"The Golden Age of Piracy" or Long John Silver in a Tank

This morning I was struck by the odd juxtaposition of an announcement for a festival and a news item. Not long after reading about the upcoming Saint Augustine Pirate Gathering, (November 14th -16th), I also read in the New York Times about a band of Somali pirates who have seized a ship carrying $30 million worth of grenade launchers, tons of ammunition, and yes, even 33 refurbished T-72 battle tanks. The ship was taken over 200 miles offshore. Naval ships from both the US and Russia subsequently intercepted the pirates and a week-long standoff has ensued.

But first, back to St Augustine. The Pirate Gathering website states: "We welcomed all pyrates be they paper, plastic and authentic, so come dressed in your best pirantical pirattitude and help us celebrate the 'Golden Age of Piracy'. "

I am not sure if by the "Golden Age of Piracy" they are referring to the period from the 1650s to the 1720s when swashbucklers roamed the Spanish Main or to 1973 when Disney opened its "Pirates of the Caribbean" amusement ride. I suspect the goings-on in St. Augustine will owe as much to the latter as the former.

I happen to loathe the Disneyfication of Piracy.

I do understand why folks have always had a fascination with pirates. It is in many respects comparable with our modern fondness for the mafia. Pirates are sort of the "Sopranos at Sea". Both groups were and are brutal and often murderous. The difference is that the television shows and movies about the mafia generally do not sugar coat their activities. The problem with Disney and other mass marketers is that they have attempted to make pirates cute and cuddly. So far, at least we have not seen Tony Soprano merchandised as a plushie doll.

In Salon, commenting on Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Andrew Leonard captures nicely the rather bizarre contradiction in Disney's portrayal of pirates and piracy.

"In Pirates we're expected to root for the anarchic lawbreakers against the forces of repressive order. That's why the third film starts with a bunch of pitiful about-to-be-hanged islanders being told they no longer have any constitutional rights. But it's always been kind of a nifty trick for a supposedly squeaky clean, family-friendly corporation like Disney to market pirates, famous for raping, pillaging and murdering their way across the seven seas, as not only PG-13 entertainment but also as freedom fighters against totalitarian rule. This is an effort laden with gross contradictions, leading to such hysterical high points as the shock expressed by Disney when Keith Richards, who makes a cameo as the keeper of the Pirate Codex in At World's End, claimed to have snorted his own father's cremated ashes. Whether joking or not, what could possibly have been be more piratical in spirit then that!? But Disney frowns on true piracy -- and for understandable reasons. In a global marketplace, there are bound to be some cultures where potential ticket-buyers would look askance at nasal consumption of one's progenitors."

As Leonard notes, Disney (and indeed virtually everyone for that matter) frowns on true piracy. I worked in the shipping industry for two decades and I knew ship's captains and mates who risked their lives sailing through waters infested by real pirates; not the "Aargh, Avast ye matie" shouting buffoons with funny hats, but desperate young men in high speed boats wielding AK47s and RPGs.

Stephan Eklof, in Pirates in Paradise which examines piracy in South East Asia, notes that in the so called "Golden Age of Piracy", pirates attacked an estimated 218 vessels a year. In South East Asia alone, an average of 368 pirate attacks at sea or in port are reported to the authorities yearly. It is estimated that the actual number of pirate attacks may be twice as high as the reported figures. Measured in human terms the outcome is grim. In 2000 in South East Asia, pirates murdered 73 sailors, wounded 99 more. Twenty six others are missing and presumed dead. We may now be in the real "Golden Age of Piracy" whether we like it or not.

Which brings us back to Somalia. The consensus is that the Somali pirates in control of the ship full of grenade launchers and tanks may not have hit the piratical jackpot after all. They have done the one thing that all criminals, including pirates, prefer to avoid. They have drawn attention to themselves. They are now demanding $20 million in ransom to release the ship, which is currently at anchor, completely surrounded by US warships.

And now back to St. Augustine, where with funny hats, toy swords and lots of "aarhging" and timber-shivering, they will celebrate the rape, murder and plundering for profit that is piracy. Be sure to bring the kids.

