Just cannot take it with bad impressions.

[OldKingCrow]

Re: Just cannot take it with bad impressions.

I find myself at times biting the bullet and doing events with a less-than-stellar cast but with an ultimate educational gain to the public, and that makes me overlook what would otherwise enrage me.


This why at the EBUFU events I have attended I always stay well away from folks and out of the sandbox of the kewl kids. Irrespective of what you think you might know historically, know your lane..... especially if you are a middle-aged fat ass, no load like myself....always know at these events there are folks having to fight back enraged feelings and thus must bite the bullet at your mere presence.

However, let this side of the hobby not be the one to cast stones. How many all-round quality impressions are there at the vaunted EBUFU events?

Very few that would meet the standards of a young, lean, mean, doctorate- level wool-clad dealer of 65 grain simulated death like yourself, Mr. Lewis.


Good kit alone does not an impression make; this is something that, in an age replete with quality makers, we have deluded ourselves into. I'm more concerned with the farbs in hand sewn clothing.

Thats is why I sold most of my "authentic" gear and have a lined up a saddle from Glenn Pier and new pony pards (thanks for the ride this weekend JG!!!!!) and I am full on hitting the mainstream events in Florida and having fun and sleeping and eating in my motor-coach. F... it!!!!!


A good impression includes age (yep, I went there), body type (ditto), and an understanding of the social and cultural world of person being portrayed (research, Lord no!!!). The "right" events still leave much to be desired.


Know thy lane....I lost and kept off over 40lbs and am now in Size 4 Federal garments, but someone in a size 4 garment in the period wouldn't be 5' 6"...FARB !!!!! Middle age and more gray hairs poking through the beard everyday are the final nails in my coffin. Plus my limited knowledge of CW history / culture / methods and materials doesn't help either. Back to the 'Stream

CJ Rideout
Tampa, Florida

[Hank Trent]

Re: Just cannot take it with bad impressions.

Frankly, this crap about 'wrong events' is elitist snobbery. I have NEVER attended an ebufu (or what ever) event and have always had a great time. I've NEVER been to an AC approved event as a participant, yet, I've been to some damnded authentic gigs in my tenure in this hobby. I'm not sure who judges what the 'right' or 'wrong' event is, but they obviously haven't been with me in the ranks.

I think you're missing the whole point behind the phrase. The answer to who judges what's right, is the person who's attending.

What people mean is, the original poster in this thread obviously went to the wrong event for him, because he was upset with what he saw.

If someone is going to events and reporting a great time, the come-back phrase doesn't work, because they're judging that the events they're going to are the right ones. If somebody is attending events and complaining about them, when there's a simple solution--go to events where they won't see those things--then it makes sense to suggest they go to events that are better for them.

Let's stop worrying about other people's events, drill, first person, uniforms, camps and widgets....let's concentrate on ourselves and our families.

Sigh. I've said it a million times. You can't do those things when other people at an event are actively trying to prevent you. I don't want to go to events where I have to either sit in a corner alone, or be farby. And trust me, I've been to a few like that, and they're the "wrong events" for me.

Edited to clarify: I agree with the first item in the sentence: don't worry about other people's events, i.e. events one isn't attending. I do care about drill (or the civilian equivalent), first person, etc. at the events I want to attend, for the reason stated above.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@gmail.com

[CJDaley]

Re: Just cannot take it with bad impressions.

(Dan, what I'm about to say isn't an attack on you, but I've been wanting to say this for years)

Frankly, this crap about 'wrong events' is elitist snobbery. I have NEVER attended an ebufu (or what ever) event and have always had a great time. I've NEVER been to an AC approved event as a participant, yet, I've been to some damnded authentic gigs in my tenure in this hobby. I'm not sure who judges what the 'right' or 'wrong' event is, but they obviously haven't been with me in the ranks. I'm not going to Bummers, yet I'll be doing some great immersion this winter at an event that 99% of the AC has never heard of.

Let's stop worrying about other people's events, drill, first person, uniforms, camps and widgets....let's concentrate on ourselves and our families.

Have a good day ya'll.

[Pat.Lewis]

Re: Just cannot take it with bad impressions.

I think Ms. Lawson is perfectly correct about the trade-off. I find myself at times biting the bullet and doing events with a less-than-stellar cast but with an ultimate educational gain to the public, and that makes me overlook what would otherwise enrage me.

However, let this side of the hobby not be the one to cast stones. How many all-round quality impressions are there at the vaunted EBUFU events? Good kit alone does not an impression make; this is something that, in an age replete with quality makers, we have deluded ourselves into. I'm more concerned with the farbs in hand sewn clothing. A good impression includes age (yep, I went there), body type (ditto), and an understanding of the social and cultural world of person being portrayed (research, Lord no!!!). The "right" events still leave much to be desired.

[lojafan]

Re: Just cannot take it with bad impressions.

*mounting apple box*
I very much agree with your statement Thomas. I don't like seeing what some people are portraying as soldiers, but I'm going to go to the non EFUBU events in the hope that if they see me and my pards, they will say to themselves "hey, I want to make my impression more authentic." I think thats what we don't do enough. We were all farbs once, so why should we forget where we came from? We need to help these people find the "light"!
*Dismounts apple box*

I've always just called them farbs. It's already there and everyone knows what it means. I'll give it a think and see if I can come up with anything.

[Thomas Alleman]

Re: Just cannot take it with bad impressions.

I am not looking for a lecture just another word or phrases, come on people, I was supporting a good event, with potential and helping out a cause, so back to the question. Also just because we rarely support non EFUBU events here does not mean we not go to them. I think we lost the going out and showing them how it was done and as a pard of mine said, we retreated into the woods.

[Spinster]

Re: Just cannot take it with bad impressions.

What Dan quoted.

Really. It's a matter of choice---and manageing your own expectations. If you consciously choose to go to an event that either has no standards or has a vague unenforced standard, then you also consciously choose to place yourself in a position to see less than stellar impressions.

Each time you make a choice of this sort, you have to look at the tradeoffs. Why are you choosing to go to this event? For me, that decision may hinge on doing a particular school program, or an opportunity to work on a particular skill I could not otherwise gain, or to support a particular preservation cause.

In choosing to go to an event that does not have clearly stated standards, I know that my eyes may bleed. The question then becomes whether the tradeoff was worth it.

It's awfully rare that some farbery ruins my good time. It happens, but when it does it's because I have not looked clearly at what I've chosen to attend.

[Dan Wambaugh]

Re: Just cannot take it with bad impressions.

As Charles Heath would say:

STILL GOING TO THE WRONG EVENTS???

[Thomas Alleman]

I need a new word or phrases for bad impressions. I know it is not nice to make fun of BAD, HORRID impressions that look nothing like or even resemble anything know to the civil war but I saw some things that will give me night terrors. I really do not care if these are the greatest guys in reenacting because if they dress like this, they do not know how to read open a book or must be blind and never saw a civil war solider photograph ever. Come on people a leather covered canteen with fringe and a hanger like one you see on Span Am ones. And this was only one thing. This whole group followed suit, I will say no more as to not offend. I know there is plain ignorance but what a saw was plain ridiculous. So AC'ers what can I say, period like to others without offending the perpetrator of such blatant FARBYNESS? This is not meant to be mean spirited but I just need something to keep my blood pressure from rising anymore. We work hard to look the part and I spent allot of money and time and research on this "hobby" and am not perfect but I at least try. We have come along way, maybe a anti-FARB revival is in order.