Faire: Should it be Fantasy or Historically Accurate or a Mix?

[Yrose]

I like a mix at faire. I'm a big people watcher and just get a kick out watching all kinds of people.

[Whistler Fred]

Before I joined the cast at Bristol I would show up in either a tee-shirt covered with frogs and a frog shaped hat, or I'd wear my "Spam" tee-shirt.  Neither, of course, were remotely period, but it did make for some interesting interaction with street cast.

Although I freely admit to being Captain Jack Sparrow'ed out, I'm generally tolerant of people showing up in odd costumes, even if I may roll my eyes at times.  I figure that if they buy a ticket and support the faire, they should be free to dress in a way they find fun.

[DT_Masters]

Been reading, more or less, this topic over the weeks.

Got to wondering .......... who are the stormtroopers or the trekkies associating with?

Let me explain. As a time traveling anthropologist, my odd but drab clothing accomplishes at least two purposes. First of all, if I am dropped out of the time stream during travel anywhere between 1500ish and 2050, the clothing will be seen as odd but it won't get me burned at the stake. Secondly and more importantly, it works quite efficiently with the mental influence capabilities of the time piece. People see me or at least remember me as they would most likely expect to see me.

OKAY, if you managed to get thru that paragraph, the catch is that it is a private fantasy I have that enables me to enjoy the faire while I am taking pictures. I don't drink (am my own designated driver), I don't eat anything but pretzels (grease is bad for the camera), I go alone so I am there alone. Sure, I may recognize playtrons from over the years, but essentially, I am alone there...........taking pictures. I also buy figurines for the curio cabinets or a hat or a picture.

If, perhaps, the stormtroopers or trekkies are only associating with themselves, then perhaps their fantasy is among themselves ............ and at that point, they might not care if they fit in or not.

If that's the case, then perhaps the answer to getting them to fall more into the fold is not to ignore them.

[Angus]

I actually see it as a progression in "experience". (if you will...)

I see the person as having somewhere, at sometime, going to a "Sci-fi" (or similar) convention, and having a good time in whatever Sci-fi costume they wore.

...having heard of another person that has discovered "Renaissance festivals" and wishing to re-live the "Sci-Fi" experience, and having little knowledge about the renaissance, wears their sci-fi costume, and gets looks/noticed, and has a good time.

...after appearing in this costume for a few festivals, he attempts to get more into the spirit of things, and creates a costume with a less sci-fi genre, and mixes elements that are more "Period".

As time progresses, (or they come out of puberty...) their costume becomes more renaissance, than sci-fi, as so forth, and so on...

...I could be wrong.

[analise]

I just think it's interesting so many people think that these other (sci-fi) costumers are deliberately disrespecting or mocking those at Renaissance festivals, just by wearing a sci-fi costume. I really don't think that's the thought process (I know quite a few people who are costumers. I myself have my own "star wars" garb, though I rarely wear it. Except I appropriated the Jedi cloak for use on chilly days at MDRF ). Mostly, I think it's this: many of those Stormtroopers/Darth Vader/Jedi/Klingons/whoever have put a lot of time, money and energy into what they're wearing (just like a lot of Rennies do for their garb). They like to find excuses to wear it. But just like one can't wear most garb easily in a mundane situation, one can't really wear stormtrooper armor in a mundane situation. A Renaissance Faire? Well, it's getting warmer. It's at least a place where dressing out of the "norm" is expected.

And maybe it's just me, but I'd rather see someone making the effort not to be wearing the "norm" than dressed in blue jeans and a t-shirt.

But we've already established I'm a little weird.

[robert of armstrong]

I just think it's interesting so many people think that these other (sci-fi) costumers are deliberately disrespecting or mocking those at Renaissance festivals, just by wearing a sci-fi costume.

I have heard of Klingons attending a Faire (I can't remember which one) in search of fuel for their ship, under the guise of being time travellers or Aliens watching humans evolve through their Medieval developmental period and the ran out of fuel.  At least they thought up a story of some type.  However, a Trekkie friend of mine, who knows how much of a Rennie I am, showed me a Trekkie forum three and a half years or so ago not unlike this one, people discussing various aspects of the Trekkie lifestyle.  One of the threads spoke of what ComiCons were coming up and who would be going to which ones.

One discussion was pointed out to me, about several Trekkers' planned invasion of a RenFest.  It was winter, and I remember the Faire was somewhere in the southwest, but I don't remember which one.  It was more than three years ago, after all.  At any rate, there were five or six people saying that they were bored and hadn't gone to a convention or gathering or whatever in some time, and were going to go a this RenFest.  They were going to go as mundanes, and were looking at this as another way to dress different, to examine another separate reality.  Cool so far.

