, and, personally, I don't see this as a retaliation. It wouldn't have made sense for Mr. Paradise to sit back and do nothing.

I hope everyone has a great final weekend!!!

[Zoë]

I didn't actually read the entirety of the article, because I was on my way out the door when my parents said "Hey look, it's about ren faire."  (I skimmed the article now, but honestly I got bored--I don't give a damn about this guy or his "spiritual lifestyle," please.  It essentially had nothing to do with festival.)  I stayed long enough to listen to the whole "pecking order" thing, and I was offended that the so-called "weekenders" weren't considered true "rennies" by whatever crowd was determining the titles. 

Being a rennie is a state of mind, not how accommodating your wallet is.  What I mean by that is, how many of us "weekenders" would gladly run the circuit and travel with all the cool kids if we could spare the money and the time?  I know I would, certainly.  Does not being able to afford it make me any less of a rennie?  I hardly think so.  Sure, there are real "weekenders" who do the festival because it's fun and it's a nice short summer job, but there are some of us, most of the people on this board, who really live for it.  We do wait the other 10 months of the year for June to come 'round again, and we embrace the spirit of the renaissance festival all the year round even if we're not there.  How many times do we go out in December or April and see something and go "Oh that would look great with my garb!" or "Wow this food on a stick really makes me think of festival, I miss it SO MUCH!"  I think that makes us more rennies than those who claim that they "live Out There."  The fact that we actually have to return to "real life" doesn't make us any less of a true rennie. 

I know, I'm preaching to the choir, but I felt it had to be said.  I'm stepping down from my soap box now. 

[Awen]

If I owned the faire I wouldn't want that guy to come back. Any employee who thinks of the customers as "sheeple" and who lacks the basic understanding of how a business operates is simply a detriment to the success of the business.

The article in the paper impugned the character of the faire. The squeeky wheel does not always get the grease- it sometimes gets replaced, and, personally, I don't see this as a retaliation. It wouldn't have made sense for Mr. Paradise to sit back and do nothing.

I hope everyone has a great final weekend!!!

I think the issue of retaliation is related to people who wouldn't talk to the reporter on the record for the article, although I'm not surprised that Makai was told he wouldn't be invited back. In my own experience and in what I've viewed with others, people DO seem to tiptoe around whenever the Paradises are present or are afraid of offending them or any of the faire management. I don't expect people who are on cast or work for the vendors to respond to this but I know what some of you are feeling. Since I don't work there anymore (and my band and harp business is doing so well that I really don't care if I ever do again) I feel free to speak out on this issue.

Please understand I love my friends who have in the past or still work at the faire and love the renaissance faire idea. I just think it's done a lot better elsewhere, in terms of how people are treated. And that's based on my own experience as well.

[Demetrius]

No question, it's easy for me to speak my mind at faire- probably because I like the management, I don't think of the patrons as "uncreative" (and I'm glad they are there), I have a social life outside of faire, and... whatever... this is getting old...

I want to get back to writing stentorian tones that seem to whisper in the night... like the whistle of a train at a crossing... ooh, here comes the pullman...

Note: Awen, I've heard you play and you play beautifully!

[Awen]

No question, it's easy for me to speak my mind at faire- probably because I like the management, I don't think of the patrons as "uncreative" (and I'm glad they are there), I have a social life outside of faire, and... whatever... this is getting old...

I want to get back to writing stentorian tones that seem to whisper in the night... like the whistle of a train at a crossing... ooh, here comes the pullman...

Note: Awen, I've heard you play and you play beautifully!

Thank you!

[Zoë]

I'm kind of surprised that the guy in question in the article was allowed to talk to the journalist at all, specifically about the way the faire management runs things.  I know at Elitches you (employees) are not allowed to talk to the media at all.  Because, who knows what someone might tell the media and potentially make the company look bad.  Weird.

[Awen]

I'm kind of surprised that the guy in question in the article was allowed to talk to the journalist at all, specifically about the way the faire management runs things.  I know at Elitches you (employees) are not allowed to talk to the media at all.  Because, who knows what someone might tell the media and potentially make the company look bad.  Weird.

Speaking as a reporter, we generally can talk to anyone who is willing to talk to us - it's not a matter of who we've allowed to talk to. It's a risk the person being interviewed takes...Elitch's may have a rule in its employee handbook, or a requirement that employees sign an agreement not to talk to the press. No such thing at Larkspur, and if you'll recall, Jr. talked to the reporter for the article as well.

[Zoë]

Yeah, but on the other hand, Jr. is....Jr., haha.  He's more in that "upper circle" of management, you know what I mean?  He's not like the average seasonal employee. 

