Does anybody else feel like I do?

[Lady Renee Buchanan]

Please Note:  No offense meant to those whose opinions and ideas differ from mine.  This is a free country, and everybody can do whatever they want.  If you post something back in this thread, please be mindful of others' feelings, don't make it a personal attack, and keep it positive, ok?

This is my opinion only.

I've been reading different thoughts about the upcoming RenDezvous at Scarborough in April, 2010.  I'm reading about Steampunk, Alice in Wonderland, etc.  Steve and I are flying 900 miles each way, taking 4 days off work, spending 5 nights in a hotel, renting a car, in short, spending lots of money - which will be our vacation for the year - to go to a Renaissance Festival.

And that's what I prefer to see.  People at a Renaissance Festival wearing garb for a Renaissance Festival, not top hats, goggles, etc.  I think there is a place for these different things, just not at a Renaissance Festival, and as part of the Forum get-together, I just don't feel it is appropriate at the RenDezvous.  The reason we joined this forum is our love of Renaissance, why wouldn't people want to wear the garb that brought us together in the first place?

Am I the only one who feels this way?

[Celtic Lady]

No you are not alone with this feeling. I feel the same way. If this were a fantasy forum and we went to fantasy festivals this would be fine.
I didn't like it when Des Moines Ren Faire had Prince Charming on cast. It just didn't feel right.

[Captain Jack Wolfe]

I agree with you, Renee.  It's quickly becoming cosplay (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosplay) instead of Ren faire.  

A "Day of Wrong" is fine and dandy.  Not an entire faire run of it, though.

[Joyce "Delfinia DuSwallow" Howard]

I agree with you completely! Rendezvous is Rendezvous and thats what I would like to see myself. But thats just my opinion.

Let me add that I know all kinds of different people walk thru the gates dressed as everything and thats just the way it is at faire BUT to try to organize a different invasion of something other than RENN FAIRE well. . . . . . just my opinion.

[Lady Nicolette]

I agree that over the years, the whole idea of the Faires has become more homogenized.  And I'm certainly not at all a garb nazi or insistent that all be h/a. I did live through the times when you had to pass muster with Phyllis Patterson personally inspecting everyone before the gates opened, so maybe I'm just an old curmudgeon.  But here are my thoughts on it.

To completely go out of anything even close to era seems somehow more like it belongs to another type of festival to me.  I can see medieval stuff passing at Renaissance, pirates passing at the time period as well.  Even faeries actually originally were not generally seen outside of being in the performances of the plays of the era (although they certainly were believed in by the general populace of the day).  But when you start getting too futuristic (Steampunk, Elvis, or Star Wars), you may as well just call it a costume party.  Which isn't what it is.  Not that I don't enjoy costume parties. Cosplay, RP and Fantasy faires are fun, but they are a different ball of wax.  

[eloquentXI]

I can understand why everyone feels that it is out of place at a ren faire but I've always appreciated the fact that whoever you are, wherever you are, you can come to the faire and dress however you like, and have fun. Would it probably be more at place at Comic Con or a convention or festival related to it- yes. I can't control what people do or how they dress when they walk through the gates into our faire, and to be honest, I don't want to.

As for the way things are regarding the Rendezvous, there is no theme nor will any non-Ren related events be sponsored by the Rendezvous. Because people have voiced their opinion on the matter and we have even been told that some people will not come due to the non-Ren related things such as a SP invasion or other, we ask that those things be organized elsewhere and non in correlation with the Rendezvous.

I just want everyone to come to Scarborough and enjoy what it has to offer, to see it for yourselves. To join us for a weekend to meet other forum members, see friends and fairemily from across the country, and to drink and be merry. It will make me sad that something like this will cause people to not want to. I can understand that you are spending great amounts of money and taking time off work to travel so you can join us so we will continue to try to do everything to make your time here as wonderful as possible.

I can guarantee, a very sparingly few people dressed otherwise will not change how incredible our cast or artisans are, or change magic of our shire.

[Captain Jack Wolfe]

El, I'm sorry.  I'm so sorry.  I have to call rubbish on all that.  Absolute rubbish.  It's not a free-for-all.  It's a Renaissance festival.  Steampunk is speculative Victorian sci-fi.  The rest is cosplay (see my above post).  There are other, more appropriate venues for brass goggles and lightsabres.

[eloquentXI]

El, I'm sorry.  I'm so sorry.  I have to call rubbish on all that.  Absolute rubbish.  It's not a free-for-all.  It's a Renaissance festival.  Steampunk is speculative Victorian sci-fi.  The rest is cosplay (see my above post).  There are other, more appropriate venues for brass goggles and lightsabres.

There are better venues, such as conventions for lightsabres and brass goggles. I've been to both.
My opinion is that it doesn't make my experience worse or better if a few people come to faire wearing whatever they would like.
You are allowed to feel however you would like about all of this.
But I can't control what everyone does, and I'm sorry that you all feel so strongly about it.
I hope you don't think ill of us for those very few that we can't control coming into Scarborough dressed as such.

[mariab4]

While I take some poet license with my garb I try to at least imply Elizabethan.  The Steam Punk definitely looks out of place but I don't mind it at all if it's tastefully done.  And some folks look just awesome in their outfits.  I have a hard time not stopping and staring at some of the elaborate contraptions that folks have put together.  At least they are not dressing like Harry Potter. 

[Captain Jack Wolfe]

No one expects you to be responsible for the actions of othesr, El.  I'm just saying that things have gotten really skewed as of late, and, in my opinion, it's time for a course correction.  Whether that happens or not is up to much higher powers.  But don't think anyone will be boycotting your faire because of the actions of a few misguided souls.

[Welsh Wench]

El, I think the point Renee was trying to get across was she didn't want to see any organized events like the Alice in Wonderland thing or Steampunk Invasion.

We all know that no one can control what others wear. You can't say, 'You can't come because you are dressed differently.'

Nickie summed it up perfectly--it is going from Renaissance to a 'costume party'.

I really wish I could say I gave a rat's arse but I just don't anymore.

[Captain Jack Wolfe]

I really wish I could say I gave a rat's arse but I just don't anymore.

Hear, hear, love.  My thoughts as well.

[renfairephotog]

I am thankful for this forum and all the friends I have made here.

Have fun and enjoy each other's company at Rendevous. Cause that's what the Rendevous is about,

I really wish I could say I gave a rat's arse but I just don't anymore.

Hear, hear, love.  My thoughts as well.

[eloquentXI]

I really wish I could say I gave a rat's arse but I just don't anymore.

Hear, hear, love.  My thoughts as well.

Triple ditto on that. Storm-troopers in a kilt...though amusing...man, I have to shake my head every time.

[Lady Renee Buchanan]

eloquent, I am sorry that people have decided not to come because they think there may be "other" types of dressing.  Since Steve and I bought our tickets months ago, I didn't mean to imply that we didn't want to come, and I certainly hope you don't think I am criticizing Scarby.  On the contrary, we are excited to see this faire and our Forum friends since the last RenDezvous we went to and meet new Forum members.

And guess what?  I've seen Steampunk at Bristol - only a little bit this summer.  I missed out on the Star Trekkers if there were any, but I also think Lady Nicolette summed it up best.  I want to go to a Renaissance faire. Not a costume party.

And of course, nobody expects you or other RenDezvous organizers, no matter what faire the RenDezvous is held at, to control what anybody is wearing.  I'm just glad it won't be incorporated as an official event into this RenDezvous.

This girl just wants to have fun!