Comments

[baddog2]

While we are discussing Piracy past and present perhaps we should examine the definition of such as stated in my dictionary....
Pirate - One who commits illegal violence at sea or on the shores . 2 one who appropriates and reproduces without authorization for his own profit the literary artistic or invention of another. 3. To commit piracy upon, rob and plunder as a pirate does.
True to real history Pirates would NEVER admit to being such ( for fear of death of un-pleasant means). Yet we see their faces in our media and they qualify their deeds under "privateer letters" (licensed piracy)... Is this a definition of "Plastic Pirates"?
Pirates, (touted uncivilized) had a form of democratic rule outlined as "pirate articles" where upon laws were stated with no arguments allowed and infractions punishable by death of "Un-pleasant means". Flogging however was a deterrent, that proved fairly effective and kept these rough smelly crews in a semblance of order that by measure of productivity bettered most Naval fleets. Arguably the share of profits helped.
So, I draw some comparisons here (in an oblique fashion) and argue in favor of fantasy to blunt the plundering that I as a taxpayer have been subjected too..
I'm going to go play. In authentic 1740's regalia, sing rope hauling songs, tell true St Augustine Pirate stories to the Kids and have a great time in this beautiful ancient township of 443 years. Hey Mr Spilman..Thanks for the publicity!

[NotARegular]

Gimme A Break!! We're a bunch of friends who sport beards and happen to like history, black powder and entertaining those who care to watch. Most of us also take part in the more authentic pirate re-enactments in town, namely the raids of Sir Francis Drake and Robert Searles. But in neither one of those re-enactments do we burn the town or shoot anyone with live ball.

Racism is evil we all know, but Union-only civil war re-enactments wouldn't be the same. If pirate re-enactors "celebrate the rape, murder and plundering for profit that is piracy", then it follows that Mr. Spilman would similarly brand the rebel re-enactors as celebrating and outdated agricultural existence based on slavery.

After our 'raidin' and pillagin' is done, we'll retire around the campfire to song and revelry and spare not a thought to Mr. Spilman atop his ivory tower.

[jhb90277]

Pirates are real and they are dangerous. It is finally being publicized in more mainstream outlets. I don't have a problem with the Disney-ified version of pirates. My kids love it, but they also know that there are real pirates, with real speedboats, who kill real people. I regularly read some maritime trade publications and there is a major threat on that African coast.

[Swerinjer]

What about video pirates?

[ianrthorpe]

Ha-haar matey, right ye be. Pirates be ruthless, black - hearted baaaaarstards with rotten teeth and bad breath they be. Even comedy pirates be terrible enough to give decent folks the squits at the mere mention of us names.

But if they scurvey dogs at Disney has really ruined the reppytation of Pirates , I suggest we have a Vkiking movie franchise. When heroes has hames kile Rolf Widowmaker, Ragnar the Bloodstained Erik Bloodaxe and Thorfinn Skullsplitter I challenges even they lubbers at Disney to make something cuddly out of 'em.

http://greenteeth.blog.co.uk/2008/09/19/boggart-blog-international-talk-like-a-pirate-dayspecial-4750608

[Kim Stagliano - Huffpost Blogger]

Are you suggesting a Piratical sabbatical? :) You draw an interesting parallel between the mob (not the vowels in my last name) and pirates. I loved the Sopranos - how DO we separate the brutal reality from the Hollywood version? I've been feeling this way about the TV show Dexter. There has been a monster publicity campaign for this show about a serial killer. Including a spread in GF that profiled his clothing. Rain boots that wash off easily, for instance. I don't watch the show - but I'm guessing it's awfully good. Does it help us feel less afraid of the real monsters in the world when we can render them harmless in the media?

KIM

[RickSp]

I love the sound of a "Piratical sabbatical"even if I'm not entirely sure what it means. Is it s a break from piracy or to or running off to be a pirate. Either way it has a nice ring.

We do seem to be drawn to the darker sides of our natures. Hyde is always so much more fun that Jekyll so long as you are not the one getting your throat ripped out.

[BlackJAC]

There's a line in THE WHEEL OF DARKNESS by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child about "the ecstacy of the pure freedom of evil."

[BlackJAC]

Jeff Lindsay ripped off Tim Dorsey's character Serge A. Storms to creat Dexter Morgan.

[recless]

Actually, one has to wonder about this in the same way you wonder about women who have "rape" fantasies. In any case, it wouldn't be such a big deal if there wasn't Disney and those like them who can take this and turn it into a buck. They do it with knights (who were not in real life such great people), pilots, and others. I liked the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, but to think what would happen to Keira Knightley if she were transported back in time to the 16th century and put on a real pirate boat. It would not be a pretty image.