WW2 Reenactor Farb Video

[azeeze]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQl6I0FsraU
Thought this was quite an intresting film
My favorite was the "Rocket Launch Pad"
-Nick

[YankeeDiv26]

To each their own..

[Gordak]

z-o-m-f-g

[hellmutt]

I don't get why this is bad. They are not perfect but they look better then a lot of people out there. This is exact reason I hate re-enactors who feel the need to belittle others so they can feel better about themselves. Why spend all this time to make fun of someone else?

Bottom line, none of us are perfect. Making fun of others efforts is f*cked up. Shame on you.

[YankeeDiv26]

hellmutt said:

I don't get why this is bad. They are not perfect but they look better then a lot of people out there. This is exact reason I hate re-enactors who feel the need to belittle others so they can feel better about themselves. Why spend all this time to make fun of someone else?

Bottom line, none of us are perfect. Making fun of others efforts is f*cked up. Shame on you.

It's not a matter of the Schadenfreude'istic (new word?) mentallity of taking pleasure out of the downfall of others, it's that the people who put a fairly minimal amount of effort into the hobby shouldn't be seen on an equal level of those who put a very concentrated and honest effort into the hobby. People who spend thousands of dollars and countless hours of hard work on reenacting and their impressions at least deserve a cheap laugh at a "farb" when they realize they could show up to an event in a half-ass'ed impression and get away with it. Almost all of these people are adults, they can take a joke without walking off the battlefield crying ("theirs no crying in reenacting!"). Obviously helpful and polite advice is the best way of improving a fellow reenactors impression, but theres a line where an impression is well...a joke. "Farb's" are not bad people, and 90% of the time it's not them that people find humorous, it's their impressions. I think it's fair to stop the jokes when it's the subject becomes a real personal issue, but I don't end up losing sleep the night after I chuckle seeing somebody doing somethign like wearing their leggings on backwards.


The war over "Flaggrantly Wrongness" is one of the biggest plagues there is in reenacting, and it is probably something that won't go away for a long long time. Nomatter what one's stance is on this issue, what's historically accurate is what's historically accurate.

[airsoftaddict]

the SKS is russian, and post war

[CharleyNovember]

I don't get why this is bad. They are not perfect but they look better then a lot of people out there. This is exact reason I hate re-enactors who feel the need to belittle others so they can feel better about themselves. Why spend all this time to make fun of someone else?

Bottom line, none of us are perfect. Making fun of others efforts is f*cked up. Shame on you.

X2

[Ripper]

"what's historically accurate is what's historically accurate. "

So..applying that logic, all the 12 year old U.S. impersonators er..I mean 're-enactors' and XXXL sized simulated Germans need to stay home. There obviously isn't any room in the hobby for them.
If someone is filming a movie, I can see requiring 100% historical accuracy. But getting together with the guys and throwing some imaginary rounds down range isn't as all consuming to some folks as it is to others. To each his own.

[azeeze]

Theres a fine line on being accurate and being a complete farb, theres a little farb in all of us, what matters is honoring the vets. In this video its not completely horrid, but for petes sake, a damn tractor for a Rocket Launch Pad?.... or germans Wearing Jeans and work boots, for that matter i wouldnt even waste my time or money. Cardboard around a jeep to make it a tank? waste of time.

Bottom line, none of us are perfect. Making fun of others efforts is f*cked up. Shame on you

The ones who are wearing jeans and work boots show no effort they make the rest look bad. I feel no shame laughing at someone wearing that to a reenactment. I dont even know anyone who would let them on the field. My impression aint done and it isnt perfect but its the basic, but I dont get the people that get in the hobby and complain about spending money its an expensive hobby ive only been in it for about a year and have spent around 1200$.

-Nick

[YankeeDiv26]

ripper said:

"what's historically accurate is what's historically accurate. "

So..applying that logic, all the 12 year old U.S. impersonators er..I mean 're-enactors' and XXXL sized simulated Germans need to stay home. There obviously isn't any room in the hobby for them.
If someone is filming a movie, I can see requiring 100% historical accuracy. But getting together with the guys and throwing some imaginary rounds down range isn't as all consuming to some folks as it is to others. To each his own.

I don't believe I ever said who is and who isn't allowed to participate, so please don't try to imply it. I was just making a simple statement that people sometimes forget way too often in thi hobby. Our country's veterans fought for people to say what they want, wear what they want, and act how they want to act. Everyone's in this hobby for their own reasons.

