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The Renaissance Faire: Beer, Breasts & Sexual Harassment
New York, 6:47 PM
Tue Dec 1
74 posts in the last 24 hours
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The Renaissance Faire: Beer, Breasts & Sexual Harassment |
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10/27/09
The ren faire circuit is VASTLY different from slutoween. The people who really get into it, who work on their costumes or pay people a LOT of money to do it for them, are historical recreationists. They can tell you the history of their costume for 400 years and the specific town the stylea nd pattern came from. they are not picking up Sexy Bar Maid in a plastic bag at Target on their way to the fair. turn you "I'm so opressed!" ray somewhere else.
Also, btw? The part about being larger breasted is true. The fashions of today do not make large breasted women look attracted, and subsequently, we don't fel attractive. We feel fat, ugly, old, matronly. A nice boustier that lifts your burden and cinches your waist, makes you look like a Caravaggio painting, can definitely make you feel like a real woman. #renfaire
10/26/09
And also, as I recall, the objectification went two ways, especially as lot of the men didn't bother to wear anything under their kilts and many of the women had no problem making sure the men were "historically correct," so to speak. #renfaire
10/26/09
10/26/09
One of my first "adult"-type memories was attending a Ren Fest with my mother and a friend; I believe I was about 13. My early teens were not kind to me and I was the most gangly, six-foot-tall, awkward and be-pimpled teen I knew.
A Ren Fest actor who was playing a visiting Spanish lord showered me with attention- he gave me a rose and told a large group of gathered Faire attendees that I was beautiful. It was the first time since puberty decided to shit all over me that someone of the opposite sex had told me I was attractive; his single comment gave me hope that my pubescent state would be a passing phase.
Thinking back on that experience, I'm sure that I could pick it apart and think how utterly creepy it was for some 40 year old dude in a frilly shirt and leather vest to be saying anything to a 13 year old that even bordered on innuendo. But in my mind, he did me a great kindness.
For all the bad that Ren Fests- the groping, the titties, the bawdy drinking- there is a good time to be had for those that enjoy it. I haven't been to many Ren Fests since, but I certainly look back on that experience fondly.
10/26/09
10/26/09
I especially didn't appreciate 3 merchants cornering me until I acknowledged that I was female. That wasn't too much fun.
I felt like people were constantly up in my face about how I was presenting (I wasn't wearing a costume, mostly because I wanted to look as "normal" as possible and have people assume I wasn't part of the event, therefore assume I wouldn't be in on the jokes), asking me questions about what kind of person I was and why didn't I want some random asshole kissing my hand? Boundaries were absolutely not respected in the three years I went. I don't think I'd ever really want to go again, despite how much fun other people have. They don't like people who don't look the right way is my experience. Others may differ, though.
By the way, pickle guy, if you ever read this, you are the highlight of the faire, because you are always friendly and give me giant pickles for one dollar. Also, you have never made me feel bad about how I look, and just let me get a pickle in peace. You are my favorite. #renfaire
10/27/09
10/27/09
10/27/09
#renfaire
10/27/09
10/27/09
do you have resources? A good therapist, books, money, friends?
#renfaire
10/27/09
10/27/09
Not every transman transitions medically. the procedures are stupidly ineffective and it's a lot of hassle for little reward. I know more transmen than transwomen who were satisfied with their biologically female bodies. Is there a GLISBA or gay-straight alliance at your school? you need something.
If you want to take this offlist, I'm ofnone2150 on AIM or nardo218 on yahoo.
#renfaire
10/26/09
10/26/09
10/26/09
10/26/09
Besides which, boning isn't accurate to most characters. Obviously some characters--kissing wenches, courtesans, and other women of ill repute spring to mind--may require cleavage, depending on the actor's vision for that character, and noble ladies would have boned corsets (also: a busk, which is basically a flat piece of wood or something that goes in the front of your bodice) to maintain the desired shape, but peasant ladies were working ladies; they couldn't afford boning and they sure as hell couldn't work in it.
