[Sca-cooks] OT Authenticity Police: ARTICLE

[johnna holloway]

Philip & Susan Troy wrote:
> Hullo, the list!
> Miss Manners actually makes fairly intelligent suggestions, I
> think. It's a fairly long article or I would copy it here. Maybe one of
> our librarians can find it online someplace?>
> Adamantius> Phil & Susan Troy> troy at asan.com

Here it is. One of our librarians, indeed)  Johnna

The Sentinels of History
By Judith Martin

Wednesday, September 12, 2001; Page C11

Dear Miss Manners:

I am writing about an etiquette problem common in historic-reenactment
/living-history groups, for any given historic era: people
who are popularly known as "authenticity police."

Authenticity policing takes the form of walking up to another person,
closely inspecting his clothing (even lifting up women's
skirts to examine their underwear), then informing him that he
 "ought to" have used 100 percent natural fibers, or hand-sewn his
seams, or that he is "too old" to wear a given style, or that "you
 shouldn't wear vintage clothing because you're destroying a part
of our history."

They feel authorized to personally evaluate the reproduction
 (or antique/vintage) clothing of fellow members and event
attendees for "authenticity" or "accuracy." This is in addition
 to, and usually well beyond, any official standards or requirements
that may be imposed by the organization the reenactors belong to
 or are attending as nonmembers.

Authenticity police insist they are being "educational," "scholarly,"
 even "helpful." Sometimes they are overtly nasty, sometimes
merely condescending. Sometimes the information they give is correct;
 sometimes, in my opinion, it isn't. Either way, their
unsolicited criticism is primarily one-upmanship and pressure
 toward social conformity. It is done in public and can cause
considerable embarrassment.

People usually become defensive. If they plead that they don't have
 enough money to buy expensive fabrics, they are then told
to buy on sale, or that "reenactment isn't a cheap hobby."
 If they say they don't have enough time to hand-sew, they are told,
"Well, I work full time, too, and I hand-sew all my outfits."
 If they insist that what they are wearing is indeed accurate, citing
books, pictures, or other research sources, they are told that they
 "didn't use a primary source" or "this wasn't typical for the
period; you need to provide me with at least three examples."

It is not uncommon for strangers, bombarded with criticism,
 to leave and never return. Some humbly ask what they are allowed
to wear, how they should make it, what vendors they may buy from,
 and so forth, and once they have some seniority, may
become authenticity police themselves.

People seldom have the gumption to assert that their own clothing
 (and other personal matters such as their finances and how
they use their free time) is their own business. Nor do they
 commonly point out that they are in fact conforming to the official
organizational standards; and that since reenactment is a hobby,
 they are free to choose how "authentic" to be beyond official
standards.

Because I am interested in history and historic costume, I enjoy
 reenactment activities in concept (though not some of the
reenactors). I have not found a solution to this problem other
 than to tell the "authenticity police" to mind their own business --
more forcefully, I'm afraid, than Miss Manners would approve.

I do think modern etiquette should apply to this situation, because
 socially these are modern groups. Besides, Miss Manners
might not approve of the etiquette that would have been used in
 some historic eras; for example, physically assaulting the
criticizer.

[ MISS MANNERS REPLIES AS FOLLOWS:]

No, but neither does she care for the modern assumption that it is
 acceptable to go around insulting people. Officious types
who behave dreadfully to improve society have always been among us
 -- as have those who make self-righteous excuses for
lifting women's skirts -- but their victims were not always so
 willing to stand still for them.

Miss Manners would advise responding with a nice old-fashioned
 statement from whichever period the group reenacts, along
the lines of "How dare you question my honor!"

Feeling incorrect? Address your etiquette questions
 (in black or blue-black ink on white writing paper)
 to Miss Manners, in care of The Washington Post,
 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071.
© 2001 by Judith Martin
 © 2001 The Washington Post Company