0
SPEAKER_02
I m David Farrier, a New Zealander accidentally marooned in America, and I want to figure out what makes this country tick.
0
SPEAKER_02
Now ever since we started this show about 80 episodes ago, I ve had emails and DMs requesting one thing and one thing alone.
0
SPEAKER_02
I needed to go to a Renaissance Fair.
0
SPEAKER_02
So to cut to the chase, in this episode, I go to a Renaissance Fair.
0
SPEAKER_02
So get ready for a lot of this.
0
SPEAKER_04
Of course, I am the Lord Mayor, Sir Barnabas Bliss.
0
SPEAKER_00
My name do be Mistress Maggie Maybower, and I have been elected as Queen of the May, indeed.
0
SPEAKER_02
Every year, about 200 Wren Fairs take place in the United States, millions of visitors transporting themselves through space and time, usually to the reign of Queen Elizabeth during the 1500s.
0
SPEAKER_02
My history is so bad I really hope that s the right time frame, I think it is.
0
SPEAKER_02
The whole idea of the Renaissance Fair started back in 1963, when English teacher Phyllis Patterson held an event for her students in her backyard.
0
SPEAKER_02
She wanted to bring history to life, to inspire them, to recreate an Elizabethan fair.
0
SPEAKER_02
A few months later, her and her husband Ron put on a bigger one, hosting about 8,000 people.
0
SPEAKER_02
And it kept growing, and in 1966, the official Renaissance Pleasure Fair of Southern California was launched.
0
SPEAKER_02
And while looking into this, I was delighted to find out that that very same Ren Fair was still going today, and so there was obviously only one place I needed to go.
0
SPEAKER_02
So, grab a turkey leg and get ready to travel back in time, because this is the Renaissance Fair episode.
0
SPEAKER_03
Flagless, flagless, flagless bird touchdown in America.
0
SPEAKER_04
All right, since I am filling in for Monica today, I feel obligated to call you out on how you re pronouncing the topic this week.
0
SPEAKER_02
Oh, God.
0
SPEAKER_02
Renaissance.
0
SPEAKER_02
Renaissance.
0
SPEAKER_02
Renaissance is how I would say it.
0
SPEAKER_02
Actually, as I was listening back, I was thinking, is this right?
0
SPEAKER_02
Which is so often in these episodes with these words.
0
SPEAKER_02
I bet it s technically right.
0
SPEAKER_02
I m just going to stick with Renaissance Faire, and we ll see what happens.
0
SPEAKER_02
You just sound maybe a little pompous pronouncing it that way.
0
SPEAKER_02
I am, you know?
0
SPEAKER_02
Monica is having a true nightmare day, and I didn t really want to sit here talking to myself because that would be weird.
0
SPEAKER_02
It would be a monologue, wouldn t it?
0
SPEAKER_02
Are there monologue podcasts?
0
SPEAKER_02
Do they ever have those?
0
SPEAKER_04
There are, but you re already in the doc, too, so... It ll be weird, right?
0
SPEAKER_02
Yeah.
0
SPEAKER_02
So, welcome, Rob.
0
SPEAKER_02
How are you?
0
SPEAKER_02
I m great.
0
SPEAKER_02
Do you have any thoughts on Ren Faires?
0
SPEAKER_02
Have you been to one before?
0
SPEAKER_04
Never been to one.
0
SPEAKER_04
So I used to work at a movie theater and there was a big field next to the movie theater.
0
SPEAKER_04
Right.
0
SPEAKER_04
There was always like a day of the week where people would come dressed up and they had their weapons and then they would fake fight.
0
SPEAKER_02
Yeah, right.
0
SPEAKER_02
So sort of medieval reenactors.
0
SPEAKER_04
It was renaissance attire.
0
SPEAKER_04
Yeah.
0
SPEAKER_02
And did you feel sort of any sort of magnetic pull to thinking, wow, I want to go and check that out.
0
SPEAKER_02
Or were you in your theater with your popcorn just kind of looking on?
0
SPEAKER_02
There was no magnetic pole to check it out.
0
SPEAKER_02
I m just thinking when we did the Lord of the Rings episode, you were very quick to dress up as a hobbit.
0
SPEAKER_02
There was no team meetings.
0
SPEAKER_02
You just turned up as a hobbit.
0
SPEAKER_02
And so that made me think, is there a side to you that is at every Renaissance fair you can possibly go to around America?
0
SPEAKER_04
Maybe in a parallel universe.
0
SPEAKER_04
I like an accurate costume.
0
SPEAKER_02
Okay.
0
SPEAKER_02
Yeah.
0
SPEAKER_02
So, I mean, I feel like you should go to one of these at some point.
0
SPEAKER_02
I feel like Calvin would like it a lot.
0
SPEAKER_02
He d like the atmosphere there.
0
SPEAKER_02
Yeah, he would probably enjoy it.
0
SPEAKER_02
Actually, as a side note, when Calvin gave his review of Lord of the Rings, Fellowship of the Ring, in the Pies episode, people enjoyed it.
0
SPEAKER_02
What was the context?
0
SPEAKER_02
Were you like, we re going to watch this thing, we re going to watch Lord of the Rings, and then just tell me what you think?
0
SPEAKER_02
It was that simple?
0
SPEAKER_04
He watched it, and then I was like, when you re done, come downstairs.
0
SPEAKER_04
I want to talk to you about the movie.
0
SPEAKER_04
It was really good.
0
SPEAKER_04
And every time I put the mic in front of him, he kind of turns it on.
0
SPEAKER_02
Yeah.
0
SPEAKER_02
So that s just having a podcast producing father.
0
SPEAKER_02
He s just sort of like seeped into him.
0
SPEAKER_02
The like and subscribe thing that he said at the end destroyed me.
0
SPEAKER_02
Yeah.
0
SPEAKER_02
Point being, I think both of you would love the idea of a Ren Faire.
0
SPEAKER_02
So obviously I went along, so I m just going to take you into my journey into the Renaissance Faire.
0
SPEAKER_02
And just see if you feel your heart opening up.
0
SPEAKER_04
How do you feel about that era?
0
SPEAKER_04
Because like, when I think Renaissance era, I think Game of Thrones, A Knight s Tale.
0
SPEAKER_02
Yeah, this is a slight problem I have.
0
SPEAKER_02
I was so confused about Renfairs in general, which is apparently how you shorten it.
0
SPEAKER_02
You say Renfair.
0
SPEAKER_02
Is that one word or two?
0
SPEAKER_02
I don t even know.
0
SPEAKER_02
But anyway, when I heard about Renviers, I didn t know whether they were American, whether they were British.
0
SPEAKER_02
I had no clue.