[azeeze]

If you notice alot of the video points out the long hair, and too much facial hair, thats just pure laziness to not get your hair cut or your face shaved for a reenactment atleast try to hide it better if you dont want to cut your hair.
-Nick

[Tough Ombre]

All I have to say is I'm glad I don't reenact in Arkansas, and i will never feel no shame for laughing at a grown man come to a reenactment looking like he just came from a Hells Angels Rally, Also what the hell is the point of the cardboard tank... and the "rocket pad" that just insane... and if you defend someone who has a really bad impression like a lot of these guys, well it makes me question yours. Now like it was said earlier the best bet would be to let these guys know that there is something wrong with their impressions, but i have a feeling even these guys know what they are doing is wrong... and they are not honoring vets by doing it they are in fact disgracing. And you know what... i will say it if a reenactor pulls bs like this at and event... there is NO place for him or her there.

-Cary

[Conrad]

The misspellings and typos by the video creator are a nice touch.

Though some of the people in that video do look pretty ridiculous, I find it much funnier...and even kind of sad that a person would actually take the time to create such a video.

[YankeeDiv26]

yeah, they took it a little far I think. Don't believe all those guys are from one unit either, some of that stuff was from japan and all over (the cardboard kubel at least). It's one thing making fun of a smock that's not the right pattern, but when it's an issue thats personal to the victim (ie physical shape) it's just unnecessary.

[p51]

screamineagle101 said:

hellmutt said:

I don't get why this is bad. They are not perfect but they look better then a lot of people out there. This is exact reason I hate re-enactors who feel the need to belittle others so they can feel better about themselves. Why spend all this time to make fun of someone else?

Bottom line, none of us are perfect. Making fun of others efforts is f*cked up. Shame on you.

It's not a matter of the Schadenfreude'istic (new word?) mentallity of taking pleasure out of the downfall of others, it's that the people who put a fairly minimal amount of effort into the hobby shouldn't be seen on an equal level of those who put a very concentrated and honest effort into the hobby. People who spend thousands of dollars and countless hours of hard work on reenacting and their impressions at least deserve a cheap laugh at a "farb" when they realize they could show up to an event in a half-ass'ed impression and get away with it. Almost all of these people are adults, they can take a joke without walking off the battlefield crying ("theirs no crying in reenacting!"). Obviously helpful and polite advice is the best way of improving a fellow reenactors impression, but theres a line where an impression is well...a joke. "Farb's" are not bad people, and 90% of the time it's not them that people find humorous, it's their impressions. I think it's fair to stop the jokes when it's the subject becomes a real personal issue, but I don't end up losing sleep the night after I chuckle seeing somebody doing somethign like wearing their leggings on backwards.


The war over "Flaggrantly Wrongness" is one of the biggest plagues there is in reenacting, and it is probably something that won't go away for a long long time. Nomatter what one's stance is on this issue, what's historically accurate is what's historically accurate.

I think this is quite fair. I think ANY re-enactor is a farb to some slight degree if you look long enough (age, weight, lack of historical knowledge and poor tactics are pretty common, regardless of how good your stuff is), myself included. I go to great lengths now, but in years past, I've heard myself using the dreaded phrase, "It's good enough" to justify stuff that isn't right or as good as it should be.
Mocking people who do a hobby half way is common in every hobby. Airsoft is certainly not exempt from that, I'm sure you'll find plenty of such videos dedicated to that, so I don't see what the difference is. The term "paintsoft" comes to mind in regard to that...
Like it's been said, when you spend thousands of bucks and years on gathering info and stuff to get an impression as good as it can get, it's natural to be ticked that someone does it halfway with no regard for doing it as good as they can.

(Yes, this is a real item, and I've sold plenty of them…)

[YankeeDiv26]

I've heard about that book p51, everyone says its great. Wanna sell me one?

[p51]

screamineagle101 said:

I've heard about that book p51, everyone says its great. Wanna sell me one?

E-mail sent...

[CharleyNovember]

Telling someone hey this is wrong or I have a line on something to replace that incorrect peice or what have you is healthy and good. Being a dick is being a dick though. Simple as that. I find there are are two types of reenactors just like there are two types of people in the general population. Ok Joes and silly ponys. I think we all see-saw back and forth between the two through our lives but I hope we try and stay on the Joe side most of the time.

[Young Blood]

You guys never know, they could all be friends just starting out in the hobby, but hey, everyone knows that some people like to laugh at new commers, who cares, move on...

