[MR] Maxim Magazine

[Tracie Brown]

> And they lambast the fact that we are sitting around drinking Monster
> Energy drinks, and have Cobra Commander stickers on our helms

And *did* people sit around drinking Monster Energy drinks at the event,
and do people have Cobra Commander stickers on their helms? If so, then it
sounds like accurate reporting to me.  The best way to minimize this sort
of thing (because you can't completely eliminate it) is not to do or say
things that we don't want to see in the media. At fighter and other
practices as well as events, because I've seen a lot of hockey gear, jeans
and t-shirts and white belts show up in photos in local and national media
because someone took a photo at a practice., and it was "just a practice."
 How can we expect people -- newcomers or the press or even fellow SCA
members -- to have a positive opinion of the SCA if they encounter stuff
like this at a purported medieval event?  In the SCA, we often "edit out"
these things, hardly notice them any more.  This is both a blessing and a
curse.

Also, keep in mind that when the press shows up at an event and isn't being
escorted by a reliable SCA member, they are likely to photograph and
interview the first people they come to, who are often people hanging
around the periphery of the event. While this could be anyone at any time,
the periphery is often where the peripheral people hang out -- newcomers
and occasional attendees (who don't know much about the SCA), and yes,
weirdos.  I lived in an anonymous Barony in an anonymous Kingdom where we
had to deal with someone that no one wanted to be around (for good and
sufficient reasons), so he stood on the outside, telling people (including
a reporter) about his adventures in the Royal Canadian SCA, and the
fighting injuries that were so severe that he had to perform emergency
surgery at events, etc., etc. After rescuing the reporter, we decided to
assign subtle "minders" to him. Eventually he went away, but for all I know
he went to another group and told people about the RCSCA.

We don't need the Authenticity Police (though I have an Authenticity Police
badge, which, of course, is itself not authentic). We all know various ways
to educate, advise and assist people to have a better SCA presence.
 Realistically, those ways will not always work all the time, but they will
work some of the time. If you have the means, invite a stranger with a Coke
can into your pavilion and say, "Have a seat, My Lord. May I pour that in a
tankard?" Institute in your household or circle of friends a penalty -- 25
cents for the food/beer/whisky fund -- for saying "okay" within the ropes
of your pavilion, or talking about computer games or cars. (We did this and
it worked, although a couple of my wise-ass friends would hand me a quarter
and say "Okay, here's a quarter", just to see if I would twitch.)

Authenticity is not replicating a 14th century outfit just the way it was
done in the 14th century, because we can't actually achieve that.
Authenticity -- achievable authenticity -- is doing what we say we are
doing. Think about what you have told people about the SCA when you were
excited about it. What made your eyes sparkle. Not just "we're an
international non-profit educational organization ..." but "we fight in
armor, we make beautiful medieval gowns (and armor), feast on period foods,
dance, sing. Pavilions, banners, pageantry! Swashbuckling rapier combat!
Learning to make pottery, furniture, jewelry, corsets." Now ... are you
doing it? Are you doing what you want to do in the SCA?  Are you doing it
as well as you can, balancing knowledge, skill, time, money, modern and SCA
responsibilities? Are you striving to do it better or more often, and to
pass on what you know? To inspire those around you? To be inspired by those
around you?

Think back to what and who inspired you, to make you say "this is so cool"
or "I've always wanted to do this".  Learn to say (with a smile) "oh,
really" and "that's interesting" to someone who is being snarky or negative
to you. Practice authenticity -- do what you say you're doing. And have fun
doing it.

Be ye excellent to one another.

-- Baroness Signy Dimmridaela, OL
Member of the SCA since before helms were required.