[Artemisia] Respect and Court - Longish

[LadyPDC at aol.com]

One court "tradition" I would personally like to see eliminated has cropped 
up in recent years in all manners of courts.  It is totally unrealistic to any 
period we recreate and often downright rude.

I am referring to the habit of some "audience" members of speaking up from 
the audience.  Sometimes it is done directly and is a comment made on something 
happening in court ("hey Baron, nice Nubian slave girl ya got there, where can 
I find me one" or "Smalls are underwear!!!").  Sometimes it is done in a 
stage whisper which is meant for all to hear ("Bout time for someone to find a 
hook and pull that poet off the stage isn't it?").

Most often, the speaker either thinks he/she is being funny or is too 
inebriated to care.  Other times I have seen such activity from higher level sorts 
who seem to believe that they should make corrections because they know better 
than the rest of us.  The reasoning doesn't matter.  What matters is that the 
behavior is rude and in direct conflict with what we are supposed to be 
recreating.  Any populace member behaving in such a way at a period court would 
swiftly find him or herself removed.  

This is not something that the royalty has control over.  It is also not 
something that the rest of us should ignore.  I know that I have sat through 
listening to the above quotes (and yes they are direct quotes that did actually 
happen) and not done anything about it.  It is time that we ALL take 
responsibility for this aspect of our courts and our recreations.  

Don't do it yourself - if you feel the need to speak out, stifle it and speak 
privately later.

Don't let others about you do it.  Approach the offender after court and tell 
them that what they did offended you.  Most will take it in good grace having 
never thought that what they were doing was wrong to the recreation.

Remember, if you don't do anything about it you are condoning such behavior.


Lady Constance de la Rose
Barony of Loch Salann
Kingdom of Artemisia