SC - Bizaare hobby-NOT!-OT

[CBlackwill at aol.com]

In a message dated 5/19/00 7:21:03 AM Pacific Daylight Time, LrdRas at aol.com 
writes:

> 
>  << Aside from a few  here who probably have degrees in medieval history, 
>  aren't we all just a  bunch of yokels who share a pretty bizarre hobby? >>
>  
>  No, most of us are not 'yokels'. Most of us are serious students of 
>  historical cookery. Most of us are professionals in one form or another.
          < big snip of some more stuff...>

To the public at large, people in the SCA, and the hobby itself, is/are 
considered bizzarre.  You can have all the museum artifacts and kindergarten 
demos you can take, but until the public knows that we aren't just a bunch of 
goobers who dress up in funny clothes have a pentagram dangling from our 
necks, major television networks are not going to say "Hey!  Why don't we ask 
THEM for some help."  Yeah, your shire or barony or whatever may be really 
involved in community outreach, but are the guys in the next town rushing 
over for help on medieval history projects for school?  Are you folks listed 
in the phonebook under the heading "Medieval History Experts"?  My guess 
would be 'no'.  And that's my point.  I know there are folks in the SCA who 
have garnered all sorts of awards and kudos and publishing rights and museum 
hangings...but that's because I'm in the SCA, too.  Does the general public 
know this?  No.  Otherwise, we would be contacted by every network, newspaper 
and correspondent considering a piece on medieval cookery and the like.  No 
need to get into a huff over my comment.  We all realize there are those in 
the SCA who do all these things.  Your efforts are impressive.  The fact is, 
public knowledge of that expertise is very, very limited.  You can't expect 
Emeril Lagasse to break down your door next time he does a show on medieval 
cookery, because chances are, he doesn't even know you've done any of that 
stuff.

Oh well...

Balthazar of Blackmoor

Complacency Breeds Contempt