The New York Times: It had been a pretty laid-back Sunday before Monet Lerner’s afternoon shift at Medieval Times. She poured a cup from her Mr. Coffee and watched a little “Beyond Stranger Things” on Netflix. She thought a lot about acting, and did some vocal warm-ups. Then she pulled on her shiny black rain boots, said goodbye to Hoppy Joe, her rescue bunny, and headed out.
5 comments:
Medieval Times did a very important thing here for more than most really realize. They replaced the king in the show with a Queen which is their biggest and most important change. The change occurring when it did, on accident or not, is important for two major reasons. It is supporting women and showing society that women are equal as it is giving her power. She receives power by actually being a queen but also by getting such a powerful role in a more common show; which leads to the second major reason. Medieval Times isn’t as big as the film industry and so it isn’t seeing much adversity towards it. It sort of just blips under the radar. However, by giving a woman a lead and important role in a lesser giant of entertainment, it means that people are more likely to accept and start change. The more it is seen, the more someone gets used to it and the more common this is (i.e. not in just certain higher places in the world like the Queen of England) and means the more likely it will actually occur and create change. Medieval Times is doing something very important with this and the fact that most people didn’t see much of a change is actually a good sign because more and more people are getting used to it which means they are accepting this idea.
Now this is the type of change that I want to see. This is a change spurred by the organization wanting to be better and not just people pressuring them to do better. My big issue with the changes that are happening in Hollywood right now is that they aren't coming from a good place. They are coming from a place of wanting to continue to harbor the support of women. Capitalism is really a monster and it convinces people that corporations care about them and not just their pocket books.
Medieval Times is not exactly the corporation that one would assume would step up for feminism. But this is a leap and a bound in the right direction, especially considering that a lot of men who are involved in the romanticization of renaissance culture are extremely misogynistic. I hope that women being queens at this dinner theatre experience can teach young children that anyone of any gender can grow up to be powerful and a hero.
Ok, out of all the different kinds of line entertainment committed to lessening the gender disparity in their shows, Medieval Times would be one of the last places I would pick. Actually, I highly doubt it would even come up on my list at all, because I forgot that this was even a thing, and I went to see a show in high school. The article states:” For the 34 years Medieval Times has been in business, that monarch has been a man. But the show, which draws an estimated 2.5 million customers each year, is replacing all of its kings with queens. And its peculiar brand of dinner theater — a sort of G-rated “Game of Thrones” — is taking on an unlikely resonance amid the national jousting over gender equality provoked by the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements.” Which I vastly appreciate, it’s good to see that these movements are not just effecting the Hollywood and music industries.
I think the decision to replace the king with a queen is a subtle but bold move by Medieval Times. By making this distinct change they are creating an environment that highlights the abilities of women in power, and what a better time to do so. I remember as a kid I went to the Medieval Times that is just outside of Atlanta, and I always remember looking up to the princesses in the court, even though they held little to no power. I hope that now, the children in the audience get to have a similar experience, seeing this powerful queen take control of her kingdom and reign above the jousting men. I see the pushback that has been happening, including the man in the article who claimed he liked it better with the king, but I think Ms. Lerner puts it so perfectly, especially in a time like this where women are fighting to be seen as equal. “… at least a seed has been planted.”
I really enjoyed reading this article and seeing the sort of behind the scenes photos that were included along with the story within the article. I remember going to a Medieval Times show a couple of years ago for my younger brother's birthday, and was struck by how oxymoronic of an experience it was to be there. It feels a little odd and eerie to go sit in an arena and eat dinner with no utensils, all while watching some microphoned, spot lit people ride around on horses that are supposed to be from hundreds of years ago. I am glad, though, that Medieval Times is taking small steps towards making their show experience a more inclusive one. This company has definitely shown that it is not at all hard to make little changes that help fight sexism and oppression. I would really like to go back and watch what once felt like a very male-centric production and see how the era of "me too" and "times up" has changes a production like Medieval Times.
Post a Comment