I've been a performer for six years, since I was 19. Before that, I was a regular patron with my family from the time I was 8. My experience with the ren faire is that it's fundamentally no different than going to a football game. The costumes are different, but it's more or less the same concept: bunch of people getting together to be silly. There will always be the drunk assholes who don't have any concept of personal space. I've felt safe and unsafe in both places, but honestly, I feel safer at a ren faire. Is that because I'm used to the environment? Perhaps. But it's also less constrained; while a sporting event has assigned seating, at a ren fest I can pretty much go wherever I want. Plus, I'm more likely to be armed.
I have definitely met my share of assholes through faire, but I've also made some of the best, non-asshole friends I've ever had. I also met mr. biscuit there. :D It takes all kinds, basically. In my experience, the amazing, talented, funny, friendly people (typically performers, but some patrons as well) you'll find outweigh the lecherous asshats. They may not always outnumber them, but I do feel they do outweigh them. And obviously all this varies wildly from day to day, as well as from faire to faire. We're not talking about some monolithic entity called The Renaissance Faire (TM); each festival (or at the most two or three) is individually owned and managed, with its own specific goals, talent pool, and clientele. About the only thing they share is the aspect of outdoor, live, interactive performance, which is not, by its nature, going to be anything near safe space.
On a more personal note: as an actor, I love the renaissance festival with all the love in my jaded little heart. It's such a pure state of performance; for 7-8 hours a day I'm not just pretending to be someone else, I am someone else. I get to decide pretty much everything about that character: costume, mannerisms, family history, personality, you name it. Plus, I get paid to play with people. I don't think I'll ever go back to "legit" theatre. #renfaire
10/26/09
10/26/09
10/26/09
I've been going to faire at least once a year for almost 10 years. In the early years, I went in my 'mundanes', then graduated to clumsy attempts to use street clothes to resemble periodish costuming. This Spring I completed my fourth season as a passholder, and my third as a playtron. I don't dress up for attention or anything else. I dress up because I like being part of the magic that is found in the village, whether it is my home village, or one of several that I visit on a regular basis. That being said, wench, and Wench are not necessarily interchangable terms. You never know when the woman with whom you are speaking may be a member of the guild. At my home faire, guild members include cast members in royal, court, and merchant classes, as well as tavern wenches, bellydancers, gypsies, and much more.
At the faires I frequent, guild members are relatively closely knit groups who, while we may not always agree with each other, or even particularly want to spend a lot of time together, we know that we have a support system and that we can count on others as necessary, should we get inappropriate attention or have other issues that warrant attention.
Rennies are MUCH more than hedonistic, shallow, slutty, attention-seeking geeks. Wenches are much more than "fat girls" in bodices with uber-cleavage. Doctors, nurses, computer-savvy folks, teachers, lawyers, students, law enforcement personnel, business owners, musicians, artists, secretaries, construction workers, military personnel, electricians, children, adults, state & municipal employees are all among the people you might encounter at faire, in a period persona, or not.
10/26/09
10/26/09
Insofar as the ladies (and I'd throw in the men here, too) being larger than the average population - I call bullshit. I think larger people are just more visible because faire culture doesn't encourage people who aren't a size 4 to be invisible. I seriously cannot criticize an environment where people of ALL sizes are straight up accepted. #renfaire
10/26/09
I guess the take-home lesson here is "More boob! Less bubo." #renfaire
10/26/09
10/26/09
10/26/09
I prefer to go as some type of noblewoman or fantasy creature, because it allows me to be something that I can't be anywhere else. This year I happen to be going as an elf noble, and the only thing I want anyone to stare at is my gorgeous gown. #renfaire
10/26/09
10/26/09
I would like to say this has only happened the once, but its happened numerous times. I have no wish for some stranger to get all up in my personal bubble. Its disgusting.
And that's not even going into the female wenches and how they act towards the men... creeps my husband out... which I can understand b/c its just as disgusting as when the men do it. #renfaire
10/26/09
10/26/09
10/26/09
10/27/09