[2nd Bat]

I looked at the pictures and thought a few of the things were humerous but by and large the various events looked like folks made a pretty decent effort at creating a fun event. Actual vehicles, generally good uniforms and decent field pieces. In actual training exercises where millions were spent for a week long event I destinctly remember the Ft Greeley dump facility representing a key pump station on the Alaskan pipeline.

I know I'm speaking way out of turn on this board but the term FARB is just not worth the breath used to express it. The notion that reeancting is done to honor the vets is 90% BS stated mostly by people who simply like to play dress up. I'm not suggesting there is anything wrong with that but be honest about the motivation.

The fact is my fellow vets have no idea how WRONG most of the things the reenacting experts can spot a mile away are and loose so much sleep over. Vets appreciate the displays and the nostalgia they create and the fact that contemporaries would like to honor us is very flattering. But WW2 vets can seldom spot the kind of details us guys seem to go crazy over and as a Vietnam vet and Infantryman I can tell you I've learned more about the nomenclature of the uniforms and gear I used 35 years after the fact then I ever knew at the time. I called it web gear or my full battle rattle, I never referred to it as my M-56 gear. I wore ERTLs but never heard the term until about five years ago.

We hardcore reenactors are way tooooooo anal for most peoples taste and the cruel way many seem to enjoy demeaning the well intentioned efforts of others has always seemed cruel and uneccessary. The guys in that video looked like they were having fun. Is that so wrong?

As P51 says unless we're 18 to 24, skinny as a rail,and willing to spend thousands on a uniform and kit only to sleep in it outside for three weeks at a time for events that are seldom held, our impressions are going to fall short of the perfection true reeanctors strive for.

I respect the efforts of terrific living history groups greatly and admire well done impressions. I find the ones who generally look the best and really are in it for the living history aspect and honoring vets are the ones that demean others the least. To each his own. I could have just as much fun making fun of us reeanactors and our anal obsessions.

[binarypunisher]

2ndbat said:

As P51 says unless we're 18 to 24, skinny as a rail,and willing to spend thousands on a uniform and kit...

;D

Sounds like me.

[5thrangerinfantry]

my belief is that 'Flaggrantly Wrong' can only be applied to things that cannot be changed - height, weight (for some this can be done, for others there are medical limitations), gender, race - things like that can not be Flaggrantly Wrong. To me Flaggrantly Wrong is only what I can change that I refuse to change. I konw what its like to be tight with money, thats why when I spend it, I spend it wisely. I want to eventually have a Heer impression, but I wont buy just any helmet to get into the field, I would buy on of the correct size. Borrowing gear is one thing, but buying the wrong thing just to get into the field can sometimes be a bad thing. Especially if you know it will take several years before you can even consider fixing it....Levis for a falschirmjager? That's not even being cheap....I dont even think there is a word for it......

[Ripper]

I guess my airsoft organization must the only one where new guys don't show up to their first game with a complete uniform, loadout and weapons ready for action.
I do agree with you that guys shouldn't be trying to attend public living history events or serious re-enactments with grizzley Adams beards and levis, but I hope somebody that is just wanting to try the hobby out is never turned away from a game because of it. That may sour them permanantly on the hobby. I also hate to see the for sale ad's put up by new guys that spent $1000 or more on gear and guns for their first airsoft event and found out they hated it. We encourage our new guys to ease into the hobby slowly and not waste tons of time and money getting it all wrong from the begining.

[rkrueger]

Everybody is not perfect , but when it comes to a public display if thats what they are doing, in my eyes it should be respectfully enough to look there best..

[Guest number 6867548494767582]

How tall would a soldier be, if he was too tall? I'm 6' strait and I assume that it isn't a problem.

[Cpl Hicks too lazy to login]

I'm pretty sure height isn't an issue. (Unless your like 9 feet tall or something.)

[5thrangerinfantry]

ripper said:

I guess my airsoft organization must the only one where new guys don't show up to their first game with a complete uniform, loadout and weapons ready for action.
I do agree with you that guys shouldn't be trying to attend public living history events or serious re-enactments with grizzley Adams beards and levis, but I hope somebody that is just wanting to try the hobby out is never turned away from a game because of it. That may sour them permanantly on the hobby. I also hate to see the for sale ad's put up by new guys that spent $1000 or more on gear and guns for their first airsoft event and found out they hated it. We encourage our new guys to ease into the hobby slowly and not waste tons of time and money getting it all wrong from the begining.