0
SPEAKER_02
I just haven t taken notice of them because I ve got no interest in that era.
0
SPEAKER_02
I just, my brain has no interest in Game of Thrones.
0
SPEAKER_04
Oh, you don t even like those as like movies or TV shows?
0
SPEAKER_02
No, just the aesthetic, for whatever reason, all power to people that like it, but it just holds no appeal.
0
SPEAKER_02
So when I see an event where people seem to be dressed up like they re in sort of the 1500s, or when was Game of Thrones?
0
SPEAKER_02
I mean, it s not real, is it?
0
SPEAKER_01
It s fictional.
0
SPEAKER_01
Is it based on a true story?
0
SPEAKER_02
I just have no interest in people in big fluffy collars and swords.
0
SPEAKER_02
I like sci-fi.
0
SPEAKER_02
I m a sci-fi nerd, and I just really struggle with that era.
0
SPEAKER_02
It doesn t grab me.
0
SPEAKER_04
I think that s where we differ.
0
SPEAKER_04
I do love that era in movies and TV shows.
0
SPEAKER_04
Not that I necessarily want to go drut.
0
SPEAKER_04
To be honest, when I think of Ren Faire, it seems like a costume that s heavy and hot, and the idea of being uncomfortable at it is more than how cool it would look in a knight s armor.
0
SPEAKER_02
You don t want to be sweating in layers of cloaks and hats and everything.
0
SPEAKER_02
No.
0
SPEAKER_02
So what is it about the aesthetic that you like?
0
SPEAKER_02
Because I feel you don t like sci-fi.
0
SPEAKER_02
You love ancient history.
0
SPEAKER_02
I think it s just the historical aspect of it that I like.
0
SPEAKER_04
And it s rooted in some sort of reality, and it takes place in our universe.
0
SPEAKER_02
The more you re saying, the more I think Renfe is quite possibly the thing for you.
0
SPEAKER_02
Everything you re saying, I think you re in some state of denial.
0
SPEAKER_02
Yeah, it s possible.
0
SPEAKER_02
So I went to my first Ren Fair.
0
SPEAKER_02
This was a couple of weekends ago.
0
SPEAKER_02
I don t know if you ll notice in the documentary, but I feel I should say I was the most hungover I ve been in a really long time.
0
SPEAKER_02
Not because of excessive drinking.
0
SPEAKER_02
I m just old.
0
SPEAKER_02
I had five beers the night before.
0
SPEAKER_02
I woke up feeling like I wanted to die.
0
SPEAKER_02
And then what I did, I got in my car and drove an hour into like a really hot
0
SPEAKER_02
part of california where this rent fares held and i just the entire time just so you know i wanted to vomit and die but i think i did really well i will see.
0
SPEAKER_02
It s about 1pm, and I m about an hour out of central LA, and I m about to enter my first Renaissance Fair.
0
SPEAKER_02
It s hard to describe how hot today is, and I m already sweating, and I m glad to be wearing sunscreen.
0
SPEAKER_07
Yeah, yeah, good, good.
0
SPEAKER_02
I m from New Zealand.
0
SPEAKER_02
It s the first time I ve been to a something like this.
0
SPEAKER_07
Welcome to America, homie!
0
SPEAKER_02
This particular homie was standing in line, surrounded by people who are all very excited.
0
SPEAKER_07
It s just an excuse to dress up.
0
SPEAKER_07
We re the costume event type people, so we go to a lot of stuff like this.
0
SPEAKER_07
The Red Fair is the big one.
0
SPEAKER_02
I should point out that the people in front of me are dressed as toadstools.
0
SPEAKER_06
I m a mushroom.
0
SPEAKER_06
I m a deathtap mushroom.
0
SPEAKER_06
And he s a toadstool.
0
SPEAKER_06
No, no, I m inkblot.
0
SPEAKER_06
Fun fact about mushrooms, China has a mushroom and in a lot of the Asian countries I believe it s called a inkstool mushroom and they actually did use it for ink in the medieval times.
0
SPEAKER_02
Phyllis, the teacher responsible for the existence of the Ren Faire, would be happy that I m already learning.
0
SPEAKER_05
I m not going to lie.
0
SPEAKER_05
I was hesitant to want to come do something like this because it s out of my comfort zone, but I m a history buff and this is kind of fun.
0
SPEAKER_00
I love the vibes.
0
SPEAKER_00
Everyone is really great about community here.
0
SPEAKER_02
And what are you?
0
SPEAKER_00
I m a fire fairy.
0
SPEAKER_02
After passing through a short security line, me and the mushroom and the fire fairy enter the fair.
0
SPEAKER_02
Stepping through the gates, I enter what I guess is a small Elizabethan village, complete with villages and stores.
0
SPEAKER_02
I spot a blacksmiths, some weavers, some glass blowers, and a kitchen that claims to be cooking authentic Elizabethan recipes.
0
SPEAKER_01
We are the oldest Renaissance Fair in the nation.
0
SPEAKER_01
We re celebrating 63 years.
0
SPEAKER_02
Congratulations.
0
SPEAKER_01
Thank you very much.
0
SPEAKER_01
We re very proud of that fact.
0
SPEAKER_01
And we are the largest pop-up event in the nation.
0
SPEAKER_02
My guide this afternoon is Kristen, the senior managing producer at Renaissance Entertainment Productions, who runs the Renaissance Fair.
0
SPEAKER_02
After Phyllis Patterson came up with this whole concept over 6 decades ago, it s grown and grown, purchased by various other entities, until it ended up with Kristen and her company.
0
SPEAKER_02
Now it s bigger than it s ever been, held at the Santa Fe Dam, and while Coachella has 2 weekends, this thing has 7 weekends.
0
SPEAKER_01
So it takes us approximately five weeks to build.
0
SPEAKER_01
We run for seven weeks.
1
SPEAKER_02
against, and then it s a matter of a teardown.
1
SPEAKER_02
But what we do is we provide an immersive, inclusive environment of escapism.
1
SPEAKER_02
So you re going to walk around and you re going to see people living history and demonstrations, and our guests are here.
1
SPEAKER_02
Their faces are not in their phones.
1
SPEAKER_02
They re actually being involved in an immersive experience.
1
SPEAKER_01
And everyone here, it feels like everyone except me, is completely in character and dressed up.
1
SPEAKER_02
Well, we could fix that if you d like.
1
SPEAKER_01
Is that a threat?
1
SPEAKER_02
No, no, no, no.
1
SPEAKER_02
It s actually a promise.
1
SPEAKER_01
So, I m not dressed up.
1
SPEAKER_01
I mean, I ve got clothes on my body, but they re just my normal clothes, not whatever it is that everyone else is wearing here.
