December 8th is Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day
Darth_Katie Send a noteboard - 08/12/2010 04:23:15 AM
These are the rules, according to the Facebook event I am attending:
You must spend the entire day in costume and character. The only rule is that you cannot actually tell anyone that you are a time traveler. Other than that, anything's game.
There are three possible options:
1) Utopian/cliché Future - "If the Future did a documentary of the last fifty years, this is how badly the reenactors would dress." Think Star Trek: TNG or the Time Travelers from Hob. Ever see how the society in Futurama sees the 20th century? Run with it. Your job is to dress with moderately anachronistic clothing and speak in slang from varying decades. Here are some good starters:
- Greet people by referring to things that don't yet exist or haven't existed for a long time. Example: "Have you penetrated the atmosphere lately?" "What spectrum will today's broadcast be in?" and "Your king must be a kindly soul!"
- Show extreme ignorance in operating regular technology. Pay phones should be a complete mystery (try placing the receiver in odd places). Chuckle knowingly at cell phones.
2) Dystopian Future - This one offers a little more flexibility. It can be any kind of future from Terminator to Freejack. The important thing to remember is dress like a crazy person with armor. Black spray painted football pads, high tech visors, torn up trenchcoats and maybe even some dirt here or there. Remember, dystopian future travelers are very startled that they've gone back in time. Some starters:
- If you go the "prisoner who's escaped the future" try shaving your head and putting a barcode on the back of your neck. Then stagger around and stare at the sky, as if you've never seen it before.
- Walk up to random people and say "WHAT YEAR IS THIS?" and when they tell you, get quiet and then say "Then there's still time!" and run off.
- Stand in front of a statue (any statue, really), fall to your knees, and yell "NOOOOOOOOO"
- Stare at newspaper headlines and look astonished.
- Take some trinket with you (it can be anything really), hand it to some stranger, along with a phone number and say "In thirty years dial this number. You'll know what to do after that." Then slip away.
3) The Past - This one is more for beginners. Basically dress in period clothing (preferably Victorian era) and stagger around amazed at everything. Since the culture's set in place already, you have more of a template to work off of. Some pointers:
- Airplanes are terrifying. Also, carry on conversations with televisions for a while.
- Discover and become obsessed with one trivial aspect of technology, like automatic grocery doors. Stay there for hours playing with it.
- Be generally terrified of people who are dressed immodestly compared to your era. Tattoos and shorts on women are especially scary.
And that's it. Remember, the only real rule is staying in character and try to fit in. Never directly admit you're a time traveler, and make really, really bad attempts at keeping a low profile.
I can't decide if I am actually brave enough to try some of these or not.
You must spend the entire day in costume and character. The only rule is that you cannot actually tell anyone that you are a time traveler. Other than that, anything's game.
There are three possible options:
1) Utopian/cliché Future - "If the Future did a documentary of the last fifty years, this is how badly the reenactors would dress." Think Star Trek: TNG or the Time Travelers from Hob. Ever see how the society in Futurama sees the 20th century? Run with it. Your job is to dress with moderately anachronistic clothing and speak in slang from varying decades. Here are some good starters:
- Greet people by referring to things that don't yet exist or haven't existed for a long time. Example: "Have you penetrated the atmosphere lately?" "What spectrum will today's broadcast be in?" and "Your king must be a kindly soul!"
- Show extreme ignorance in operating regular technology. Pay phones should be a complete mystery (try placing the receiver in odd places). Chuckle knowingly at cell phones.
2) Dystopian Future - This one offers a little more flexibility. It can be any kind of future from Terminator to Freejack. The important thing to remember is dress like a crazy person with armor. Black spray painted football pads, high tech visors, torn up trenchcoats and maybe even some dirt here or there. Remember, dystopian future travelers are very startled that they've gone back in time. Some starters:
- If you go the "prisoner who's escaped the future" try shaving your head and putting a barcode on the back of your neck. Then stagger around and stare at the sky, as if you've never seen it before.
- Walk up to random people and say "WHAT YEAR IS THIS?" and when they tell you, get quiet and then say "Then there's still time!" and run off.
- Stand in front of a statue (any statue, really), fall to your knees, and yell "NOOOOOOOOO"
- Stare at newspaper headlines and look astonished.
- Take some trinket with you (it can be anything really), hand it to some stranger, along with a phone number and say "In thirty years dial this number. You'll know what to do after that." Then slip away.
3) The Past - This one is more for beginners. Basically dress in period clothing (preferably Victorian era) and stagger around amazed at everything. Since the culture's set in place already, you have more of a template to work off of. Some pointers:
- Airplanes are terrifying. Also, carry on conversations with televisions for a while.
- Discover and become obsessed with one trivial aspect of technology, like automatic grocery doors. Stay there for hours playing with it.
- Be generally terrified of people who are dressed immodestly compared to your era. Tattoos and shorts on women are especially scary.
And that's it. Remember, the only real rule is staying in character and try to fit in. Never directly admit you're a time traveler, and make really, really bad attempts at keeping a low profile.
I can't decide if I am actually brave enough to try some of these or not.
Insert theme music here.
December 8th is Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day
- 08/12/2010 04:23:15 AM
2094 Views
- 08/12/2010 07:27:09 PM
771 Views
I need to try this. I'm going to try this.
- 08/12/2010 05:05:44 AM
882 Views
*NM*
December 8 is the day John Lennon was shot and killed.
- 08/12/2010 05:12:27 AM
809 Views
I can't decide if you're serious or not. *NM*
- 08/12/2010 01:51:44 PM
426 Views
And if he is, I can't figure out why Lennon is so revered. *NM*
- 08/12/2010 05:52:13 PM
424 Views
Heathens.
- 08/12/2010 08:51:26 PM
877 Views
Don't. Instead, enlighten me.
- 09/12/2010 05:46:34 PM
691 Views
So, gifted lead musician from the most successful band ever who died young?
- 09/12/2010 08:24:50 PM
766 Views
I'd rather revere you. You, at least, have a sense of humor. 
*NM*
- 10/12/2010 06:00:53 PM
466 Views
*NM*
- 10/12/2010 06:00:53 PM
466 Views
Oh man I wish my cstume was finished, >.<
- 08/12/2010 05:53:32 AM
804 Views
You could always be a time traveller who overshot December 8th by a few days. *NM*
- 08/12/2010 08:51:51 AM
453 Views
I wouldn't be surprised if people got punched for it
- 08/12/2010 08:15:32 AM
796 Views
Some of these would be funny to do if I didn't live in a small town.
- 08/12/2010 07:09:07 PM
813 Views
- 08/12/2010 07:27:09 PM
771 Views
Simples
- 08/12/2010 07:35:25 PM
837 Views
No it isn't.
- 08/12/2010 08:59:04 PM
838 Views