Pen-Elayne on the Web

All's Faire in Love, and War?

So, the icky war part out of the way first. So we're all like, "Hey, let weapons inspectors back in!" and they're all like, "Dude, you pulled out, inspectus interruptus was your idea from the last time you bombed, and you're like spying on us anyway!" and we're all like "Shyeah, as if, let us in or we bomb you!" and they're all like "This is sooo like just a pretext, we say yes and you'll find something else!" and we're like "No, dude, we swear, no pretext and we're serious and we have lots of bombs!" and they're all like "Let me talk to Kofi okay?" and Kofi's all like "Yo, yo, dude!, they mean business and they have bombs fer sher, we've seen 'em!" and they're all like "Jeez, okay already, your inspectors that you pulled out anyway can come in again" and now we're all like "Psyche, dude! Too late! Not good enough! Give us a minute to think of more demands before we bomb you anyway!" So like, what I want to know is, isn't that the very definition of pretext? Oh dude, I can't think straight any more, take me to RenFaire.

I've been involved with and on the periphery of lots of subcultures these last few decades, and the Rennies (apparently what Renaissance Faire regulars call themselves) resemble those fandoms in some ways - like the use of cute us-vs.-them language and filking - but not in others. The most remarkable thing I found about this past Sunday's Faire was the refusal of anyone to take themselves or the atmosphere around them too seriously, and thus a general inclusiveness to the whole affair. So it was much easier for us (and other non-initiates) to have a good time, and probably a major reason the RenFaire is so appealing to the mainstream. Well, that and, as Robin notes, "it covers roughly the period from Black Adder series I through III." By which he means, it's sort of a cartoon version of his homeland - and that, together with the fact that much of the Faire seems to resolve around drinking and boobies and assorted bawdiness, makes it his kind of thing. :) So despite the downpour we had a lovely time, and he's eager to return next year, garbed and all. Yes, of course we have pictures. No, they're not likely to go on the website.