More Media Coverage

[Rigged]

I'd like to see the kilt makers take a more active role in promoting positive images of kilt-wearing men on television.

I can't imagine a better way to gain more public acceptance of kilts as everyday wear for men. Many people don't know what a kilt is, or have never seen one (I know this because people have told me so). Many people don't know the difference between a dress and a skirt, let alone the difference between and skirt and a kilt.

So far, it's been up to each of us individually to promote the social acceptance of kilts as normal men's wear. We've been told to "just wear it" as a way of educating people about kilts. That approach didn't work for women when they wanted acceptance wearing pants. Just wearing it doesn't teach people anything, but permits people to hold onto their preconceptions (Women who wear pants are dykes. Men who wear skirts are fags).

It took a popular female character in a popular television series (Mary Tyler Moore as devoted wife and mother, "Laura Petrie" in "The Dick Van Dyke Show") wearing pants on the air (showing that women who wore pants weren't necessarily motorcycle-riding, leather-clad, ball-busting dykes) that gave women the public support they needed to make pants-wearing acceptable. This was a time when pants were symbolic of masculinity and authority, hence the question, "Who wears the pants around here?"

I think we men need something similar, otherwise each of us will be accepted and tolerated, but only as eccentric oddities.

Rigged AKA "The Kilt Guy"

[Graham]

I agree with you. TV is a powerful medium - for good and ill.

We've seen celebrities in kilts this year, but not enough.
Kilts are still stuck in the Highland Games/bands slot (I love Highland Games/bands) we need to get kilts free of that.

[Calico Jack]

Does anyone work in TV, or know someone who does who might be able to accomplish this?

[Blu (Ontario)]

I'd like to see the kilt makers take a more active role in promoting positive images of kilt-wearing men on television.... etc... I think we men need something similar, otherwise each of us will be accepted and tolerated, but only as eccentric oddities. Rigged AKA "The Kilt Guy"

Great idea... but how do you make it work? Television promotion takes lots of money $$$ and there has to be a benefit to those investing the $$$. I don't think most kiltmakers can afford that kind of monetary commitment. Besides you'd have to pay a lot more for your kilts if they did.In addition, there has to be an audience... How do kilts figure into the equation? Beer commercials? I see kilts remaining in the "special interest" category for the forseeable future.

I have a rather pessimistic outlook here but I think I'm being realistic.

[richardljohnson]

One of the problems I see is that people EXPECT kilts at Highland Games but not anywhere else. As it has happened to me many times is the "Where are the games at?" At this I have many answers from 'there are not any' to 'at home tonight!'.

The only real answer I see is to
1. Wear kilts more in public.
2. More education as to the fact that kilts are not costumes but garmets to be worn at any and on all occassions.

If someone (hay Rocky, yohoo Bear) would start a dedicated program to advertise in the media then that would be a start. I listen to some of the national radio talk shows and one in particular advertises a set of made in USA khakis made like the old WWII style. These (Bill's Khakis) retail for just under $100.00's! NOW, give me a choice and I'll go for the kilts (but you knew that).

Maybe one answer would be a 'national' kilt makers guild in which the kilt makers (tradation to modern) pool money and a 'community' web site with a summary of each kilt makers product and links to each site and also strive for advertising on some type of national syndicated show.

Just an idea to start....

RLJ-

[Blu (Ontario)]

... Maybe one answer would be a 'national' kilt makers guild... RLJ-

How about

Organization for
Promotional
Exposure of
Kiltmakers

Original, huh!

[RockyR]

Rigged,

Let me know if you can think of ideas and I'll be happy to try to get kilts into the main stream media!

The problem lies in the "thought behind it". I've made kilts for Channel 3 (in Philly) to do the St. Paty's day parade. We made a kilt for Srgt. Farr and got media coverage. Here's the problem part... people see these as SELFISH acts... ways to promote OUR company. Yes, media coverage was something that HAPPENED, but it wasn't my goal. Let me state for the record right now... making a Kilt for a marine defending MY freedom was NOT a selfish thought... I wanted to give the guy a kilt whether I got media coverage or not. However, there's an element that will think badly of you for getting any coverage at all, claiming it ALL to be selfish. Childish, yes... but it's out there.

Also... There's 2 ways to get coverage in a media outlet... BUY coverage (commercial... VERY expensive for such a minimal return on a niche audience) or have something THEY (the media) deem as "newsworthy". Since Madonna wore kilts on her tour , people have their fashion interests peaked a bit, but kilts are still not something that will (in the forseeable future) be top story on CNN.

I hope I don't sound too negative. I would LOVE for there to be more coverage on Kilts in the media. Problem is, without a MASSIVE public interest, there's little chance of that happening. (I was a communications major in collee and wrote MANY papers on "news" and "Media") Perhaps if we can get media outlets to cover "highland festivals" and other such events (other than Patty's day parades), it would up the interest.

Thoughts?

[Miah]

I am not sure about what the deal Utilikilts has with the folks at Tech TV or if it is just a matter UK is close to them but they (Patrick) seems to wear a kilt faily normaly on TV maybe getting with some of those people and paosibly opening them up to other types of kilts would be an answer.

[macwilkin]

Kilts are still stuck in the Highland Games/bands slot (I love Highland Games/bands) we need to get kilts free of that.

I agree with & disagree with this statement at the same time. Whilst games are certainly not the only place to wear a kilt, games are also a good place to recruit new members into the fold. Think about it: the games are one of the few "safe" places for new "recruits" to feel safe & confident, since there are hundreds of other kilted lads walking around as well -- it is a saftey zone that gets one ready for the real world.

Any publicity is good publicity.

Bands also serve as good publicity, even though we all get tired of being asked constantly if we play the pipes and/or in a band -- but the key is that at least folks are putting two and two together. It's kind of like when I do Spanish-American War reenacting. Even though I do an impression of an infantryman from the 20th Kansas Infantry, people will always say "look, a rough rider!" or something about Teddy Roosevelt -- at least they know enough to identify the right war, and a quick chat soon explains the impression and that other units fought in the war besides TR and the Rough Riders. I know that's not really "germane" to kilts, but we should be using the games.

How, you ask? Simple. The games can promote kilt wearing by having "fashion shows" and seminars on Scottish attire (many already do) to explain that kilts are everyday garments. Invite the "neo-kilt" folks to participate as well to show the modern side of the kilt.

The St. Louis Scottish Games holds kilt nights to promote the games in the months before the event, and to raise awareness of Scottish culture -- this gets the kilt out in the open, and away from the games, whilst at the same time promoting them.

I don't think we should dismiss the value of the games as a recruiting tool for kilt wearing and for attracting new blood to Scottish cultural groups, etc. For most of the general public, the local games will be one of their only exposures to our wee sub-culture -- let's use them to our advantage.

Cheers!

T.

[GMan]

Just adding my thoughts here. I am able to be out and about town quite often, and some of that constitutes seeing the media such as TV and the newspapers. Only once that I know of was I ever filmed all kilted. A friend had to tell me because I told him that I was going to be at that occasion. He saw me in a kilt, but it was such a brief shot, it really wasn't planned. They seem to avoid filming a kilted guy, in fact I have even see avoidance when they see I am going to be in the shot.

I agree I would love to see more kilts on TV, but it will be a long time coming, and looking at it at this moment, I kind of like being known as a nonconformist.