I ended up on the other side of the “where’s your other wheel” comment this weekend. Sort of.
My family went to the NY Renaissance Faire this weekend. While on line, which was taking forever, I asked the people ahead of us all of whom were in various renaissance and medieval costumes if they were members of the Society for Creative Anachronism. One of them, who reminded me very much of the Simon Callow’s (he’s on the left) character in 4 Weddings and a Funeral, said “yes.” He then started commenting to his friends in a stage whisper, “Why whatever might lead someone to believe we’re members of the SCA? It couldn’t be our outlandish outfits…”, etc, etc.
I felt somewhat abashed, but managed to say, “Well you could just be run of the mill…” He quickly cut me off with the word “Weirdos?”. To which I replied, “Well, yeah.”
Is that you kissing Britney Spears in your avatar? You’ve trimmed down a bit, Raphael, and I like the new look.
We passed some rock climbers on the Iron Horse Trail this weekend and considered asking, “how’s the view from up there,” but thought better of it. Your approach is better.
Hmmm, I was at the NY Ren Faire Saturday, too, and I was one of the weirdos in garb (the proper term for weirdo clothes:D ). I spent about $300 on some more weirdo garb for the Simplefaire in October, mustard soup and red berries in cream, yummmmm.
Of course, you do know that the proper term for members of the SCA is Scadian, don’t you? It’d be sort of like asking if they’re on a KH24, instead of if they’re a clown–if you use this term they’ll think you’re a Scadian, too
Did you notice the slack rope act? He had a unicyle, I didn’t see him on it, though.
I did not know this, but will keep it in mind for next time. When I was at college I lived not far from the dorm where most of the weir…I mean Scadians lived. Always a lively and interesting bunch.
I did not see the slack rope act. I’m not surprised that he had a unicycle though. Seems that authenticity is not among the major thrusts of these things. Generally speaking, Brian, where does authenticity fit in as a priority with Scadians? Are there nasty debates on the matter? I got the feeling that Britney Spears had taken over the movement based on the rather ahistorical amount of flesh the women were exposing. (Not that I was complaining, mind you.)
Ah yes, my point: Authenticity. I have heard of juggling acts being quite surprised by the level of authenticity required by some events of this type to the point that all props must be made of only materials available at the time, e.g. wooden juggling clubs (ouch!). Connie Leaverton in her article in Kaskade about busking festivals in Austria talks about having to dispense with her unicycle, her main prop, at one.
Based on my limited experience around SCA members, if you were to take a large roomful of all nerds, from various disciplines, the SCA people would stand out as the “nerds among nerds” in that group. That’s just my opinion. So if they don’t have snappy comebacks, what kind of nerds would they be?
Is the NY Ren Faire still in Tuxedo? I’ve been to that, and one of my old performing partners, Jim Gleich, performed there every year. He did not use a unicycle, due to the obvious inaccuracy, but did allow himself some plastic juggling clubs. I remember a guy there who had a unicycle (shiny chrome Schwinn). I think Jim referred to him as “Noodlehead Ned.” Don’t know if that’s the same guy.
Why allow unicycles, plastic props, etc? I think part of it is to ensure quality entertainment. The Ren Faire performers are paid, though I don’t think very much, and compromises are probably allowed in order for them to do their best quality work. I think one could decorate a set of plastic clubs to look like wood, though.
Based on the observation that the percentage of men and women in the SCA seems to be fairly even, I suspect that as a class of nerds they engage in a certain type of activity with more frequency than your run of the mill Trekkie or comic book afficionado and that this, too, distinguishes them.
a·nach·ro·nism
(-nkr-nzm)
n.
The representation of someone as existing or something as happening in other than chronological, proper, or historical order.
One that is out of its proper or chronological order, especially a person or practice that belongs to an earlier time: “A new age had plainly dawned, an age that made the institution of a segregated picnic seem an anachronism” (Henry Louis Gates, Jr.).
au·then·tic
(ô-thntk)
adj.
Conforming to fact and therefore worthy of trust, reliance, or belief: an authentic account by an eyewitness.
Having a claimed and verifiable origin or authorship; not counterfeit or copied: an authentic medieval sword.
am i the only one wondering how the words ‘anachronism’ and ‘authentic’ ended up in the same thread?
or being discussed by the same organisation?
if that isn’t sarcasm, then it’s about authenticity within the anachronism. same as being historically realistic. but the ‘creative’ in sca means that they can be just as un authentic as they feel like
(the 