1
SPEAKER_01
I m in shorts, a t-shirt, and some purple Crocs.
1
SPEAKER_01
I ve got a few excuses for this, none of them that if you love renaissance fairs that will stack up.
1
SPEAKER_01
Firstly, this is all new to me.
1
SPEAKER_01
I m here to see what it s all about.
1
SPEAKER_01
If I love it, next year, I ll come back, dressed up as a knight or bard or whatever.
1
SPEAKER_01
Also, this is a podcast, you can t see me.
1
SPEAKER_01
I could have edited all this out and you wouldn t know any better.
1
SPEAKER_01
Look, I m just being honest, don t sue me.
1
SPEAKER_02
Don t be afraid to talk to people.
1
SPEAKER_02
I m sure that they will love the interactions.
1
SPEAKER_01
That seemed like a weird thing to say.
1
SPEAKER_01
Don t be afraid to talk to people.
1
SPEAKER_01
We ll come back to this.
1
SPEAKER_01
Seems like a very well-behaved crowd so far.
1
SPEAKER_01
Do people come in here and get sort of boozed up, or is it a very sober event?
1
SPEAKER_02
Very family-friendly, but we have something for everyone.
1
SPEAKER_02
So, you ll find that we have four pub crawls a day, if that s something that you want.
1
SPEAKER_02
We also have an adult-only area, if that s something that you want.
1
SPEAKER_02
We also have a kid s kingdom area for the Liyuan.
1
SPEAKER_02
So we are definitely a family-friendly environment, but there is something for everyone.
1
SPEAKER_02
And I d like to consider this the largest costume party in LA.
1
SPEAKER_01
Looking around, I can see she s right.
1
SPEAKER_01
Most people here, apart from a few dickheads like me, are engaged in one of the biggest cosplays I ve ever seen.
1
SPEAKER_02
And also awe-inspiring because so many of our guests make their costumes by hand.
1
SPEAKER_01
Apparently the theme of this weekend is Cottagecore, something I hadn t heard of until now.
1
SPEAKER_01
According to Wikipedia, it s an aesthetic and design style that encourages adopting a simpler lifestyle.
1
SPEAKER_01
Its design characteristics include vintage and handcrafted items such as clothing, candles, furniture, and needlework.
1
SPEAKER_01
We pass through an area that s full of people gathered around tables, furiously working away on what seems to be armour?
1
SPEAKER_02
Queens College, this is a wonderful guild where you can go in and learn to create different products.
1
SPEAKER_02
So chain mail, leather crafting, silk dyeing, weaving.
1
SPEAKER_01
I m not a history buff, so I don t really know or honestly care that much about Elizabethan times, but I d basically explain it by saying it s like I ve stumbled into an interactive Shakespeare play that s going on all around me.
1
SPEAKER_02
I m going to introduce you to our May Queen.
1
SPEAKER_01
Okay, what is a May Queen?
1
SPEAKER_01
I will let her... Suddenly I m confronted by this woman in this giant, colorful explosion of a dress.
1
SPEAKER_01
She s wearing a ton of makeup and has a very loud voice.
1
SPEAKER_04
My name do be Mistress Maggie Maybower and I have been elected as Queen of the May, indeed.
1
SPEAKER_01
Okay, so this is what Kristen was alluding to earlier.
1
SPEAKER_02
Don t be afraid to talk to people.
1
SPEAKER_02
I m sure that they will love the interactions.
1
SPEAKER_01
She said that because most of the people dressed up here are in character and they re committed to the bit.
1
SPEAKER_01
Really committed.
1
SPEAKER_04
It is my responsibility to make certain that all is in ready for our wondrous springtime festival here.
1
SPEAKER_04
Making certain that we are joyously celebrating the transition from winter into our spring for we have been blessed to survive yet one more harsh winter.
1
SPEAKER_01
Listening back to this audio, it s a lot, and I feel like you ll either be on board or you won t, you re cynical or you embrace it.
1
SPEAKER_01
All I ll add is that when you re there, surrounded by thousands of people in dress up, all taking part in this same narrative, it s this really unique, immersive experience.
1
SPEAKER_01
And it s all feeding into this storyline that s going on today, which involves Queen Elizabeth going to watch a jousting match.
1
SPEAKER_04
To be honest, I found it really hard to interact with people when they re all acting.
1
SPEAKER_04
I think it s because I wasn t acting, I was just being me.
1
SPEAKER_01
And suddenly, being me, I felt really out of place.
1
SPEAKER_01
I was in the wrong century.
1
SPEAKER_05
We began this day, opened up for the whole world, and the whole world seemed to come in!
1
SPEAKER_05
It s amazing!
1
SPEAKER_01
A lot of my day was just this, talking to people from 400 years ago.
1
SPEAKER_01
By the time I was introduced to Queen Elizabeth, I was a bit of a weird hot mess.
1
SPEAKER_01
It s like my brain couldn t figure out the context of how I was meant to conduct these interviews.
1
SPEAKER_01
So I knew I had the Queen in front of me, but I d forgotten that we were meant to be in England.
1
SPEAKER_01
We are in the United States of America at the moment, and this is a podcast about America.
1
SPEAKER_01
What are you doing here in America at the moment?
1
SPEAKER_01
What brings you here?
1
SPEAKER_03
But we are in England, sir, are we not?
1
SPEAKER_03
Indeed.
1
SPEAKER_03
But we are sending some of our finest sailors out to the New World, that perhaps they may form a colony in our name.
1
SPEAKER_03
I have been told they are to name it Virginia, in our honour.
1
SPEAKER_01
We talk for a while, me here in 2024 and her in the mid-1500s, and when I leave, all the other royals who have been gathering around us start yelling.
1
SPEAKER_06
God save the Queen!
1
SPEAKER_06
God save the Queen!
1
SPEAKER_01
As I walk away, the Queen gets up and is taken to a carriage, drawn by horses that are actually people posing as horses.
1
SPEAKER_06
Right, pleased and am I and glad to present unto thee, Her Majesty, Gloriana Elizabeth, Queen of England, Ireland, Wales and France, defender of the true Atheist and Catholic faith.
1
SPEAKER_01
With the Queen towering over us all, an impromptu parade begins, and we all head to the joust.
1
SPEAKER_06
Hip hip, huzzah indeed.
1
SPEAKER_01
Now, Rob, can you just imagine being surrounded by people screaming and yelling at you as you want to vomit and your brain is just in utter agony from drinking too much alcohol the night before?
1
SPEAKER_00
That sounds like a nightmare.
1
SPEAKER_00
It was rough.
1
SPEAKER_00
I m also feeling very anxious on your behalf, because I think we re both not the most outgoing, maybe a little awkward.
