The story of Medieval Times: originally published in Lucky Peach 16: Fantasy Issue.
“It will infuriate devotees of the genre to hear it, but “fantasy” books and movies are basically always set in the same place. Generically European stone walls frame long, torch-lit dining halls where courtly feasts are held. Outside the fortress walls, bloody battles, festive pageantry, and quests where good triumphs over evil proceed. There is, in general, an Olde English–accented blend of civility and barbarism that forms a romantic image we identify as “medieval.”
The franchise Medieval Times, which first appeared in Florida in 1983, has taken that world and brought it to nine North American locales. For around sixty bucks, you get a pile of meaty, starchy fare served to you while taking in almost two hours of theatrical jousting, horseback riding, and sword fighting, with just a little bit of narrative drizzled in.”