- Author Anna Kaling found me through Twitter and we twitted about our mutual love for the strange and unknown. She invited me to guest blog about Nessie, my great childhood love and how could I say no? Her WIP takes place at Loch Ness and I can’t wait to see how it turns out!
The only fair use image of the Notorious LNM I could find is an acknowledged hoax. Courtesy Wikipedia. - Cosplaying 16th century Holy Roman Emperor Charles V is a thing – at least during the Ommegang parade, held yearly in Brussels to commemorate his 1549 visit. Part of the larger Carolus V Festival, the parade appears to show dragons, stilt-walkers, and all manner of medieval-ish costume.
- Hamilton is fanfic, and its historical critics are totally missing the point – I finally listened to the “Hamilton” soundtrack. I’m not “Greatest. Thing. EVAR!!!!” fervent, but I enjoyed it. Ear wormy songs make things like the Federalist Papers and John Adams election memorable and fun. This article frames the musical as fan fiction of canonical history and I can see the argument. Thoughts?
- How acceptable is artistic licence in history entertainment? – ask this question and you’ll get a million different answers. I’m always tickled when correct details reveal research as thorough (pedantic?) as my own. At the same time historians have biases and new information is discovered all the time, making “historical accuracy” a constantly moving target. Still, I’d weep if something as over-the-top as The Tudors tried to pass itself off as a quasi-documentary.
biweekly links 7-13-2016
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I do historical european martial arts (longsword fencing and the like) and before that a lot of sport fencing. My beef tends to be with how fights and period combat are often depicted. I’m totally aware of the need for drama, but very often the fights just set my teeth on edge and seriously pressure my suspension of disbelief. End rant.
Hey, thanks for commenting!
I think what grates on me the most re: accuracy is when I know enough about a subject or time period for the inaccuracies to stand out. Inaccurate costumes make me flinch, but theatrical license is so commonplace that I find myself getting excited when productions really DO get it right. Still in awe that everyone in “Wolf Hall” wore something on their heads!
Can you think of any movies or shows that got the fighting correct?