The professor, like so many of his colleagues, is as foolish and benighted as he is intellectually snobbish. His snobbery is unearned, for he is ignorant of some of the fundamental contributions of reenacting. Reenactments not only educate the general public and the participants about the events of the past; they also permit a type of experimental anthropology research, in which the reenactors find out how our ancestors lived—how they experienced their environment. Research into the personal lives of individuals or of non-famous people is a valid, relatively new area of study, and it’s no less important than the study of which great man fought which battle. Reenactments permit this type of study.
The idiot is probably annoyed because for a few weekends a year he can’t find a parking place. He should shut up.
This country would be better off in so many ways if we could get rid of professional academics.
Maybe we need term limits for college professors? After 5 years they need to go out and get a real job where they have to produce something of value for 5 years before they can return for another 5 year hitch. Rinse and repeat.
Beautiful post, Ott! In 2002, I produced a film for one of the National Historic Battlefields about an event pertaining to the War of 1812. I hired an ‘academic’ to write the script, but was wise enough to run it by the commanders of the reenactors, to check for errors - of which they found many.
Concur. The reenactors are on a mission. I learned more by attending one event in MS than I ever learned in school. Expecially enlightening and entertaining were the presentations by General Grant and Nathan Bedford Forrest.
Just when I was formulating a comment, I spotted yours. And it is spot-on.