DON'T LOOK STUPID

by Joe Bethancourt © 1999 W.J. Bethancourt III



| Medieval | Pros | Weapons | Drinking | Clothing | Sex |
Con Names | RPGs |

The following suggestions are made due to the large amount of crossover we have at Cons with members of the SCA and other similar groups.

These groups have identifying marks that mean something to them. If you look like you are with these groups, and you wear these things, you might find yourself seriously embarrassed.

If you are wearing medieval or neo-medieval costume:

  • Don't wear a white, green, red, yellow or blue belt. (knighthood, squire, etc.)
  • Don't wear a braided cord of red and black (Great Dark Horde)
  • If you are using heraldry ..... and some stranger says to you in an outraged tone: "THAT'S MINE!!!!"

    Oops!

    Ask if they use it in a re-enactment group and assure them that you are not intending to infringe on their rights within that group ..... but this is a Con and not an event of their group. Be nice about it, and remember that some SCA folks use their heraldry as a business trademark.
You don't HAVE to follow these suggestions, but at Cons with a large SCA attendance it will minimize the confusion .... and the SCA folks won't think of you as clueless.

If you are wearing a weapon:

  • DON'T WEAR A REAL GUN OF ANY KIND.
  • DON'T WEAR A REAL-LOOKING GUN OF ANY KIND.
  • DON'T WAVE IT AROUND, REAL OR NOT. You will likely be required to LEAVE THE CON.
  • If the ConCom requires it to be peace-bonded, DO IT.
  • Don't touch someone else's weapon(s) without permission. EVER.

In regards to Pros of any kind:

  • Interrupting a meal or a serious conversation to ask for an autograph is seriously Bad Form. Don't do it.
  • Try to get something that's related to the Pro in question for them to sign. Someone else's book is Bad Form. Don't do it.
  • If you get a chance to talk with a Pro, don't monopolize them interminably. Let them end the conversation, or better, YOU end it fairly quickly. They have a lot of people to talk to in a limited amount of time.

In regards to drinking:

  • If you are under legal age in the state where the Con is held, DON'T.
  • Don't get sloppy in public.

In regards to clothing:

  • Assume that "street-legal" is required unless the rules in the Program Book indicate otherwise.
  • Realize that "sexy" is in the mind of the beholder, and bypassers might well point and laugh.

In regards to sex:

  • Jailbait is jailbait, and Mommy and Daddy are probably at the Con. DON'T.
  • Don't get sloppy in public.
  • If the lady says "No" at any point in the adventure, or otherwise is not interested, STOP.
  • If the lady (or the guy) is drunk, DON'T.

In regards to live Role Playing Games (RPGs):

  • If someone is "in character," try to "support the scene." Don't act and react to them as if they were in their everyday character, but play along with the game as much as you can.
  • Otherwise, try to keep out of the way, and enjoy the fun!

Krista's Komment On Con Names:

Last year at NorwesCon a sweet gal at the registration table took notice of my con name. Thinking she was probably new to cons, I didn't bite her head off when she beamed at me and said, "I like that name, I think I'll use it next year!" Had I been anyone else (like the people behind me who were trying to egg me into cussing her out) she might have had her head ripped off right then and there. She's lucky I'm a pretty tolerant person. I waited till later on when registration wasn't so busy, to take her aside to explain her faux pas;

Suggestions for Neo Fen

  1. By all means, compliment a con member on their name!
  2. If considering using the name for its uniqueness, consider that maybe they thought long and hard to come up with something unique.
  3. Ask how long they've been attending cons. The reason for this is that if they do have a unique name, there's a good chance they have a reputation (good or bad) of sorts that go with it. A suggestion would be to say, "Wow, what a cool name! Have you been using it for long?" If nothing else, it gets a conversation started and you may make a new friend.
  4. It's incredibly bad form to use the name of a famous person unless that happens to be your real name as well.
  5. Ask if the person could help you come up with something new and unique. A bribe of coffee or a drink will sweeten the deal!
  6. If someone does get upset by you having the same name or suggestion that you may want to use theirs, it's probably best to apologize and get out of the situation as quickly and politely as possible. Yeah, the other person may be a jerk, but you don't have to be one too and people will notice how you handle the situation.

Suggestions for Old Fen

  1. If someone does want to use your name and tells you, don't rip their head off. They may be new to cons and not know that they've committed a major faux pas.
  2. Your con name isn't copyrighted, so anyone can use it if they want to.
  3. Suggest sitting down over drinks/coffee/a meal for conversation and maybe to help them come up with a name that is uniquely their own. Again, this is a good way to make new friends. Hey, you were new too and didn't always have that tight little circle of friends.
  4. Don't be offended if someone you've never met has the same name as you. This can be a good conversation starter.
  5. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery .... enjoy it.

Following my own advice, I went with suggestion #3 and helped her think through names. This in turn led to me introducing her to quite a few people who stopped by to say hi to me, and her getting to know a few friendly faces and having a great time.

- Krista

One last piece of advice: Don't take yourself too seriously.