Notice: An SCA Grump

[hrj]

I'm going to be good and not post this on my kingdom's mailing list. And I suppose that since I'm not going to the event in question, the matter has, in theory, no direct impact on me. But when I read endless announcments about how my kingdom's "official kingdom party" at an SCA inter-kingdom war is going to be a Hawaiian luau theme, complete with tiki bar and blender drinks, I really REALLY start wondering when the alternate reality split off in which the SCA no longer has anything to do with medieval history. Would it kill folks to hold their egregiously non-medieval parties as non-SCA events? I mean, it's one thing to be indifferent to putting a lot of time and energy into creating medieval ambiance at events (as opposed to falling back on "generic SCA") but I just don't get spending all that extra time and energy to create a slug-you-in-the-face ANTI-medieval ambiance. Folks, we all have non-SCA lives. We can all throw non-SCA parties for our friends. Why do the people who should be setting an example for the kingdom choose to set this example? (No need to answer -- I know, I know. But I needed to rant. Badly.)

Comments

[acanthusleaf.livejournal.com]

Many SCA people have no other social life. Their entire existence is taken up in this organization, so rather than try to have a party in the real world, which might conflict with an event, they cram all their other social activities into this one. That they don't fit doesn't matter.

I got sh*t for having my wedding on a Sunday that was the second day of the Mists-Cynagua War (way back when). I told the guy, Tough. This is the real world, and be thankful I didn't take your Saturday. I only invited him because I like his wife anyway. :-)

[shalmestere.livejournal.com]

Many SCA people have no other social life. Their entire existence is taken up in this organization, so rather than try to have a party in the real world, which might conflict with an event, they cram all their other social activities into this one. That they don't fit doesn't matter.

Hold the calls, folks--I think we have a winner :->

I've harbored similar grumpy thoughts about many such activities in the SCA--for example, why do some SCA groups put so much energy into teaching OOP dances like late Playford, Regency, and international folkdance when there are clubs outside of the SCA that devote themselves specifically to these dances? Because some people view the SCA as social "one-stop-shopping," that's why :-/