So, I've been TA'ing a class all about American war and memory. In reading about wars like WWI ("The Great War") and WWII ("The Good War") and Vietnam ('Nam) and the Civil War ("War of Brothers"), I've overwhelmingly decided that the Civil War is the most MASH of all.
The Civil War earns this distinction for several reasons, two of which include it's overwhelming old timey-ness and, you know, that whole slavery thing. But it starts to get very weird and journey into new levels of MASH in its aftermath almost 150 years later (yes, we were fighting to keep slaves just 150 years ago).
I'm talking about the world of contemporary Civil War reenactors.
These are die-hard Civil War buffs who spend all of their time, money, and energy recreating the CW battles on the original battlegrounds wearing original soldier garb with original gunpowder rifles and cannons... every weekend. Oh, and the Rebels of today are still fighting to keep the Confederate flag waving on government buildings. (It still flies on the grounds of South Carolina's capitol).
Anywho, just to give you a glimpse of the Fabulous Life of Reenactors, here's a video tribute I found. Keep in mind, this is filmed in 2006! And to add mash on top of mash, it's sepia-toned!!!
105th PVI 2006
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7 comments:
holy god that video. it sounds just like a tenacious d song. but it's for serious!
i fudging hate sepia tone.
i love that your posting about civil war reenactment mash at 8:45 in the morning.
Hey Grrl! I am getting flashbacks from one of our core classes where a certain suspect individual decided to teach--Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War--by Tony Horwitz. It was wrong. I will never get those three hours back, or that whole quarter, for that matter. sandy
The civil war is more mash than M*A*S*H, which took place in the Korean War? This is seriously genre-busting. tim
wait, I just watched the video. you're right. tim
i can't believe that people are so detached from their own lives and identities at this point that they 're-enact', days at a time, entire other lifestyles centered around terrible bloody battles. it just proves that we have it too easy now, people would rather be pissing in the woods with syphillis and getting blown away by muskets than sitting on a barcalounger watching mash reruns. i know i would! oh, wait...
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