Day Six: I am eaten by sharks.

[attack_laurel]

Well, nibbled by sea urchins, anyway.

Still can't sleep, and bad pain, so today's post is brought to you by the letters c-o-e-d-i-n and e, but:

Comments

[kass_rants]

I know it's going to come as a shock that I agree with you. What I have never understood is why anyone would join a group dedicated to replicating the Middle Ages and Renaissance and then make absolutely NO effort to replicate the Middle Ages and Renaissance. That just sounds dumb to me. Why not join your local Rotary Club instead of the SCA?

Personally, I have never given a damn about what anyone else does. I really don't see outside myself. I do this. I don't care what you do. I don't understand why you'd join a historical group and not even try to be historical, but whatever.

However, I am deeply offended by those people who come up to me and start whining (and sometimes screaming) about how I'm ruining their good time because I'm doing things as period corretly as I possibly can. I've tried being polite until they shut up. I've tried to walk away. I'm sick of it! I won't put up with it anymore! Next time someone comes into my area and starts their pathetic passive-agressive whining about why *I* do, I'm going to read

[attack_laurel]

Godwin's law says they lose at that point, anyway. :)

I, too, don't understand why someone would join even the simplest historical society if they don't like doing historical things. And I, too, find it so rude when people tell me I'm spoiling their fun by doing my thing. It's that kind of self-centered thinking that leads to a Harrison Bergeron version of the SCA, because being better than someone else is bad for their self-esteem.

A visionary, that man...

[kass_rants]

Yeah. I just despise mediocrity anywhere. I think it is a direct insult to the human potential. Personally, I am a horrible machine sewer and only a passing novice embroideress. But there really is something for everyone and I don't see what keeps people from striving at *something*.

[hugh_mannity]

L.P. Hartley wrote a novel called Facial Justice with the terrifying theme of universal equality. To this day I cannot hear the aria Every valley shall be exalted without a shudder. That and John Lennon's Imagine.

Harrison Bergeron

[reasdream]

Aha! I read that story in high school but could never remember the name! Thank you!

Re: Harrison Bergeron

[attack_laurel]

The very first time I heard someone in the SCA complain that someone else was making people look bad because they were too good, I flashed on that story. It stuck with me for some reason. :)

[reasdream]

"What I have never understood is why anyone would join a group dedicated to replicating the Middle Ages and Renaissance and then make absolutely NO effort to replicate the Middle Ages and Renaissance."

Actually, I have the beginnings of a theory about that, and I may eventually post about it. There's sort of a Kinsey-esque spectrum involving interest in historical culture(s) and interest in SCA culture.

And, you know, people who want to live out their D&D/Fantasy novel dreams and have yet to discover LARP.

[kass_rants]

Hmmm... You'll have to share that with me some time. I do see where you're going with it though.

I guess it doesn't occur to me because I played fantasy LARPs before I joined the SCA. I was a Xena-type warrior character. =)

I'm also someone who likes distinct categories. I don't like fantasy in my history and I don't like history in my fantasy. But I really love playing in both "worlds".

[attack_laurel]

I used to do Dagohir, and the Maryland Renaissance Festival

kinsey-esque spectrum?

[kass_rants]

Dear Reabhecc,

Could you elaborate on your theory and the "kinsey-esque spectrum" you see?

-- Johannes

Re: kinsey-esque spectrum?

[reasdream]

Um, well. From my very basic understanding of the Kinsey scale, the idea is that there are two extremes but most people fall somewhere in the middle

Re: kinsey-esque spectrum?

[attack_laurel]

It makes sense to me - the culture of the SCA is one of the reasons I keep playing, even though some other re-enactment groups give me the hairy eyeball when I say I play SCA. There is a distinct culture and feel to SCA events (good SCA events, perhaps I should say) that is delightful on its own.

I consider the SCA the gateway drug to more intense historical groups, since the more specific groups can seem terribly intimidating (you can laugh, but I was totally nervous about being good enough for Gardiner's when I joined). Since the SCA is pretty minimal, it can be a safe place to start.

Where it falls down is when the minimalists tell the more passionate history buffs that they can't do the things they do because it makes other people feel bad. This is usually dressed up as "you're intimidating; stop it", but it translates to "stop doing everything so well!". *eye*roll*

[marymont]

I get slammed all the time for holding to the belief that if you can't find something enthralling to recreate in 1000 years of an entire continent, you're in the wrong game. In the 36 years that I've been participating in this organization, I still haven't been able to get an explanation as to in what part of the "Middle Ages and Renaissance" falls, for example, Classical Greece. And the non-European component is terribly militant, but my recollection is that, throughout my tenure in the SCA, they've allowed by popular consensus, if not by rule of law, "any culture that had contact with Western Europe." Why do they want to force me to pursue their interest, if they won't pursue mine, which is in line with the stated guidelines of the SCA?

/gripe

[kass_rants]

When I was active, I was a Japanese persona. I was a lady of the Court at Heian-kyo in 10th century Japan. Did Western Europe have contact with 10th century Japan? No. They had contact with 16th century Japan.

But that wasn't my justification for being Japanese. I was historically accurate in every way, down to my knickers. I even stayed in character 100% of the time. My challenge was, "The day you make an actual attempt to portray the Middle Ages and Renaissance in Europe is the day I will stop doing this." In other words, "If you obey your rules, so will I!"

It wasn't right. And I stopped doing it. But I didn't see any point in not doing 10th century Japanese very well when there were people walking around in poly-cotton T-tunics and jeans and not being from "anywhen".

[attack_laurel]

I find it frustrating that they impose that filter. It gets me called a bitch, when I haven't done anything but exist.

This icon is a joke, but I swear some people hear it in their heads when they look at me. I just have to keep reminding myself it's not me, it's them, and I try to reach the ones I can.

If someone is determined to believe that I am a bitch before they even get to know me, then there's nothing I can do. At least everyone else gets to read my journal and see what a total whackjob I really am. :)