Stupid Questions

[Jayhawk102]

Re: Stupid Questions

I have to tell you two stories that happened to me. First there was a family asking me about the bayonet and its shape. I explaned to them a short history and why it has a triangular shape. After they left it came to me that I may have givin them a better sense of weaponary.

Second has to be on I will remember for the rest of my life. I was at the Mahaffie Civil War Days last season and it was the end of sunday battle and I was tired and needed my after Reenactment Root Beer (Barq's). Then a father and son asked me,as I was going to my rides car, "Is the war over yet." At first didn't know what to say, then It came to me, I dont now if this was the right thing to say, but I told them "Four today it is."

[BHoover]

Re: Stupid Questions?

Sometimes it does take a moment to figure out what the real question is...

Exactly!

For example, I hear the "Is it real?" about my cannon all the time. I have come to realize that usually the real question is "Is it an original cannon?"

This can then lead to a discussion about the scarcity of originals, the dubious wisdom of risking irreplacable items by using them in the field, the fact that copies of the original plans that were put out for bids in the 1860s are still available, the fact that almost everything on the cannon has to be made specially since none of it is available "off the shelf", differences in the manufacturing capabilities of the north and the south (e.g. how Tredegar was so critical to the Confederate effort), and much more (I'm dangerous when I'm in professor mode... just ask my students!).

I firmly believe that even the "stupidist" question can be turned to an interesting discussion if only I'm clever enough to figure out how to do it!

[cwbelle]

Re: Stupid Questions?

I think the most awkward (or at least it caught me way off guard) question I've had was last spring at an event that attracts a lot of spectators. I was sitting in the shade doing some mending when a family walked up. I started talking with the kids (usually I start talking with them first--they're really a lot of fun, and it's amazing how fascinated they are by the simplest things when you present it enthusiastically and include them) when the dad said without warning, "if I was looking for a wife, what capabilites do you have that would interest me?" He meant in period context and it was a good question, just caught me quite unprepaired...after a "slight" pause I answered in first person. After quite awhile (the kids and parents asked a lot more questions--about cooking, sewing, my level of education as a young lady etc) they left, but later that day they found me again and requested my autograph--something I wasn't expecting. :)

[PrettyBoyDonovan]

Re: Stupid Questions

I always like it when people think you're from the state you represent.

"You came all the way here from Texas?!"
"Uh, yeah. Livonia, Texas."
"Where's Livonia, Texas?"
"uhhhh...."

[hireddutchcutthroat]

Re: Stupid Questions

Not a stupid question at all, but an interesting occuance happened this last November at Lookout MT. We had a gentleman who was a reencator, and fan of this site start questioning us on our kit and were he could upgrade his own. We dont tend to get visitors asking questions like that out here. He was a refreshing change from the obviously drunk (at 9 AM) couple offering to hang a dang yank fer ther suthn bruthas. :confused_

[PrettyBoyDonovan]

Re: Stupid Questions

Man, I just keep remebering stuff.

Once I saw some really fat biker chick with a Confederate Bandana, and a MI Militia shirt. Her boyfriend(?) was in a wheelchair and was probably drunk. They had these two big dogs. I mean really big dogs. And they were mean dogs. Then they started fighting and broke loose and began chasing people and two Yankees stood thier ground with bayonets fixed in "Gaurd against cavalry". Well, the digs stopped but the biker chick got really pissed off and said something like "Whats your problem?" Does that count as a stupid question?

No, Mr. Donovan, it doesn't. Please limit the discussion to subjects that actually link into the topic at hand, and avoid the non-period use of euphemistic vulgarity, please.

Elizabeth Clark, Moderating Team

[Robert Braun]

Re: Stupid Questions

Some interesting stories here.

Might I again gently nudge my brothers and sisters in historical portrayal towards engaging the public first... and then see where the questions flow? One of the best (and most fun) techniques I have found is to engage the visitor with a period problem or question-- particularly if it happens to be in a particular area of you expertise. For example:


1. "Friend, will you LOOK at these crackers they have issued us? Why these are the poorest specimens we have gotten yet! Would you eat these? What should I do about this?"

2. "Friend, would you do me the kindness of handin' me that stick o' firewood? I need t' prop up my frypan here..."

3. Excuse me Ma'am. I'm writing a letter home... can you tell me how to spell "affectionate?"

4. Iff'n I don't get this laundry done soon, I'm table-meat before my corporal. Could you help me wring my shirt out here?

5. Land! There ain't two timepieces in the company that I can put together with the same time! Friend, what be the time?

6. Miss... pardon me, but might I ask you help me thread this needle?

(Now, No. 6 is my personal favorite, so don't everybody run off and start using it! :wink_smil )

In my experience, you can actually direct and channel the kinds of questions you get by the question(s) or methods you use to engage the visitor.

Regards, Bob.