1
SPEAKER_01
Absolutely.
1
SPEAKER_01
We are introverted by default.
1
SPEAKER_00
So the self-consciousness that you probably felt not being in character while these other people were in character.
1
SPEAKER_01
You get it.
1
SPEAKER_01
I get it.
1
SPEAKER_01
It was that.
1
SPEAKER_01
And once I realized what was happening, I didn t realize how committed.
1
SPEAKER_01
I kind of assumed that once I walked up to people and said, I m doing this podcast, they d sort of slip out of character and kind of tell me about the actual reality of the situation.
1
SPEAKER_01
But everyone
1
SPEAKER_01
It s just so on board.
1
SPEAKER_01
And then I m like, I don t really want to talk to someone pretending to be the queen for 400 years ago for this show, but then you can t help but sort of marvel at the fact everyone is committed to the bit.
1
SPEAKER_01
Right.
1
SPEAKER_01
But it s like, how do I navigate that world as I walk around like an idiot in my purple Crocs?
1
SPEAKER_01
I mean, I was the idiot in the situation, like everyone else was doing the right thing except me.
1
SPEAKER_00
Well, you have some codependence too, probably, where you don t want them then to feel weird about committing to this and this thing that they re passionate about, clearly.
1
SPEAKER_01
That s exactly it.
1
SPEAKER_01
So I m nodding along to them, sort of going, great, sweating a lot, and then just trying to think of questions that let them bounce off and do their acting thing.
1
SPEAKER_00
Do you think if you had gone into it with the costume and character assigned to you that you would feel any better committing to that?
1
SPEAKER_01
I am self-conscious and I m weirdly doing what I do.
1
SPEAKER_01
I don t like putting myself in front of a lot of people.
1
SPEAKER_01
But I think in this situation, being dressed up would have been like a disguise and it would have made it fine.
1
SPEAKER_01
And I think you could see people there that weren t into it just going around slowly being kind of won over by the whole thing, you know?
1
SPEAKER_00
How many people were there?
1
SPEAKER_01
There were thousands of people.
1
SPEAKER_00
Thousands.
1
SPEAKER_00
Were you the only one not in a costume?
1
SPEAKER_00
No.
1
SPEAKER_01
The great thing was, there were a few people that weren t.
1
SPEAKER_01
It s not like, to enter the doors of the Ren Faire, you must be in costume.
1
SPEAKER_01
It was super relaxed.
1
SPEAKER_01
And this was pretty loose.
1
SPEAKER_01
I think some Ren Faires go a bit harder in having to stick to Elizabethan times.
1
SPEAKER_01
Literally, you had mushrooms walking around.
1
SPEAKER_01
I saw some Star Wars figures and stuff.
1
SPEAKER_01
It was just a big cosplay.
1
SPEAKER_01
So people just went as everything.
1
SPEAKER_01
And I went as myself.
1
SPEAKER_01
Is there anything in there that made you think, hey, this could be for me.
1
SPEAKER_01
This is me, this is the real me.
1
SPEAKER_00
I was too stuck on how self-conscious I would feel having to put on an accent and get into character.
2
SPEAKER_05
And there s a whole storyline that plays out over the day.
2
SPEAKER_05
The other thing I didn t understand until I went there, these are actors that are into this.
2
SPEAKER_05
They re theater people.
2
SPEAKER_05
It s not random people.
2
SPEAKER_05
They ve got people they employ to drag that audience in.
2
SPEAKER_05
And so you ll walk around and have these interactions with these people.
2
SPEAKER_05
I guess the closest I d compare it to in America is when you go to Universal or Disney or something and you re walking around in Star Wars land and the Stormtroopers are in character.
2
SPEAKER_05
It s that.
2
SPEAKER_06
I mean, my church as a kid did something similar to this.
2
SPEAKER_06
I remember going to a church.
2
SPEAKER_06
They set up like a market and there were people in character and you get dough and bread that they d made as if they would have during that time with Jesus.
2
SPEAKER_06
How old were you at this time?
2
SPEAKER_06
Probably like 10.
2
SPEAKER_06
Did you dress up as a little?
2
SPEAKER_06
No, I did not dress up.
2
SPEAKER_05
But you just went along and had some dough.
2
SPEAKER_06
I think that s the closest I ve been to a renaissance fair.
2
SPEAKER_05
Yeah, I feel like churches are really good in America at Easter to putting on these interactive nativity displays or Christmas, I guess.
2
SPEAKER_05
But they do the Easter resurrection where they like drag the cross down the... I want to do the one of the drive-thru ones where you just sit in the car and drive through as all the stuff happens around you.
2
SPEAKER_05
I think they ve got some drive-thru ones as well.
2
SPEAKER_05
God, America just loves a show.
2
SPEAKER_05
Stay tuned for more Flightless Bird.
2
SPEAKER_05
We ll be right back after a word from our sponsors.
2
SPEAKER_02
It makes such a difference in your whole day, how you sleep at night.
2
SPEAKER_02
And mattresses are obviously a huge part of that.
2
SPEAKER_05
Yeah, I know it s said a lot, but we do spend a lot of our time sleeping.
2
SPEAKER_05
So it is something that s worth thinking about.
2
SPEAKER_05
And the Helix lineup offers 20 different unique mattresses that includes their award-winning Luxe and ultra premium Elite collections.
2
SPEAKER_05
It s also got the Helix Plus, which is a mattress design for big and tall sleepers.
2
SPEAKER_05
You just go online.
2
SPEAKER_05
You take the Helix quiz and you get matched to a mattress that suits your body and then boom, it s at your front door ready to use.
2
SPEAKER_02
What I also like is they offer a hundred night trial and a 10 to 15 year warranty to try out your new Helix mattress because they do understand that you got to lay on it.
2
SPEAKER_05
You gotta lay on it.
2
SPEAKER_05
When I took the quiz, I was matched with a midnight mattress because I wanted a mattress with a medium feel and I tend to sleep on my side and I ve been happy with that one ever since.
2
SPEAKER_05
Helix is now offering up to 30% off all mattress orders and two free pillows for our listeners.
2
SPEAKER_05
Go to helixsleep.com slash bird.
2
SPEAKER_05
That s helixsleep.com slash bird.
2
SPEAKER_05
This is their best offer yet and it won t last long.
2
SPEAKER_05
With Helix, better sleep starts now.
2
SPEAKER_06
Well, if you were to commit to this, would you rather be employed as a character with some sort of guidelines and script?
2
SPEAKER_05
I like rules and boundaries, so I d want to be told what to do.
2
SPEAKER_05
I m like, you are this person, just say some of these lines.
2
SPEAKER_05
Your job is to go around filling in this part of the story.