[Adriana Rose]

Jr. is one of the bosses.


And if you look at the comments again what's his name posted a long winded why he did it. I really dont care that he feels that there is a wrong being done but business is business and if the idot wants to bite the hands that feed him let him do it.

[CapnJack]

So... I haven't been around the boards for a while... and I guess it goes to show just how out-of-touch I've been lately, but I didn't even notice any of this.  I heard the word "Sheeple" for the first time a couple weeks ago, and then discovered it was in regards to some dumb article, but that's about as far as my understanding goes.

Firstly, I'd like to point out that I didn't have the patience to actually read the entire article.  Most of it seemed to be whimsical twaddlespeak in the end, so I just skimmed it.  And after that, I have to say, what's the big deal?  I mean, altogether it's not "accurate," but then, it was pretty much presented as primarily one person's (or two, if you count the author) point of view.

The only thing that slightly irked me was the bit about the "pecking order."  It implied that actors such as myself not only aren't "committed" to the "lifestyle," but also basically don't do anything at all.  And though some actors could seriously use a lesson in interaction, most of us work our paychecks off trying to "bring the faire to life."  But to be quite honest, I think to some people that heirarchy really exists.  Probably not quite as defined by this article, but we all have to admit to classifying people in similar ways, once in a while.

I dunno, untimately I just wasn't all that bothered by it.  It certainly wasn't one of the best pieces of journalism I've ever read (or skimmed ), and I doubt it really made much of an impact on the community at large (barring our community, that is).  And what's more, most of it really was presented in an farily positive light, although perhaps more than a little fantastical.

Anyway, that's just my two pence, without actually reading anyone else's response (hey, I'm lazy, I admit it).

Oh, and as for "sheeple," even though I'd never heard that term three weeks ago, I have to admit that they exist.  They're the ones who approach me and say things like "That's not your actual hair, is it," or "what to you do in real life?" or at the worst, "You've got to have the lamest job ever."  I'm sorry, I have very little patience for them, so perhaps it's not surprise that this passage, "...Clueless tourists with no imagination and scant capacity for theatrical projection, who have apparently wandered onto the Fair site looking for a turkey 'legge.'" really made me laugh.

[Demetrius]

Firstly, I'd like to point out that I didn't have the patience to actually read the entire article. 
The only thing that slightly irked me was the bit about the "pecking order."  It implied that actors such as myself not only aren't "committed" to the "lifestyle," but also basically don't do anything at all. 
I dunno, untimately I just wasn't all that bothered by it.  It certainly wasn't one of the best pieces of journalism I've ever read (or skimmed ), and I doubt it really made much of an impact on the community at large (barring our community, that is).  And what's more, most of it really was presented in an farily positive light, although perhaps more than a little fantastical.

Anyway, that's just my two pence, without actually reading anyone else's response (hey, I'm lazy, I admit it).

Oh, and as for "sheeple," even though I'd never heard that term three weeks ago, I have to admit that they exist.  They're the ones who approach me and say things like "That's not your actual hair, is it," or "what to you do in real life?" or at the worst, "You've got to have the lamest job ever."  I'm sorry, I have very little patience for them, so perhaps it's not surprise that this passage, "...Clueless tourists with no imagination and scant capacity for theatrical projection, who have apparently wandered onto the Fair site looking for a turkey 'legge.'" really made me laugh.

On a more serious note: I showed your post here to my Mother, Helen, and she said, "Well he should at least read your posts since you spent so much of your wonderful time writing them."

Really- my Mom talks like that. Anyway, I counted a grand total of three "clueless tourists" last weekend and one of them did have pizza. My point here- I can kind of see your point even though you are wrong. Anyway, I am glad to see someone thought at least part of the article  was funny. 

If you were, in fact, impatient with customers- be they sun zombies or no- you did a great job of not showing it. So now it is on the internets for the whole of the world to see. To be honest with you (something I do all the time) I got a little tired of people asking me "Do you have turkey legs?" No, I don't have turkey legs, thank you.

BTW, have you announced your new character yet?  Lloyd, time travelour from future world...    (that was you, right?)  

[CapnJack]

Heh, well now I'm just thoroughly confused...

[Aislynn]

BTW, have you announced your new character yet?  Lloyd, time travelour from future world...    (that was you, right?)  

Lol! Thats brilliant! It would be hilarious. So of course it would never be allowed.

[Nixie]

To be honest with you (something I do all the time) I got a little tired of people asking me "Do you have turkey legs?" No, I don't have turkey legs, thank you.

I'd much prefer having chicken legs to turkey.

I am also fairly sure mine may look a bit more emu-ish.