Purely Hypothetical Question -

[Random Girl]

Ok most of you on here are patrons, yes yes some of you work there but a lot are just pay as you go daysiders.

So let me ask you, hypothetically, how would you feel if MNRF became 100% family friendly.  No more bawdiness, no more vil, Fitz might have to become a mime, Gordy couldn't hump trees....think about it.  Would you be more inclined to bring your family?  Would you be bored out of your mind? Do you think it's too bawdy now to bring your kids?  Will they be scarred for life by catching a passing insult from Vil?

I'm just curious.

::Edit to add::
Adding to this, what would you like to see out there that would appeal to a wider array of audience?  What do you think could be done to segregate yet have a balance between adult and minor audiences?  What do you think should just go away to make things better for everyone?

[Noble Dreg]

I bring my kids now, as I have since they were in strollers.

No bawdy = noBody!  Meaning nobody from my family would attend.

I travel to many fairs...Turn MNRF into Disney and I'll save my money and spend it at the other fairs instead.  I don't want XXX, but I am beyond fed up with PC and sanitized bilge everywhere I go. 

Nothing wrong with Disney, love the place.  Disney does "Disney" 10,000 times better than MNRF could ever do "Disney".  That's why Mickey gets my "G"-rated dollar and MNRF gets my "PG-13" dollar.

[William_MacKean]

It would absolutely suck!

From an entertaining standpoint, I already think it has gone too far in that direction.  Check the gates.  Count the patrons.  Note the ages.  Children make a small portion of the attendees and have no money.  "Families" have very little discretionary money available these days.  They will NOT likely spend it at a RenFaire.  They'll go elsewhere.

Financially speaking, the Fair should be targeting men/women/couples between 23 & 45.  They can make the long walk from the lot.  They buy the crafts.  They see the shows.  They buy the wine.  They eat the food.  They play silly games.  They interact with the entertainers.  Especially the women.  Lots of ladies' day out groups.

My feelings are that kids do not belong at the faire, but that the accomodations already made suffice well enough.

[Captain Jack Wolfe]

A sanitised, pasteurised, homogenised faire?  Not interested.   

Whomever is calling MNRF "Sturgis in Tights" needs to get that chunk of driftwood dislodged from their arse.

[renren]

We do have kids, and we do bring them... I just keep them away from Vil Ten!
And no, I don't want anything to change!
They ( the kids) know what they should and shouldn't say already.
SnortLOL! Sturgis in tights?Bwahahaaa!

[Brother Gregory]

I would stay away with my family if you took away the Bawdiness. People have to understand it's a renaissance festival and things like that happened in the that time and everyone was just fine as they grew up. It would be no fun and lose the renaissance feel if your removed the Bawdiness and that.

[Goody]

My feelings are that kids do not belong at the faire, but that the accomodations already made suffice well enough.

I disagree there that "kids do not belong at the faire". I do not have children but bring Godchildren a few times each season and have gone with other peoples children to ours and other festivals. I only wish I had had the opportunity to visit a faire when I was little. Perhaps I would have had the interest then to learn about history and taken advantage of other classes in high school and college instead of living in my own little world.

I think the rating system on the programs gives families an idea of what they shouldn't bring their kids to and really inappropriate shows always start out with a disclaimer. Most faires have children's areas. This is of course the most obvious place to spend with little ones. I have been to some really great kids areas such as Kansas City & Bristol. (MNRF needs work!!) As the fest is, it can be a place to have several different kinds of experiences. I enjoy sitting in Mac's Pub and drinking Loki. I also love teaching/telling my Godkids about the past and seeing fest through their eyes.

[white trillium]

My feelings are that kids do not belong at the faire, but that the accomodations already made suffice well enough.

Hmmm....I have to take issue with that as well.  We've gone to MNRF off and on for years, with and without children.  In fact, my parents took me to MNRF in the early 80's on a family outing, although I was a teen, my brother was 8 or 9.