2
SPEAKER_05
I m not an improv guy.
2
SPEAKER_05
Like for me, the idea of going in character and improv-ing, it s a true nightmare to me.
2
SPEAKER_05
People have nightmares about being buried alive.
2
SPEAKER_05
My nightmare is being on stage at an improv show, having to improvise with actors.
2
SPEAKER_05
I d want to die.
2
SPEAKER_06
What if you were with a group of your friends though?
2
SPEAKER_06
If you got 15 people you know.
2
SPEAKER_05
Yeah, that s the way to do it.
2
SPEAKER_05
And that was my other mistake.
2
SPEAKER_05
I was there on my own, which is, I mean, any social interaction on your own can be quite rough.
2
SPEAKER_05
If I was there with 10 friends and we were all on board, then this would have been a whole different situation.
2
SPEAKER_05
And I still enjoyed it.
2
SPEAKER_05
It was just, the hangover was hard and the awkwardness was high.
2
SPEAKER_05
In saying that, I did like the joust.
2
SPEAKER_05
As I wander towards the joust, I clock how big this Ren Fair is.
2
SPEAKER_05
About 30 acres.
2
SPEAKER_05
My crocs are getting dusty.
2
SPEAKER_05
On my little trip I meet a bunch of people, all in character.
2
SPEAKER_05
A man dressed as some kind of farmer calls me over, beckoning to the letters on my shirt.
2
SPEAKER_09
I am practicing my letters.
2
SPEAKER_09
Help me.
2
SPEAKER_09
You remember letters, right?
2
SPEAKER_05
Ah yes, everyone is in character, and I guess this one is learning to read.
2
SPEAKER_09
I, of course.
2
SPEAKER_09
Good day.
2
SPEAKER_09
I m practicing my letters.
2
SPEAKER_09
Give me just a moment.
2
SPEAKER_09
That s D. I know that one.
2
SPEAKER_09
That one is... E. Oh, because it s three.
2
SPEAKER_09
E. Three.
2
SPEAKER_09
It s got the three.
2
SPEAKER_05
I also talked to the mayor, Lord Barnabas Bliss, the one yelling all those hip-hip-hizzahs earlier.
2
SPEAKER_05
I ve seen a little bit of you today, and you ve always been yelling.
2
SPEAKER_05
You ve got such a loud voice.
2
SPEAKER_05
And I m just wondering how you keep your voice throughout this whole weekend, multiple weekends.
2
SPEAKER_08
Aye, indeed.
2
SPEAKER_08
Well, firstly, you keep hydrated.
2
SPEAKER_08
Get you a good ale, or in my case, Adam s Ale.
2
SPEAKER_08
That s water for thee.
2
SPEAKER_08
And of course, that makes sure that the dry environment doesn t completely remove my voice.
2
SPEAKER_05
Eventually, we get to the joust.
2
SPEAKER_05
I manage to slip into the front row for a good view.
2
SPEAKER_05
It s my first joust, and I don t want to miss anything.
2
SPEAKER_05
At the end of the dusty jousting area, I see the Queen in her royal court.
2
SPEAKER_05
The crowd s divided in two on either side of the jousting field.
2
SPEAKER_05
Field?
2
SPEAKER_05
I don t know what you call the jousting area.
2
SPEAKER_05
We ll go with field.
2
SPEAKER_05
Anyway, we re introduced to the jousters, Max Millian and Don Vincento.
2
SPEAKER_05
Each side of the crowd roots for a different knight, my side s rooting for Maximilian, who the other side boos.
2
SPEAKER_05
Something in this taps into the competitive nature of the American psyche, and everyone is just incredibly on board.
2
SPEAKER_05
I find myself incredibly on board.
2
SPEAKER_01
First, riding for this entire length of the field, your team is the Order of the Moon and Lion!
2
SPEAKER_05
I turn to the person behind me.
2
SPEAKER_05
She s tiny and really excited.
2
SPEAKER_05
I m not sure how to make conversation at a joust, but I do my best.
2
SPEAKER_05
They re big horses.
2
SPEAKER_03
They re huge, and his costume is really awesome.
2
SPEAKER_03
I kind of want to roof him just for the costume.
2
SPEAKER_03
The knights are handsome.
2
SPEAKER_05
They are.
2
SPEAKER_05
I think you ve got to be handsome to be a knight, right?
2
SPEAKER_03
Yeah.
2
SPEAKER_03
I mean, there s a scale, but they re on the higher end of the scale.
2
SPEAKER_05
The girl s name s Jordan.
2
SPEAKER_05
She loves Ren Fairs, and it s her first time at this Ren Fair.
2
SPEAKER_05
She s made a big trip to be here with her boyfriend.
2
SPEAKER_03
I m having an amazing time.
2
SPEAKER_03
And I m from New York, so like, yeah.
2
SPEAKER_03
Went to Coachella when I was 14, and this is a first experience.
2
SPEAKER_03
I really wanted to come last year, so I got free tickets from a colleague this year.
2
SPEAKER_03
And now I get to have a little taste.
2
SPEAKER_03
But next year, I m coming fully dressed.
2
SPEAKER_03
This is really awesome.
2
SPEAKER_03
I grew up learning about Renaissance and medieval culture.
2
SPEAKER_03
My whole ninth grade was about the rise of the individual.
2
SPEAKER_03
So we learned about the Medici family, all of that.
2
SPEAKER_03
And my boyfriend is really into history and Renaissance culture.
2
SPEAKER_05
And for half an hour, Jordan and I enjoy some Renaissance culture.
2
SPEAKER_05
The nights joust, and the crowd gets loud.
2
SPEAKER_05
Unfortunately for our side, our jouster Maximilian loses quite badly.
2
SPEAKER_05
I see him afterwards, where he s still in character of course and flirting with the audience, who, like Jordan, noticed how handsome he was.
2
SPEAKER_04
Thank you, sweet love.
2
SPEAKER_04
We should get married, you and I. Don t tell the queen.
2
SPEAKER_04
Oh, look at them.
2
SPEAKER_04
They re excellent.
2
SPEAKER_04
This particular audience is so much fun, for they pick up any single little phrase and then chant it.
2
SPEAKER_04
And we love that.
2
SPEAKER_04
They are delightful.
2
SPEAKER_04
What s the secret to being a good jouster?
2
SPEAKER_04
To be honest and fair, it s a good partnership with your most beautiful horse.
2
SPEAKER_04
No matter what we re doing out there, if we re not connected with our horse as a partner, we are doomed.
2
SPEAKER_04
That is in fact, in all honesty, the truth.
2
SPEAKER_05
While we talked, Maximilian mentioned his daughter was also out there involved in the joust.