[BishopLynch]

Re: Stupid Questions

It is very interesting that many of us see children as a way to get the conversation going and not only involve the kids, but get the older spectators asking the who's, what's, when's, and why's. As an Education Major, I have been studying child psychology as well as general teaching methods and I must say that one could spend a lifetime trying to figure out children. The one thing that I am being taught and have learned from my own childhood is that kids need visuals. They learn best when they are shown concrete examples and are able to see things demonstrated. I am student teaching in a kindergarten class right now and am amazed at what these children pick up on, no matter how minute I may think it is. My point is that if we make a good impression with the children and give them hands on demonstrations, it is likely that it will stick with them for quite a while and make them interested in learning more about what the soldiers did and most important, why they did them. Hey, we might even get them interested in learning true history instead of the politically correct B/S the schools shove down their throats now. :tounge_sm

[Fiddlebum]

Re: Stupid Questions

I knit in public a lot, which is a magnet for all manner of questions, which I am more than happy to answer. I'm usually working on socks, which, to the untrained eye, look like the sleeve of a sweater; and people will ask, "Are you making a sweater?"

I got tired of this after awhile, so I came up with a creative answer. I tell people yes, it's a sweater for your feet. :D

A friend of mine told me her theory about all the "is it real" questions, and that is, people are so used to seeing simulated things on TV and in the movies, and they just sort of assume that what they're seeing is only an illusion of some kind. That's fair enough, and I'm happy to suffer the ignorant. (The stupid are another story.) I still don't understand the "is that a real fire" question, though...

Kim Caudell

[hireddutchcutthroat]

Re: Stupid Questions

A while back a pard and I layed out our kits under the shade of a large and spreading palm tree (He was doing Aot I was doing AotC) and we began showing the public the differances and similarities of what a typical western theater soldier would have carried, as well as thought and acted. We had these people totaly engaged in conversation, and there attention was undivided. Then we flanked them! We began talking about historical preservation. Talk about a two edged sword :shades_sm I like to think they all went home that day and put a check in the mail. I am possitive they went home with the understanding of the sacrifice of the men of the blue and the gray, and the need to preserve their memory.

[rebyank]

Re: Stupid Questions

I love the discussion that has sprouted out of my original post. I too have come upon people that are more educated on the war than I thought, but there are some people out there that need to be searched for any form of smarts.
For example,
"Why are all those flags flying in the same direction?"
"Which one of you is davy croket?" got that off of someone else.

There is one that blew my mind. A woman was being educated by a friend of mine on a rev war period french built fort on the east coast. As she was listening to my friend talking on the fort, a train went by on nearby tracks. The woman suddenly said, "Wow, the French must have been smart to put their fort right by the train tracks."

Here's the finally, Several of my pards were at an event in CA. After the battle they were resting in camp, when a lady came up, looking rather po'd "You just think you're sooo authentic, don't you?" My friends were kind of confused, "well, yes we try to be,", "Well you should be speaking spanish!" my friends were shocked," well this is the war where south america invaded north america, isn't it"

well isn't it?

[Jayhawk102]

Re: Stupid Questions

Great Stories,
On thing I dont think helps is some people our turned off by history, thinking it is borning. If we made history more exciting to people maybe we won't have crazy questions.

But one thing I HATE

IS THE TERM BLUE AND THE GRAY, It makes people think the trans miss soldgers from north or south have to where blue or gray.

[hireddutchcutthroat]

PrettyBoyDonovan in Camp of Instruction

Alerting user: hireddutchcutthroat reporting PrettyBoyDonovan
Post ID: 9982 - LINK

Post Message:

Something I've always wanted to do is to portray a barber during a living history event. The only problem I have is I can't seem to find if they do anything except cut hair. If anybody can give me some ideas of what to offer and a rate I should charge, or a book or site that deals with this subject, I'd be much obliged.

One more thing: This wouldn't be considered 'apothecary' would it? I need a good sounding name.

User Complaint:

I dont feel this thread is going anywere. It displays \\\"farb behaviour, and possibly poorly veiled threads.

[SparksBird]

PrettyBoyDonovan in Camp of Instruction

Alerting user: SparksBird reporting PrettyBoyDonovan
Post ID: 10065 - LINK

Post Message:

Air shave the spectators? Is this a comedy routine? :)

Andrew,

Are you a barber in real life by any chance? Is this something you plan on doing in front of spectators? Air shave.... hahaha

Am I a barber? By all means no. But if I can cut dogs hair, and my own hair I'm sure I can give some of my pards some period haircuts.

And I was actully thinking of incorporating some humor into the impresion. Something along the lines of giving someone a horrible cut and them getting pissed off :tounge_sm

User Complaint:

when will this boy ever learn???

[The Pigman]

Re: Stupid Questions

The most interesting spectator interaction I ever saw was at a Rev war event. My kids and I were spectators seeing the sights. Some of the drummers were giving a demonstration and talking about drumming in the revolution. When they asked if any of the spectators had a question an old guy with his grand kids asked if he could see a drum and play for a moment. The old guy stepped up and started rattling off calls on the drum that were some of the best I have ever heard. Then he turned to the rev war drummers and said "I was the chief drummer for the 101 airborn in WWII and havent played in 40 years". The old guy handed the drum back and walked off with his grand kids. An interesting moment to say the least.

Thanks,
Mark C. Foster
9Ky co C