ANST - Re: Court (mis)behavior (was: awards & peasants & peers)

[knotwork at juno.com]

Gio seemed to be asking why more people at Steppes Warlord were not at
court.  This happened to hit one of my hot buttons, so here goes:

Court should be one of the most exciting and central activities in the
SCA.  The pageantry and anticipation should make even the longest courts
fascinating.  Will I or one of my friends be called to receive
recognition?  What kind of ceremony will that new peer have?  WOW! Look
at that dress; I've never seen such exquisite beading and embroidery! 
Shhh..  here comes the Royal entourage.  Bow!

At Steppes Warlord, they tried to provide us with a comfortable, cool
place for Court.  The heralds did their best to be heard above the noise
from the air conditioner, but if you sat farther back than the third row,
you couldn't hear squat.  I personally don't think electronic
amplification would have been inappropriate, and I think they tried this
at one point.

Try as they might, however, NO herald could have made himself heard above
the hubbub of conversations going on in the back two-thirds of the hall. 
I came to court to see my friend Branwen get her Pelican, and instead
heard from behind me a list of  "all the sluts in (a certain barony)"  by
name, as well as the names of their paramours.  Even the arrival of the
Crown didn't affect them, much less all the dirty looks thrown their way!

I changed seats, moving closer and hoping to hear _anything_, and, boy,
did I!  The loud conversation behind me was another littany of who was
boinking who in (yet another barony).  Again, I recognized some of the
names.  I know one shouldn't listen to idle gossip, but when it is being
practically shouted in your presence, it is hard not to.  I may never
look at some of those people with the same respect again.

By the way, not to bash the brasshats, but at least two of those doing
the talking were wearing one.  They, of all people, should be setting an
example in court of how we should behave.

Yes, I am aware that "in period" people sat in the back of court and
exchanged news and gossip, but do we really need that kind of 
"authenticity"?  Keeping others from hearing court by talking incessantly
is just plain _rude_ at best, and can be hurtful as well.

So where were the people?  Many of them have decided it is futile to try
to hear over the yammering of the multitudes and have just given up on
going to court.  Some tried, but lost interest and left, and some who
_were_ there shouldn't have been.  These are the people who only wanted
to listen to themselves and should have stayed outside the hall and let
the rest of us get the most out of the court experience!  

Now that I have vented on that subject, I anticipate lively discussions
to come.

Still believing in The Dream (whatever that is!),

Joanna

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