2
SPEAKER_05
I wasn t sure if this was in character, or out of character, so I raised it with Kristen.
2
SPEAKER_00
Within the joust itself, there are several families.
2
SPEAKER_00
So we ve got his daughter, he also has twin sons who perform.
2
SPEAKER_00
There s another father and son duo out here as well, along with another father and daughter duo.
2
SPEAKER_05
My day here is coming to an end.
2
SPEAKER_05
As I m leaving the Joust, I bump into a couple of my friends, Karen and Brian.
2
SPEAKER_05
It s not really a surprise they re here as they love this kind of thing.
2
SPEAKER_05
I wonder what they made of the Joust compared to other Ren Fairs around the United States.
2
SPEAKER_07
I ve been to the Maryland Ren Faire multiple times.
2
SPEAKER_07
I don t know if you know this, but in Maryland, technically the state sport is jousting.
2
SPEAKER_07
And so the jousts there are fantastic.
2
SPEAKER_05
Oh my God, I can only imagine.
2
SPEAKER_07
Yeah, it s high level jousting.
2
SPEAKER_07
I really can t watch it anywhere else.
2
SPEAKER_07
I m so disappointed, really.
2
SPEAKER_05
What s the best thing you ve seen so far today?
2
SPEAKER_07
Ooh, we got to see some really good whippin  today.
2
SPEAKER_07
Some solid fire whippin .
2
SPEAKER_07
That was pretty solid.
2
SPEAKER_07
And I feel like if you are the guy who has whips at a Ren Faire, you re basically the king of the Ren Faire.
2
SPEAKER_05
I leave Brian and Karen to go and eat a turkey leg, which for the record I didn t get as I m attempting to be a vegetarian at the moment.
2
SPEAKER_05
All in all, I m just so impressed by the scale of this thing.
3
SPEAKER_02
Because I would assume people would come on one weekend and they d be done.
3
SPEAKER_02
There s so many weekends.
3
SPEAKER_02
How is that possible?
3
SPEAKER_00
Well, I think you can attest to the fact that you ve been here for a good several hours and you have not been able to see everything.
3
SPEAKER_00
So every single time people come to our show, you have a different experience.
3
SPEAKER_00
And when we add even more special events into the mix and themed weekends, it brings a whole new flavor.
3
SPEAKER_00
So it s always fresh.
3
SPEAKER_02
It is fresh, but I m dirty.
3
SPEAKER_02
My crocs are full of dirt and dust and sweat and I ve got sunscreen in my eyes.
3
SPEAKER_02
Oh my god, how do I get out of here?
3
SPEAKER_02
I can t find the exit.
3
SPEAKER_02
The last person I talk to as I leave actually looks like they re going to Coachella.
3
SPEAKER_02
Maybe Coachella 30 or 40 years ago.
3
SPEAKER_02
I m not sure if they re in cosplay or this is just them, but they re clearly rock fans.
3
SPEAKER_02
These are my people.
3
SPEAKER_01
I love all the different walks of life.
3
SPEAKER_01
That s what I love.
3
SPEAKER_01
And everyone coming here and celebrating and having a good time.
3
SPEAKER_01
A little bit of contraband, a little bit of rock and roll bands, and it s all good.
3
SPEAKER_01
You know who you remind me of?
3
SPEAKER_01
Who?
3
SPEAKER_01
You ain t gonna know who I m talking about.
3
SPEAKER_01
There s a drummer named Joe Travers that used to play with Zappa, and he played for Duran Duran.
3
SPEAKER_01
You got his mouth, dude.
3
SPEAKER_01
Right?
3
SPEAKER_01
I like this.
3
SPEAKER_01
Is this a compliment?
3
SPEAKER_01
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
3
SPEAKER_01
Very.
3
SPEAKER_01
Yeah, Joe Travers is a... Dude, Joe Travers taught... What s the original... The guy from... Joe Travers taught the drummer of Zappa his own parts.
3
SPEAKER_01
The one that... What are words for?
3
SPEAKER_01
Oh, shit.
3
SPEAKER_01
Terribogio.
3
SPEAKER_02
As they endlessly talk about Joe Travers, the man who had my mouth, I slipped away, got in my car, and drove back to the big city.
3
SPEAKER_02
Earlier that day, I d posted a photo on my Instagram, me with Queen Elizabeth.
3
SPEAKER_02
I looked at the replies and was shocked to see Mara Wilson had replied.
3
SPEAKER_02
Mara is American royalty.
3
SPEAKER_02
She played Matilda in the Roald Dahl movie, Matilda.
3
SPEAKER_02
And I read her comment about me being at my first Ren Fair.
3
SPEAKER_02
To David.
3
SPEAKER_02
Is this not a thing in New Zealand?
3
SPEAKER_02
Or just not your thing?
3
SPEAKER_02
Anyway, it s very fun to have a thousand years of history condensed into cosplay, turkey legs, getting day drunk, and probably also heat exhaustion.
3
SPEAKER_02
I think I got at least one of those things.
3
SPEAKER_02
So yeah, that was my journey into a hungover Ren Faire.
3
SPEAKER_02
I got some questions.
3
SPEAKER_02
No, please, hit me.
3
SPEAKER_02
The Jousting?
3
SPEAKER_02
They had real horses?
3
SPEAKER_02
Yeah, they did.
3
SPEAKER_02
They were real horses.
3
SPEAKER_02
So I really, as I listen back to my documentary, I really don t think I set the scene as well as I needed to.
3
SPEAKER_02
Real horses, big horses.
3
SPEAKER_03
Big horses.
3
SPEAKER_03
Do you think it was rigged?
3
SPEAKER_02
Absolutely.
3
SPEAKER_03
Were they hitting each other?
3
SPEAKER_02
Yeah, they had targets.
3
SPEAKER_02
They weren t knocking each other off the horses, but they had targets on their armor that the other jouster had to hit off.
3
SPEAKER_02
It s like wooden jousts.
3
SPEAKER_02
It wasn t like they were going to murder each other.
3
SPEAKER_02
That would have been amazing.
3
SPEAKER_02
But the jousters are incredible at jousting.
3
SPEAKER_02
Their aim is amazing.
3
SPEAKER_02
They ve got these big jousting sticks and they re literally hitting these tiny targets.
3
SPEAKER_02
And also, I would say the whole thing is scripted out.
3
SPEAKER_02
So I think they know what side is going to win, what s going to lose.
3
SPEAKER_02
Because they rile the two sides of the audience up so much and you re so on board.
3
SPEAKER_02
And it was kind of remarkable to see.
3
SPEAKER_02
It s just that purely from the announcer and then the knights playing to the crowd on either side.