The thread was then hijacked by three or four others who wanted to go to the Faire as well, but in their StarFleet uniforms.  They went back and forth about how funny it was going to be walking around with everyone looking at them, and how it was going to ruin the ambiance, that the actors on the stages would point them out, they were going to get all this attention, and that the people who attend the Faire in garb were going to be upset and it might cause a ruckus and that would be entertaining.

I don't know if they did it or not.  I know that they are the tiniest little minority.  I know that 99.9996% of Trekkers are not represented by these few.  But to think that the line of thinking is even out there is annoying.

As for those who just want somewhere to wear their StormTrooper uniform when there is no convention coming:

I am a huge Toronto Maple Leafs fan (not trying to start a sporting team war, hopefully you will see my point in a second).  I have jerseys, autographed sticks, stuff like that.  I was even Matt Sundin's personal security for a time (remember that terrible Chunky Soup commercial?  During the filming of that.).  I go to Leaf games when I can, and wear a jersey, and sometimes put on blue face paint and yell and cheer.  It's fun.  When the hockey season is over, I miss it.  I long for the fall and the start of the new season, especially seeing as we can't even make the playoffs anymore.  It seems a long way off.

I am also a Toronto Blue Jays fan, though not as much.  I have gone to Jays games, and will go in the future, I'm sure.

I would not wear my normal Leafs garb to a Jays game.  It's just not appropriate.  I wear a Blue Jays t-shirt.  I don't cheer for the Leafs during a  Jays game.  I cheer for the Jays.

It's sort of a veiled parallel to the way I see the blurry lines of what is awesome to be worn at a Faire, what is good, what is okay, and then maybe what just doesn't seem right.

By the way, I don't hate Trekkies or any other Sci-Fi-ers.  I grew up on the original 3 Star Wars (A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi).  Although I am a little young for the original Star Trek, I regularly watch The Next Generation and Voyager on SPIKE in the afternoon.  And I think William Shattner is one of the greatest gift given to entertainment.

[VIII]

Just remember, the Elizabethans had a very different sense of color than we do in the 21st century.  Appalling color combinations like baby-puke green and orange were VERY fashionable in the 16th century.
So if someone is wearing something that looks like it's meticulously researched, but it's in a color combination that looks odd to the modern eye... it's probably proper for the time period.

Yes, I understand.  I wouldn't dare to question anyone's sense of color combination.  My wife is one of those metuculous researchers.  I refer not to odd combinations, but to Day-glo and Neon, or those super-saturated colors.  You know, the ones that are painful to look at in the bright daylight of the Texas sun?

[Al-Nimer]

I agree with what analise just said.  Again, I prefer the H/A fantasy like fairies, trolls, ogres, dwarves, etc. that people of the period believed in.  However, I was really disappointed this year at Scarby when I found out that I missed seeing the Dark Lord by about a half hour at the knighting ceremony.  (I did see pictures and video after the fact.)

One of the things I enjoy most about faire is the wide variety of costumes that people come dressed in.  In the 13 days I was at Scarby this year, I can count on one hand the number of Future Fantasy costumes that I saw, and I felt that they only added to the atmosphere.  People seemed to have a lot of fun with it, and that is what faire is all about.  (At least that was my perception, and I definitely enjoyed seeing the "Time Travelers".)

Personally, I would most likely never wear my ST:TNG Captain's uniform (or anything else like that) to faire.  It's the only Sci-Fi costume I own, but if I had a Storm Trooper or Klingon costume in addition, I may have to wear at least one of them, because I don't go to but maybe one Sci-Fi convention every 4 years or so.  I do have a "Tom Baker Doctor Who" scarf that my mom made me, and believe me, if it's cold enough, I will wear that with a trench-coat and just be a Time Lord for a day!  Note that I would not be wearing any of this to "ruin the ambiance" of faire.  It would most likely depend on the timing and the weather of the day in question.

So, given that I don't own any cold weather garb, I have the following choices on a really cold, perhaps rainy day the faire is open:
a) stay home and not go to faire
b) wear my hot or mild weather garb to faire and freeze to death
c) wear several layers of mundane clothing just to stay warm
d) go to faire dressed like a Time Lord, staying warm, dry and healthy

Well (a) & (b) are not really options, so I would most likely pick (d), because it IS a costume, and it's much more fun to dress up than to not.  Also, the days that are like this are not well-attended, so if you show up wearing any kind of costume that's warm, the cast/performers are more likely to interact with you, IMHO and small amount of experience.

