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[Scarlett]

Quite an interesting, amusing article.  Thanks for posting the link!

[PesterTheJester]

http://www.thetartan.org/2008/9/8/pillbox/renfest

Cool article, nice too see a few people got interviewed too!

[Professor M]

The entire park is filled with festival workers ... speaking in slightly awful English accents, ... although if you keep them talking long enough, they revert back to Pittsburghese.

When I first read that quote, I took exception to the generalization.  But I can think of one or two cast members who would leave that impression.      I actually like the playful way the article points out those little flaws.  It lets the general public know we don't take ourselves so seriously.

[kilted one]

OK, I did say "Slippy" one day, but it was in accent!!!

[Mistress Charlotte]

they revert back to Pittsburghese.

or Denverese as the case may be!!   

[jayadancer]

Since I'm the "mute sister," (whose tongue was in fact NOT torn out by rabid wolverines) I have a few seconds to think before I speak.  I've learned to translate what I'm going to say from Pittsburghese into Dorkish (like Turkish, but less regal!) before it actually comes out of my mouth. 

Sometimes a colloquialism is so bad that I just can't figure out a way to translate it.  Sharing a stage with a Minnesotan has been a very linguistically-educational experience!

(Really now, how many of you are sitting there trying to say "slippy" and "Jahnt Iggle" and "Stillers" in your cast accent now?  And how many of you had to ditch an obnoxious pop culture catchphrase that had woven your way into your daily speech unnoticed?  "I know, right?")   

[jayadancer]

I found this link interesting as well.  I think Terry and Seamus should be as proud as we are to be included under the caption "some random musicians and scantily-clad women."  It has been the pinnacle of my career so far.   

http://lovinglifeintheburgh.blogspot.com/2008/08/renaissance-festival.html

This is the second post I've seen where people have complained about the child-appropriateness of the festival.  (The other is included below.) 

I heard a number of cast members making serious attempts at toning it down for children's weekend, and many of the stage jokes are of the double-entendre type that you don't even understand unless you're "old enough."  Additionally, renn fests are sort of famous (infamous, perhaps?) for their specific type of humor.  So I was a bit surprised people were that upset.

I take these with a grain of salt knowing that they are "just" personal blogs, but I never want to discount a single patron's experience if we can somehow make it better.  I have a severe allergy to children, so I wondered what others thought about the concern these bloggers seem to share:

http://myblessedhome.wordpress.com/

[Terry Griffith]

I wasn't diabetic until I read that blog.  I'm surprised that anyone that naive has children.  How can anyone be so unaware that they think we have a different act for every weekend?

We are family friendly, just not so sickenly sweet that it ruins the experience for adults.  This is a Renaissance Festival that tries to transport the patrons to another time when things were REAL and not sugar coated.  That's what Kennywood is there for.  I think one complaint about being authentically human is much better than all the complaints that we would have had if the faire would have been ruined for adults.

Can you see the teenage angst when that bubble bursts? 

[jayadancer]

So my response of "toilet-trained at gunpoint" wasn't over-the-top just because I'm not a fan of children?   

[Professor M]

I take these with a grain of salt knowing that they are "just" personal blogs, but I never want to discount a single patron's experience if we can somehow make it better.  I have a severe allergy to children, so I wondered what others thought about the concern these bloggers seem to share:

http://myblessedhome.wordpress.com/

That's certainly not the typical response, but this family seems to come from an extreme point of view.  The woman felt she needed to remove letters from the word naughty, for heavens sake!  She described some shows as "pretty na***ty."  If she can't utter the word naughty, you know she's on the extreme fringe.

I have noticed in past years that we had an unusual amount of patrons who were religious extremists.  We don't draw our audience only from the Pittsburgh metro area.  We also get them from the south central PA farm country, as well as West Va and Eastern Ohio.  Those areas are not widely known for their tolerance.  I wonder what "na***ty" acts she was forced to walk past, given that they're all at the Pirates Pub?

One of our stage acts once started a Sunday morning by saying to the crowd "Wow!  There are a lot of you here today!  I thought you'd all be in church!"  One of the patrons went back to his church and reported that they were an anti-Christian act, because of that one statement!  He got several church members who had never even been to the faire to call and protest the act.  Management wisely shrugged it off.  That same year, that same act, was photographed with a nun who was a big fan of theirs, and she gave them permission to use her photo on their web site.

I could tell you half-a-dozen more stories, but I'm verbose enough already.  Suffice it to say that we can't please everyone, and if we try to please the fringe elements we'd disappoint 99% of the remaining patrons.

[TiaLD77]

http://lovinglifeintheburgh.blogspot.com/2008/08/renaissance-festival.html

http://myblessedhome.wordpress.com/

Some people just dont "get" faire, 2 blogs out of howmany people that have atteneded already? I aint worrying about it....& now back to my regulary scheduled reminisce about all the fun & naughty thighs I laugh at at fair.....

[anne of oaktower]

http://lovinglifeintheburgh.blogspot.com/2008/08/renaissance-festival.html

http://myblessedhome.wordpress.com/

Some people just dont "get" faire, 2 blogs out of howmany people that have atteneded already? I aint worrying about it....& now back to my regulary scheduled reminisce about all the fun & naughty thighs I laugh at at fair.....

Is that a typo, or do you really laugh at naughty "thighs"?      LOL! 

  *pardon me... I think your freudian slip is showing*

[TiaLD77]

http://lovinglifeintheburgh.blogspot.com/2008/08/renaissance-festival.html

http://myblessedhome.wordpress.com/

Some people just dont "get" faire, 2 blogs out of howmany people that have atteneded already? I aint worrying about it....& now back to my regulary scheduled reminisce about all the fun & naughty thighs I laugh at at fair.....

Is that a typo, or do you really laugh at naughty "thighs"?      LOL! 

  *pardon me... I think your freudian slip is showing*

HAHAHAHAH freudian in deed.....things I meant things.....do you remember that person in the micro jean skirt from last year?? must have been channelling that image at the time 

[Marilou]

    Oh pa-leeze. Naughty thighs and bodacious ta-tas are THE main attraction in getting a previously uninterested male to go to faire. You've seen a few of my customers (I work at a private club) with their families visiting this year because of these enticements ("Oh, there's something there for me too?") Not one complaint about anything from moms or wives, but many comments about going back. There was one guy at least who went to his job a Monday to comment how many "hot chicks" were at faire, thus promoting faire to those who might otherwise have never tried it.

   Opening day we arrived with family and friends including a 4yo and 7yo. No complaints.

   I found it amusing in one blog the joust is complained about as too violent, yet playing with weapons is considered great fun for the kiddies. Can we say mixed signals?

   "Toilet-trained at gunpoint" indeed.

   Massive insecurity and self-esteem issues among those women also. Sorry, exiting my soap-box.