[Ansteorra] What's happening here?

[Cynthia Whitford]

> I was recently asked why Ren Faires are getting more publicity and
> activity
> than the SCA....

okay I'll bite on this one. Because Ren Faire requires *NO* amount of 
responsibility from the patrons other than a one-time large outlay of cash.

Example:  my sister and her girlfriends are going to Opening Weekend at the 
end of the month.  They are going to dress in freaky sexy fantasy costumes, 
run around drinking lots of beer that they will buy, eating Renfaire food 
that they will buy, watching the paid professional entertainers, using the 
privies that are cleaned by paid attendants, on property that is cared for 
by paid groundskeepers.  As long as she doesn't run out of money she'll have 
a great weekend and not have to exert any more effort on her part than 
occasionally stopping by the ATM or lugging her purchases back to the car. 
And if she doesn't have a good time - it wasn't _her_ fault - it was the 
lousy entertainment, or the pushy crowds, or the long line at the privy, or 
some other such thing.

At SCA events *we* are the cooks, bartenders, entertainers, privy cleaners, 
groundskeepers, etc.  All unpaid of course.  We are entirely responsible for 
the running of our events and whether or not we have fun.  Personally I like 
our way better but some folks don't - so they go to RenFaire instead.

regards,
Simone Valery la Rousse
Stargate