[cowgrrl]

DH & I were discussing this today, particularly the H/A nature of a Ren Faire.  When I go to Faire, I don't expect it to be 100% or even 75% accurate.  I enjoy my ice, flushing indoor privies, Gatorade & sunscreen thank you very much!  And I find those little odd 'bits' enjoyable & fun.  To be walking along & all of a sudden, a Jedi or a Roman Gladiator or even a StormTrooper to me is a bit of unexpected excitement that gives me a 'something to remember' for that day. 

To put it another way, I expect my Ren Faires to be totally H/Q about as much as I would expect  http://www.okcorral.fr/index.php?p=accueil&lg=GB this place to be an accurate representation of the Wild, Wild West. 

We all want the fantasy because, lets be honest, the reality wasn't that wonderful at times.  I think Dr Kaboom put it best on Mothers Day:  "You brought your mother to a Ren Faire...set in the 1500s....when women were property.....Good Move!"

[Noble Dreg]

...One discussion was pointed out to me, about several Trekkers' planned invasion of a RenFest.  It was winter, and I remember the Faire was somewhere in the southwest, but I don't remember which one.  It was more than three years ago, after all.  At any rate, there were five or six people saying that they were bored and hadn't gone to a convention or gathering or whatever in some time, and were going to go a this RenFest.  They were going to go as mundanes, and were looking at this as another way to dress different, to examine another separate reality.  Cool so far.

The thread was then hijacked by three or four others who wanted to go to the Faire as well, but in their StarFleet uniforms.  They went back and forth about how funny it was going to be walking around with everyone looking at them, and how it was going to ruin the ambiance, that the actors on the stages would point them out, they were going to get all this attention, and that the people who attend the Faire in garb were going to be upset and it might cause a ruckus and that would be entertaining.

As for those who just want somewhere to wear their StormTrooper uniform when there is no convention coming:

I am a huge Toronto Maple Leafs fan (not trying to start a sporting team war, hopefully you will see my point in a second).  I have jerseys, autographed sticks, stuff like that.  I was even Matt Sundin's personal security for a time (remember that terrible Chunky Soup commercial?  During the filming of that.).  I go to Leaf games when I can, and wear a jersey, and sometimes put on blue face paint and yell and cheer.  It's fun.  When the hockey season is over, I miss it.  I long for the fall and the start of the new season, especially seeing as we can't even make the playoffs anymore.  It seems a long way off...I would not wear my normal Leafs garb to a Jays game.  It's just not appropriate.  I wear a Blue Jays t-shirt.  I don't cheer for the Leafs during a  Jays game.  I cheer for the Jays....

Very well put...Apparently others do consider the impact their 'non-event appropriate garb' will have on those trying to enjoy 'their thing'.  Some try to blend while others want to disrupt.  Wether they know it or not, Storm-Troopers, Star Fleet, Darth Vaders, and the like are a disruption to the typical Fair.  I'll tolerate it, but never respect it.

[festmum]

My answer is short and simple....it's a Faire!  It is a place for people to have fun!

[Anna Iram]

If I were to have a party at my home an invited everyone with a clear invitation that the party had a theme and it was to be England 1565, well I would hope that everyone would get into the spirit of the thing and make an attempt to bring something of the period to the party . I beleive that was the intent of most Renaissance faires at some point in time.

Now if you were to arrive as say...Krusty the Clown, I would still be happy to see you and would treat you as any guest deserves. I would get the humor and if the intent was truely lighthearted and not meant to be disruptive I'm sure I would enjoy your efforts, but in my heart I would regret that you did not put that same energy into adding to the tapestry the rest of us were trying to weave.

Yes, faire is a party and yes it's all meant for us to come together and have fun. I personally have not had the experience of attending a faire which is truely period. I've learned from my own home faire to enjoy a nice mix of kilts and pirates and such, but I would love the chance to visit a faire that is truely of one period. I think that would be magical.

[RumbaRue]

We don't have a lot of people here showing up in sci-fi stuff.
As for being accurate in garb or not, let's face it, those of us who do the pirate events wear the same clothing as a Renaissance event, without care that we aren't 'period'. Garb costs money, and when you are on a budget, you have to make do with what you can.
I have seen more and more gals doing away with the typical Ren-faire bodice and opting for stays which are period for the Golden Age of Piracy.
However when you do a Ren-faire with a pirate area (Escondido does this) and people wearing garb of the GOP era, while the Queen and her court walk around, is sort of strange.
I understand this year in Ojai for the big Ojai Pirate Faire, that the Queen and Court are changing costumes and turning into a Pirate Court. Now this ought to be interesting.....

[Catherine DArtois]

Way to Go Anna!  My thoughts exactly.  I also tend to agree with Robert of Armstrong.  Quite.

[Cobaltblu]

"Chris the Robot" as seen at The Sterling Renaissance Festival in 2007 (Not on Cast Obviously...Thank God).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCIlPWc4F3s

Regards,

CB