3
SPEAKER_02
You know about Medieval Times, right?
3
SPEAKER_02
I m glad you brought this up, because this is clearly somewhere I need to go.
3
SPEAKER_03
Do you not know about Medieval Times?
3
SPEAKER_02
I know about Medieval Times, I need to go to Medieval Times.
3
SPEAKER_03
It s essentially that, it s a little more theatrical, because they also do sword fighting, and there s multiple knights, so you ve got...
3
SPEAKER_03
This is from, I know it from Cable Guy.
3
SPEAKER_03
Cable Guy, yeah.
3
SPEAKER_03
Cable Guy, like, made a big hit.
3
SPEAKER_03
And is this a chain, or is it one place?
3
SPEAKER_03
It s a chain, because there was one by my house, growing up, in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, they had one, and we went on a field trip in sixth grade.
3
SPEAKER_03
So you went for school?
3
SPEAKER_03
For school we went, and then, once you hit your twenties, people, ironically, like to have birthday parties there.
3
SPEAKER_03
Do you eat dinner?
3
SPEAKER_03
They have throwback food, it s turkey legs, and you have... Oh my god.
3
SPEAKER_02
beers out of steins and it s a whole thing though this sounds amazing like this is obviously an episode we need to do so it s it s basically the joust but just the joust from the ren fair and there s food there s more to it there s fighting have you seen a knight s tale he fledger yeah yeah yeah it s been a while but yes
3
SPEAKER_03
Because I think jousting is just one of many things.
3
SPEAKER_03
Many elements.
3
SPEAKER_03
Yeah, yeah.
3
SPEAKER_03
There s multiple parts to it.
3
SPEAKER_03
So it s a whole show that you re going to.
3
SPEAKER_02
So America loves jousting.
3
SPEAKER_02
It s the national sport of Maryland?
3
SPEAKER_02
Maryland.
3
SPEAKER_02
Maryland.
3
SPEAKER_01
Words are so hard.
3
SPEAKER_02
Was that the right state that they said?
3
SPEAKER_02
Brian is a bit of a funny man, so he might have been pulling my leg, but America does seem to love jousting.
3
SPEAKER_02
I mean, you just said Medieval Times is a whole thing.
3
SPEAKER_02
Every Ren Fair has jousting as like a central thing.
3
SPEAKER_02
It s entertaining to watch.
3
SPEAKER_03
Yeah, absolutely.
3
SPEAKER_03
I mean, there was a reason why it was a thing back then.
3
SPEAKER_02
The other thing that s so unusual, you know, this is a show we re making about America.
3
SPEAKER_02
The Ren Faire is so American.
3
SPEAKER_02
It s not based in America.
3
SPEAKER_02
It s all based on the founders of America, which I just find so weird that America is like, this is our thing and we re all in.
3
SPEAKER_02
Because I feel so much of the time, and I might be wrong on this, but America is not thinking of its roots at all.
3
SPEAKER_02
It s like, we re American.
3
SPEAKER_02
This is what we do.
3
SPEAKER_02
And whereas the Ren Faire is just the polar opposite.
3
SPEAKER_02
It s like, no, this is- A throwback to our roots.
3
SPEAKER_02
It s like freaking England, you know?
3
SPEAKER_02
Yeah.
3
SPEAKER_03
It s the weirdest thing.
3
SPEAKER_03
How do you feel about the whole role-play aspect of it?
3
SPEAKER_02
Okay, so back in New Zealand, I went to journalism school, and then I graduated and I started working part-time in a TV newsroom, and the very first story I ever put to air, which took me so long, it was like a minute and a half story, it was the tiniest little thing, it took me so long to make,
3
SPEAKER_02
I did it about live action role players, or LARPers.
3
SPEAKER_02
My whole thing back then, you know, I wanted to bring subcultures to mainstream New Zealand TV.
3
SPEAKER_02
So I wasn t a LARPer, but I knew about this world.
3
SPEAKER_02
And I am just fascinated by that culture.
3
SPEAKER_02
The idea that you just want to fully commit to escaping the real world, you re all on board with whatever the rules are of that LARP.
3
SPEAKER_02
I could very easily, I think, if I made a few different life decisions, be a LARPer.
3
SPEAKER_02
If I had enough friends doing it, I think I could get into it.
3
SPEAKER_03
Maybe he ll work at Medieval Times.
3
SPEAKER_03
I did have a friend that worked at Medieval Times and he would watch the... It s a castle.
3
SPEAKER_03
It is an actual castle.
3
SPEAKER_03
Oh my God, this gets bitter and bitter.
3
SPEAKER_03
And I remember once he texted me at two in the morning and was like, do you want to come to the castle?
3
SPEAKER_03
The horses got out and I m like, this is such a... Do you want to come to the castle?
3
SPEAKER_03
The horses got out.
3
SPEAKER_03
I never wanted to do anything more than I wanted to go to the castle and play with the horses.
3
SPEAKER_03
And they tried to get him to be a knight as well.
3
SPEAKER_03
He was a server there and then would pick up shifts watching the castle on midnight shift.
3
SPEAKER_03
And I guess the pay was worse to be a knight and it was much more physically demanding.
3
SPEAKER_03
Oh, incredible.
3
SPEAKER_02
So he was like, yeah, I don t want to do that.
3
SPEAKER_02
Yeah.
3
SPEAKER_03
He s like, I make more tips.
3
SPEAKER_02
Oh, that s so funny.
3
SPEAKER_02
Because you d think that night s the thing that everyone s desperately wanting to do.
3
SPEAKER_02
Yeah, all that glory.
3
SPEAKER_02
All the glory.
3
SPEAKER_02
The nights that I watched were clearly love the attention.
3
SPEAKER_02
They were soaking it up.
3
SPEAKER_02
And I guess that s the whole thing.
3
SPEAKER_02
And his daughter s in there.
3
SPEAKER_02
His sons are in there.
3
SPEAKER_02
It is this family affair.
3
SPEAKER_02
So this guy, and he wouldn t drop characters.
3
SPEAKER_02
I couldn t really find out that much from him.
3
SPEAKER_02
So annoying.
3
SPEAKER_02
But he just travels around Renfes being a knight.
3
SPEAKER_02
And that s his job.
3
SPEAKER_02
I mean, it s a unique thing to do.
3
SPEAKER_02
I mean, it s a cool job to have.
3
SPEAKER_02
Kind of amazing.
3
SPEAKER_02
I mean, very accurate.
3
SPEAKER_02
I did want to see them knocking each other off.
3
SPEAKER_03
Does that happen at Medieval Times?
3
SPEAKER_03
Absolutely happens at Medieval Times.
3
SPEAKER_03
That s what I want to see.
