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Wilderness Woman
Watcher of the Wood
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
November 27 2002
Status: offline
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 Posted - May 20 2004 : 08:13:09 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Theresa
Did these people sign on to do this to really know what it was like in the 1600's? If so, they've brought way too much 21st century baggage with them. IMO..
Theresa, I think that only those who have done a lot of in-depth studying of the time period truly have a strong feel for what life was like. The rest of us? I think the general public simply has only a foggy notion. We've learned a bit about it in school, and perhaps seen some History channel documentaries... but we really have very little idea! Bear in mind, also, that the producers of the show do not want people who are terribly knowledgeable about living in that time. It would invalidate their "experiment", which is to see just how a person with very little clue would make out living in the 17th century.
Think of how difficult it would be, for you or for me, to get rid of every vestige of 21st century "baggage" so you could go into an experiment like this totally open to what you are going to experience. I think that for the greatest majority of us, it would be impossible.
The incident that was the most fun for me to watch: the newcomer English girl leaning out the door, waving her stick and screeching at the goats because they wouldn't behave the way she wanted them to. I got quite a chuckle over that, having raised and been around goats. They are extremely curious, lively and quite intelligent... and can be very exasperating! But they are very fun and really love being around people.
The incident that gave me the greatest sense of deja vu: watching the sow give birth to her piglets, and watching the weak one be revived with warmth. Been there... done that! And yes... newborn piglets are adorable! I was always amazed to see them come popping out and immediately get up, shake themselves off, and run right around mama to find the nearest teat, squeeking the whole time!
Hey! Maybe I would get along in that situation fairly well! Who knows? |
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alikws
Colonial Settler
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
October 23 2003
Status: offline
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Posted - May 20 2004 : 09:40:03 AM
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| when they were doing a casting call for frontier house a couple years back a couple who posts regular on an acw board and work a small living history farm wrote in and offered advice &c, the response was 'thanks, but we want someone a little _less_ experianced'... as a test they created the most dysfunctional family this side of the simpsons, with comments about a rest from the stressful office job, and a way to get the kids to stop fighting and the gamestation... they were asked to send in tape!..... |
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Lady Ann
Pioneer
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
May 20 2002
Status: offline
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Posted - May 20 2004 : 2:55:58 PM
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The MacLeod and I applied to be on Colonial House, thinking that it would be wonderful to try to apply our Colonial skills, learned and practiced through years of reenacment, for months rather than weeks on end. PBS politely declined our application...they said they didn't want people who were experienced at living in the era. Only neophytes can create the drama that is necessary for a successful television show!
My take on Colonial house? Those people were provided with way too many luxuries! Pre-built secure housing, healthy livestock, an abundance of staples and household goods...for a real experiment, they should have been dumped on the coast with the minimal items they would have brought over from England...such that survived the ocean voyage...and told to get on with it. That would have been a true test of their fortitude in the face of what our ancestors actually had to confront. Oh, and throw in some properly outraged Native Americans for human conflict while you are at it!
Nonetheless, I am enjoying the show, and hope PBS continues its "living-back-in-other eras" programming. |
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Fitz Williams
Colonial Militia
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
May 19 2002
Status: offline
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Posted - May 20 2004 : 3:57:05 PM
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The problem with this show is not that the people are inexperienced, or have trouble adapting. The problem is that the producers do not hold them to their agreement to live by 17th century rules. A point was made that the person who went into town did it with the full knowledge of the production crew, since there was a camera waiting to film him. He was probably told to do that.
But let's fact it. We look at the TV and see a 1628 town. They look back in our direction and see a full production crew, lights, cameras, booms, communication equipment. Who knows, there may be a guy in a blue cap before it's over! |
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Theresa
Bumppo's Tavern Proprietress
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
May 17 2002
Status: offline
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Posted - May 20 2004 : 6:20:53 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Fitz Williams
The problem with this show is not that the people are inexperienced, or have trouble adapting. The problem is that the producers do not hold them to their agreement to live by 17th century rules. A point was made that the person who went into town did it with the full knowledge of the production crew, since there was a camera waiting to film him. He was probably told to do that.
But let's fact it. We look at the TV and see a 1628 town. They look back in our direction and see a full production crew, lights, cameras, booms, communication equipment. Who knows, there may be a guy in a blue cap before it's over!
True, Fitz...I suppose that's what I meant by 21st century baggage. I guess I want these "colonists" to be colonists. |
Theresa |
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alikws
Colonial Settler
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
October 23 2003
Status: offline
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Posted - May 21 2004 : 4:42:18 PM
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agreed they came in with a bit too much stuff, the sepretists at plimouth came in months later then expected, short 1 ship {the speedwell} and a lot of people, and a few hunderd miles north of their planned destination {the virginia colony, english politics wanted them closer to the french}... but then, half of them did not survive the first winter... that would make a 'reality' show a bit too real...
the plimouth plantation http://www.plimoth.org actualy is one of the better living history site websites around... |
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Wilderness Woman
Watcher of the Wood
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
November 27 2002
Status: offline
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Posted - May 26 2004 : 4:24:28 PM
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Finished up watching this last night. I really did enjoy it immensely. Oh sure, they did lots of things wrong and there were a couple of quite annoying people, but I found it refreshing that they all seemed to get along so well. There really appeared to be very little strife.
There is a very interesting radio interview with Jack Lecza, who was the Bristol merchant who came in for the last month of the project to try to shape them up a bit. Go to NH Man Goes Colonial and have a listen. He talks about a lot of things from behind the scenes, and he is a most interesting and very likeable man. The interview is about 1/2 hour long and it will only be on the website for a total of two weeks, so don't delay! |
"It is more deeply stirring to my blood than any imaginings could possibly have been." |
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