I agree that its better to ease into the hobby.....but how hard is it to borrow a pair of pants?

[Gordak]

Pants schmantz yeah, its not hard to borrow pants, or wear a 10 dollar sweedish pair, but the issue I have is when people don't try at all.

Cut your hair and take off the sunglasses thats all they need to do! Show some effort where it costs nothing, Its actually more a matter of consideration, when you refuse to take off your sally j rafeal sunglasses at a ww2 event.
Its really very selfish, when it takes no effort to look ALOT better.
thats my 2 centz
-Gordak

[Sgt_Tom]

I don't think they look that bad. They look like there off to a good start, I thought the video was kinda

[2nd Bat]

At the WW2 airsoft events I attend I agree that a deliberate lack of effort shows disrespect to those that do. We ask for effort from our participants and guide them to improve and enhance at each event. We supplement what they don't have although size 40 wool trousers are hard to come by so sometimes compromises have to be made. No one is made fun of or insulted for a poor impressions. Minimum standards are provided and published before hand and these are adhered to.

Again we're talking about airsoft events here not public displays. The result is great growth, fun events and no one feeling that they'd better stay at home rather then be subjected to insults and derision. If they can't meet the standard they don't come. We do all we can to help folks meet the standard.

At the loacl PBS affiliate premier of THE WAR several us with Battlesim attended along with the Military vehicle club and a local Reenactor group that always has spectacular displays and excellent impressions. I know relative to them we fell short and the military vehicle guys supplemented by us fell even further from perfection. The actual veterans loved the big turnout and variety of things to see. No one had jeans (that I noticed) but there were some pretty close wool slacks in a variety of OD shades. A few mustard shirts that weren't wool. There was some facial hair. Not ZZ top beards but close cropped beards. Enough to draw derisive looks from the reeanctor group and a few comments. Funny thing is we saw alot of very unshaven faces in the actual footage.

Some of the negative comments (from members of the reeanctment group) were almost to the level where the Military vehicle guys wanted to say "screw it" and take their vehicles home. One bearded fellow (a veteran) did! I was tempted to pack up my display items. It wasn't much but it would have been missed by a few of the folks who came over to chat about them.

I had fun inspite of the silly ponys. There were enough great folks in the reeanactor organization that the event wasn't spoiled and some effective recruiting was done on their behalf. It does however make one wonder how many potential enthusiasts we loose with our attitudes. I try to encourage the vehicle folks to either come in civilian clothes or buy, beg, borrow or steal a reasonable period correct impression but in spite of the tips you almost always see the occassional individual with a ponie tail and modern nomex flight suit with mustard pants and leggings.

I always thank them for trailering or driving their 65 year old beauties 50 to 80 miles to attend. Not everyone is so nice and at the vehicle club meetings the derision is always a subject that comes up along with the debate about whether or not to attend such events.

For most of the military vehicle guys they really don't know what they don't know. Or they don't see it as especially offensive wearing an IKE jacket with khaki bottoms. This is especially true of the uniforms but also in some cases the vehicles as well. They make a legitimate effort and are open to positive constructive suggestions. They don't deserve the insults. I'd rather see three Jeeps and a halftrack at an event even though one Jeep doesn't have proper directional tires (period correct) while one doesn't have combat rims that 99.9% of the viewing public would never know then the one perfect Jeep there. The fact that the Halftrack is the wrong shade of post war shiney OD is okay as well. Again we know but the general public maybe gets to see and sit in their first WW2 halftrack!

I know a guy who has a perfect Jeep. It never leaves his garage. (I'm not talking about mine it's far from perfect) Mine just has two days worth of stuff piled on it and between it and the garage door.

In the case of this perfect Jeep For five years it wasn't driven anywhere because the fellow wasn't finished making it perfect. $25,000 dollars later (I'm not kidding) It's perfect. Nicer then any Jeep ever was (Literally) Now it's too nice to leave his museum.

He didn't want to be subjected to the insults he felt would be deserved (Knowledge is not always good!) and then once it was done he didn't want it to get wet! Respectful tolerance is all I'm advocating. The public in general and our hobby in particular would benefit from it.

He now has built up a second one with the intent of including compromises so he'd have one to drive. At the November Veterans day parade two years ago the asshats without being asked pointed out all it's flaws. (Showing off how knowledgeable they are!) He's now gone back and made it perfect so it too now sits in a museum perhaps seen by a half dozen people other then online.