Purely Hypothetical Question -

[Comte de Gilbert]

Anyone remember the good ol days when "harass" was 2 words?   ...sorry couldn't help it

Seriously though, I have a daughter of nearly 16, and have been taking her to faires since she had to be in strollers, I never kept her away from bawdy acts...to be honest in most cases she simply didn't "get it" when she had questions about it we answered her questions with wait for it ...honesty. did she turn into some kind of deviant? does she speek with a sailors tongue? is she rude or uncouth? those of you that have met her know this is not the case. she is a sweet little girl that is both polite and respectfull (though a bit of a tilted sense of humor). Now being a 10 year Navy veteran I may be more tolerant of such things, but the reality is that my daughter is what We her parents made her to be.

A renaissance faire is what it is, there is room for both chilren and adults, it is the responsability of parents to decide what is and isn't right for their children. It is the obligation of the staff and performers to give the information needed, to those parents so they may make an educated decision as to whether they feel their children should be allowed to see said performance. A rating system is fair... PG-13 or R ratings on movies do not disallow children from seeing them, but they must be accopanied by an adult.

I have only been to MNRF 1 time, and found it to be a very enjoyable faire as it is, the people the shows the site everything about it is perfect just the way it is. it is no better or worse in regards to bawdyness than any other faire i've been to. I think it should stay the way it is ...i look forward to annual return trips every laborday.

sorry it's so long, and all the spelling and grammar errors i'm on my 3rd bottle of wine...on second thought, i'm not really sorry, just hope it makes sense

juste le vent et la mer,
-Le Comte

[tcindie]

Personally I wish it would go back to how it was about 10-15 years ago.

[Noble Dreg]

...Everyone can find something they find offensive, so what's left? Maybe I should just paint animals.
I guess I need some clarification.

Not so sure about that...PETA may be offended by using animals for personal gain.   

[Comte de Gilbert]

and for painting them against their will too

[groomporter]

I don't know if this policy applies to performers or not. I would think either it applies to all of us or none of us. I can't believe that it *only* applies to shopkeepers. I don't have any employees in my shop, so that isn't what concerns me.

I had several original paintings and subsequent prints made from them, of topless/scantily clad fairies. These were approved by Lois and displayed at Hall of Masters for several years. When this policy came around, saying,
"6. Displaying in the work or entertainment area, pictures, objects, cartoons, pornographic magazines or representations of any action or subject which is sexual in nature, depicting nude, scantily clad or suggestively posed women or men and which can be perceived as offensive."
I have to think it applies to those pieces of artwork. What else can it mean?

All art museums and most art galleries have nude artwork. I can understand that nudes are not acceptable in an office setting, at a bank, at any children's type of store, etc. I just don't think it applies at art shows/renaissance faires.
Even the Sistine chapel has nudes and they have been acceptable for centuries. I don't *know* where the law, or the festival, is going to draw the line. Furthermore, when a patron is dressed in a chainmail bikini top and a thong, (for example) how is that acceptable and a scantily clad "not real person" in a  painting is not? My fairies are not real people, I didn't have a live model for them. Some faire attendees have complained about them in the past. Last year, I didn't display them.

As far as religion goes, I have had people complain about my one angel painting, because they were pagan. I had people who were Christian, complain about my shaman and greenmen. I had people complain that my angel was female, white and blonde. I had intended to do a multicultural series, not sure if I will now. So that's gender, religion, race and color I inadvertantly offended.
Everyone can find something they find offensive, so what's left? Maybe I should just paint animals.
I guess I need some clarification.

Yes it applies to performers, as well as crafters, but we crafters can be viewed as "managers" and therefore responsible for people who work for us. My main point there is my belief that it's separate from making the acts less "R" rated.

Yeah we teach people to play the earliest surviving games that were played with Tarot cards so some of the Christians think we're plating with something "evil" and connected with witchcraft, and some Pagans are offended when we say the historic evidence is that they weren't used for fortune telling until the 1700's, and there is no connection between them an ancient Egypt.

I believe that part of the guidelines is more directed at inappropriate art/pinups etc. in the office, workshop or break room as opposed to art that one is selling in what is basically a privately owned shop. As long as a worker knows that's part of what your line, they have no right to complain if it offends them.

[Lady L]

I don't have any "workers" to complain, just family that help me. It's the patrons that do the complaining.

Yes, we shopkeepers are sure a wild bunch.

[Lady L]

...Everyone can find something they find offensive, so what's left? Maybe I should just paint animals.
I guess I need some clarification.

Not so sure about that...PETA may be offended by using animals for personal gain.   

How about dragons, unicorns and landscapes, would that be ok?