When the kids were much younger we would see one or two shows, based on what we felt was appropriate and avoiding any wildly inappropriate material (no Vil tennis for us).  We also didn't get to see many of the musical acts when the kids were younger, primarily because the kids wouldn't sit still. 

As for families not having any money:  some do, some don't.  We buy one nice artisan piece each year, and then smaller trinkets when needed/desired.

If the MNRF were Disnified, we may go once in a while, but would take more trips to other faires/fests.

That being said, parents also must bear the responsibility of decided what is appropriate for their child/children, instead of ignoring ratings/warnings and then complaining to management.

[William_MacKean]

I think some are missing my meaning.  There is a difference between somewhere kids can go and somewhere kids truly belong.  It's 'exposure vs immersion.'  Expose?  Fine.  Immerse?  Not so much.  But that also depends on the level of participation of the parents and the individual child.

My financial point, from a business perspective, is especially relevant in this economy.  Focus on where the money is:  Single/coupled adults with no kids.  Their ratio of discretionary spending is much more favorable than parents.

[Random Girl]

I have two words for the entire discussion about kids or no kids at fest.

PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY!!!

[Captain Jack Wolfe]

I have two words for the entire discussion about kids or no kids at fest.

PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY!!!

Say it ain't so!!!! 

[lady serena]

A sanitised, pasteurised, homogenised faire?  Not interested.   

Whomever is calling MNRF "Sturgis in Tights" needs to get that chunk of driftwood dislodged from their arse.

Well I have this much to say, has any sat and watched what is said around kids in a normal setting like at a mall or listened to how  kids talk to each other? I have heard some things that would have made Vil Ten look tame! So lets keep it the way it is as this makes the fair.

[Jade Sapphire Emerald]

Personally, not having been to MNRF and not having children but loving children that when the time is right I know I'll be bringing mine own to Faire, I would like to say that...on the note and off the note of children...that the faire is as things should be! All this Politically Correct and Protect the Children crap is just a bunch of people saying that my mom's generation should be dead and my generation should never have existed.

Look at how things used to be. How things are now. What's the difference? Parent's can't dicipline their children, people can't say what used to be allowed to be said practically anywhere. Everywhere we look there's more laws and rules to what we do and say. The Faire is the one place where many of us can be who we want to be and no one has a problem with it...well, except those idiots who decide they have a problem with everything and go anyway...but it's a place where we don't have to worry about much. If the Faire was made into something written and considered as "Family Friendly" then much of the crowd would be lost. The children enjoy it, and the parents enjoy it, and the people without children enjoy it now, just as it is. Why change something that's been working for years?

I know that BARF has a specific children's area in the middle of the place, which is always bustling with children and families. Even I enjoy the fantasy that they've put there. But there's something about being allowed to do what I can and be with those who do what they do there that just makes the Faire...well...Faire (to everyone.)

Sorry it's long, but I wanted to kinda put my two cents worth it about the whole situation...

[Lord Moravec]

I have two words for the entire discussion about kids or no kids at fest.

PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY!!!

I agree we already bring our children ages 11,7,3. They enjoy the fest more than the State Fair. They also don't want anything to change in that manner. In my opinion we are already to much of a nanny state and should let participants still have some fun, but yes rated x is not what I feel any of us want.

[white trillium]

Ok most of you on here are patrons, yes yes some of you work there but a lot are just pay as you go daysiders.

So let me ask you, hypothetically, how would you feel if MNRF became 100% family friendly.  No more bawdiness, no more vil, Fitz might have to become a mime, Gordy couldn't hump trees....think about it.  Would you be more inclined to bring your family?  Would you be bored out of your mind? Do you think it's too bawdy now to bring your kids?  Will they be scarred for life by catching a passing insult from Vil?

I'm just curious.

::Edit to add::
Adding to this, what would you like to see out there that would appeal to a wider array of audience?  What do you think could be done to segregate yet have a balance between adult and minor audiences?  What do you think should just go away to make things better for everyone?

So how hypothetical is this question?