3
SPEAKER_03
And they have the sword fighting, and I think they have special kind of metal, so it sparks like crazy.
3
SPEAKER_02
Okay, I need to do this.
3
SPEAKER_02
I did actually bring up Medieval Times during my interview with the organizer, and she did bristle a little bit.
3
SPEAKER_02
I think that s, to them, lower tier.
3
SPEAKER_02
They re putting on this interactive environment over seven weekends,
3
SPEAKER_03
Or like big company, what would you call that?
3
SPEAKER_03
Well, yeah.
3
SPEAKER_03
Like the corporate version of it?
3
SPEAKER_03
The corporate version, yeah.
3
SPEAKER_03
I mean, they clearly have more production and money put into Medieval Times.
3
SPEAKER_03
Completely.
3
SPEAKER_03
But I would imagine Renaissance Fairs are maybe more accurate?
3
SPEAKER_02
I think in general, I think they like to be.
3
SPEAKER_02
This one is definitely a bit looser, but this is literally the biggest one in America and it s the longest running one because it was literally founded from the first one.
3
SPEAKER_02
Do you think you ll go back?
3
SPEAKER_02
If I could find a group of friends to go back with, and you re more than welcome to be included in that group, I would go.
3
SPEAKER_02
I think that s key.
3
SPEAKER_02
I think my advice, wear sunscreen, dress up, go with friends, and just be prepared to lose yourself in it.
3
SPEAKER_02
If you go in with any kind of cynicism, it s going to just be a miserable time.
3
SPEAKER_02
So just get in, in, and then you ll have a good time.
3
SPEAKER_02
Let s call up Mara Wilson.
3
SPEAKER_02
I mean, she would be a great person to go with.
3
SPEAKER_02
That would be incredible.
3
SPEAKER_02
Okay, so it s me, you, Calvin, Mara Wilson, maybe your friend from medieval times.
3
SPEAKER_03
My friend John from Chicago.
3
SPEAKER_02
John can come in from Chicago.
3
SPEAKER_02
I m very into this.
3
SPEAKER_02
And I figured just get out the little hobbit outfit you had, a little Frodo.
3
SPEAKER_02
I mean, still in the corner here.
3
SPEAKER_02
Shake Jones-ing to get it on.
3
SPEAKER_02
The one thing I would mention, there is a, I think it s a
4
SPEAKER_00
three-part series called Ren Fair and it s made by this incredible director who s made this other film called Sperm World about sperm donors and he has, I believe it s based on a Ren Fair in New York and it s something to do with maybe one of the knights retiring.
4
SPEAKER_00
And his documentaries are so surreal and so incredible.
4
SPEAKER_00
I think if you want a deep dive into Ren Fierce, literally watch Ren Fierce.
4
SPEAKER_00
I think it s a three-parter.
4
SPEAKER_00
Might be on Hulu or maybe HBO.
4
SPEAKER_00
Just Google it.
4
SPEAKER_00
It ll come out.
4
SPEAKER_01
I know how much you like recommending platforms.
4
SPEAKER_01
I mean, I think the only thing is, to me, Renaissance fairs are reminiscent of the Gathering of the Juggalos in my mind a little bit, where they re in costumes in this immersive world.
4
SPEAKER_01
Is there a weird sexual component going on at all?
4
SPEAKER_00
I wondered, I mean, she did mention there s an adults area as part of the Ren Fair, but it s not like they ve got some porn zone or anything.
4
SPEAKER_00
I think it s just some bands and stuff played that aren t good for kids.
4
SPEAKER_01
Yeah.
4
SPEAKER_01
From what I ve seen of the Gathering of the Juggalos, it s hyper-sexualized.
4
SPEAKER_00
I love this comparison because you re right.
4
SPEAKER_00
They re two hyper-charged environments where you re all there for the same reason and you re all dressed up and you re all in character.
4
SPEAKER_01
Well, and you re reenacting this era in time where there was much more misogyny and like how in character are they getting?
4
SPEAKER_00
No, that s a good point.
4
SPEAKER_00
No, I don t.
4
SPEAKER_00
This one that I went to was definitely, it was so family friendly.
4
SPEAKER_00
There was no horniness in the air.
4
SPEAKER_01
Because the Renaissance costumes themselves for women are kind of sexy.
4
SPEAKER_01
Well, speak for yourself.
4
SPEAKER_01
Or can be, I guess.
4
SPEAKER_00
The costumes are all amazing.
4
SPEAKER_00
They are amazing.
4
SPEAKER_00
That May Queen, she was just this absolute maniac who you couldn t not stare at because her outfit was so amazing.
4
SPEAKER_00
But I think for me, Zero Horniness, I mean, Juggalos is kind of tied up, though, with drinking and drugs and a certain lifestyle.
4
SPEAKER_00
I think it s a very great comparison to
4
SPEAKER_00
to make?
4
SPEAKER_00
I think I would probably prefer to go to a gathering of the Juggalos, just because... You wouldn t have to be in character?
4
SPEAKER_00
I just wouldn t be sort of talking to people pretending they were 400 years old.
4
SPEAKER_01
Is that the only reason, though?
4
SPEAKER_01
You d prefer that over the other?
4
SPEAKER_00
I just think, I just want to go somewhere much hornier, basically.
4
SPEAKER_00
I want to go into a horny gathering.
4
SPEAKER_00
Yeah, I would recommend the Ren Fair.
4
SPEAKER_00
I d give it a 7 out of 10.
4
SPEAKER_00
If you go with friends and in character, it s a strong, I d give it a 10 out of 10.
4
SPEAKER_01
I mean, there s probably five more weeks of it.
4
SPEAKER_01
We can make this happen.
4
SPEAKER_00
There s multiple more weeks.
4
SPEAKER_00
And I have friends that go, and it is the highlight of the year.
4
SPEAKER_00
They absolutely love it.
4
SPEAKER_00
They just hand themselves over to it with zero cynicism, and they have a great time.
4
SPEAKER_00
Yeah, and they were an amazing, I mean, they were very fun to work with.
4
SPEAKER_00
They sort of met me at the gate and took me through and sort of guided me through this world.
4
SPEAKER_00
They didn t give me shit for not being dressed up.
4
SPEAKER_00
And weirdly, being surrounded by Elizabethan people, I felt more American, which is super weird.
4
SPEAKER_00
Well, that s the goal.
4
SPEAKER_00
That s the goal.
4
SPEAKER_00
See you next year, you and me.
4
SPEAKER_00
Let s do it.
4
SPEAKER_01
You, me, Calvin and Matilda.
4
SPEAKER_01
It s a normal sentence.
4
SPEAKER_00
All right, bye.
4
Oh yeah.