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MDRF Rennies on Penn & Teller's show

Started by will paisley, August 22, 2008, 11:54:12 AM

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will paisley

Showtime filmed at CRF last year during Invasion weekend.  The crew solicited comments from garbed and ungarbed patrons about why they were at faire, what they liked about it, etc.  They swore up and down that, while it was for a Penn and Teller show, it was NOT for their "bovine poopie" series.  "It's for a special", they said.  "Penn and Teller started on the ren faire circuit, and they would never make fun of faire or rennies"., they said.  They also showed up at the invasion dinner at one of the hotel conference rooms, which was pretty much filled with MDRF rennies.  I talked with one of the people who was interviewed. She said they asked them all if they wanted to live back in the Renaissance, and they all said "Hell no! We know our history."  She said they also kept asking where the "orgy" would be after the dinner. 

Well the show came on last night, and lo and behold, it was on their "bovine poopie" program, and it was all about how silly rennies were for wanting to live back in the Renaissance.  Their hatchet job on the ren community wasn't quite as bad as the ones on the true nostalgia buffs from the 50s and the 80s, primarily because no rennie actually wants to go back and permanently live in a time before antibiotics, dentistry and rights for anybody other than nobility.  Still, by dint of selective editing, they managed to take enough positive comments about the Renaissance out of context and juxtapose them with comments from a professor of Medieval history about the Dark Ages (which isn't even the right period) to make rennies look silly and ignorant of history. 

At any rate, if you can ignore the idiot treatment from Penn and Teller, they show a fair bit of footage of MDRF people, along with a performance by Cyd and Joe Shelby (Cat and the Fiddle Morris) and a great shot of Scratch (from the old Mud Show) humping a tree.  The show is on Showtime multiple times this weekend.  Tivo/DVR it, then watch it with the sound off.
Minstrel, Interrupted, Bard #400 (CD)
Faire Name: "Flo's Husband"
Yeoman-Purser of the Frigate Up Royally

Master James

Well sadly even though Penn & Teller got their start in the rennaissance world they are too good for us any more and just use any excuse for their sophmoric humor.  Yet one more reason why I avoid them and anyone associated with them like the plague!
Why can't reality be more like faire?
Clan M'Crack
RenVet
Royal Order of Landsharks #59
FoMDRF
RFC #51

LadySeasan

I remember catching a glimpse of the mdrf at the closing scene, but I didnt know what was going on.  Making fun of us rennies does not make them cool :(
Clan M'Crack-Season M'Crack

Master James

Well the sad part is that they started at MDRF from what I remember back in the 80s.  Sad they became so jaded.
Why can't reality be more like faire?
Clan M'Crack
RenVet
Royal Order of Landsharks #59
FoMDRF
RFC #51

LadySeasan

hmmm the episode is coming on now, about the renaissance fairs, i get to watch it fully.
Clan M'Crack-Season M'Crack

BCH

of course the question could be posed to Penn & Teller:

"and which one of you played Gemstone II, the online fantasy game...."