Burning Man Festival

[alphamale]

http://www.burningman.com/

Has anyone been to this or know anyone who has? They say it is "dedicated to radical self-expression" - meaning there's weird art and the chicks take off their clothes. I'm curious about what it's like to attend this.

[BDS]

I've never been, but many of my friends have.

They say it's great. There's lots of weird art; no money is allowed (barter only); and the isolated, harsh environment makes for a mind-blowing experience (I'm sure the drugs help, too). The strangeness of the living conditions, the environment, the art, and the people in attendance (so my friends say) disassociates a person from normalcy to the point where he sees things (including himself) from a different direction.

Like other such intense experiences, I'm sure the effects are ephemeral. Still, I bet it's very fun.

[RevDahlia]

I've been going to Burning Man since 1998, and it's become a pretty significant part of my life. (My avatar is a picture from the event, and my member status is a reference to the fact that I'll go on about Burning Man indefinitely if you let me. I'll try to keep this brief.)

BDS' explanation is really quite good, although the drugs are not nearly as integral to the experience as many assume. Someone once said that describing Burning Man to someone who's never been is like describing sex to someone who's never had it, which is hyperbolic but apt.

Burning Man is completely unlike any other experience I've ever had. The environment is singularly weird and the values espoused by the associated culture are idiosyncratic (clean up after yourself, leave your wallet at home, no rules as long as you're not impinging on someone else, participation is mandatory, mere spectating is verboten, and so on). Also it is singularly beautiful. Some of the art is just mindblowing. Pictures can be found here.

After eight years, I go back mostly for the people. Burners, for the most part, are great -- hardworking mavericks with boundless creativity and loony senses of humor. There are some hippies and burnouts and annoying mooches, but they are easily ignored. And yes, there are naked girls - but if that's your sole motivation for going you'll be disappointed, as there are many, many more naked guys wandering around.

This article is a bit dated, but it's still the best one I've read on the subject.

[alphamale]

Originally Posted by RevDahlia

I've been going to Burning Man since 1998, and it's become a pretty significant part of my life. (My avatar is a picture from the event, and my member status is a reference to the fact that I'll go on about Burning Man indefinitely if you let me. I'll try to keep this brief.)

BDS' explanation is really quite good, although the drugs are not nearly as integral to the experience as many assume. Someone once said that describing Burning Man to someone who's never been is like describing sex to someone who's never had it, which is hyperbolic but apt.

Burning Man is completely unlike any other experience I've ever had. The environment is singularly weird and the values espoused by the associated culture are idiosyncratic (clean up after yourself, leave your wallet at home, no rules as long as you're not impinging on someone else, participation is mandatory, mere spectating is verboten, and so on). Also it is singularly beautiful. Some of the art is just mindblowing. Pictures can be found here.

After eight years, I go back mostly for the people. Burners, for the most part, are great -- hardworking mavericks with boundless creativity and loony senses of humor. There are some hippies and burnouts and annoying mooches, but they are easily ignored. And yes, there are naked girls - but if that's your sole motivation for going you'll be disappointed, as there are many, many more naked guys wandering around.

This article is a bit dated, but it's still the best one I've read on the subject.

Why are there many more naked guys?
This festival actually looks cool in a way because the desert is a blank slate - no environment that implies preconceptions. It also looks environmentally hostile - I don't think I would go without a good RV with air conditioning. What exactly is the symbolism of the burning man? Burned his ass from running around naked in the desert? Also, can you show up with normal clothes? Do some do that?

[RevDahlia]

Originally Posted by alphamale

Why are there many more naked guys?

Beats me. I'm guessing it's because guys are less neurotic about being seen naked, and because there are more guys out there in general -- I believe the ratio of men:women is about 3:2.

This festival actually looks cool in a way because the desert is a blank slate - no environment that implies preconceptions.

That is a big, big part of why I like it so much. Watching Black Rock City emerge from an environment that's pretty much tabula rasa, and then watching it disappear again, is amazing.

It also looks environmentally hostile - I don't think I would go without a good RV with air conditioning.

It's incredibly environmentally hostile. I've been camping in all kinds of random places and the Black Rock Desert is by far the most challenging place I've ever been. If you are at all high-maintenance you'll probably have a wretched time.

RVs are nice for sleeping in, because you're less likely to get all your stuff and your sleeping self full of alkali dust. If you run the genny for the AC all day it tends to piss off the neighbors, though -- generators are noisy and stinky in close quarters.

What exactly is the symbolism of the burning man? Burned his ass from running around naked in the desert?

The organizers have never explained what the symbolism is. As I understand it, back in the '80s a bunch of folks were hanging out on Baker Beach (in SF) one night and spontaneously decided to build a human figure out of driftwood and burn it. It turned into a really good party, so they decided to do it again the next year, and it snowballed from there. I don't think there is any explicit symbolism; it just seemed like a cool thing to do at the time.

Incidentally, Burning Man came a hairsbreadth from being named "Lumber Man".

Also, can you show up with normal clothes? Do some do that?

Oh yeah. Most people have normal clothes for kicking around camp and costumes for going out, but the costumes are by no means mandatory. AFAIK Larry Harvey, the guru of Burning Man, has never been seen in costume.

[alphamale]

One last question, Rev. Why did they put it in a place that's so environmentally hostile? There's lots of places out in the middle of nowhere, that don't make it a fight for existence.

[RevDahlia]

Originally Posted by alphamale

One last question, Rev. Why did they put it in a place that's so environmentally hostile? There's lots of places out in the middle of nowhere, that don't make it a fight for existence.

Partly because the playa itself is a giant canvas. I can't conceive of a better backdrop for a big art thing. (There are other playas, but they are also in the middle of nowhere and environmentally hostile.) Partly because it's relatively convenient to San Francisco, where all the organizers live and work. Partly because, in 1990, the Burning Man party got kicked off Baker Beach because it was getting too big, and one guy said "Hey, I know of a cool place where we can burn stuff and the cops won't mind." It just became a tradition. Also, nothing lives on the playa so the environmental impact is minimal. Burning Man would utterly destroy any other kind of wilderness area, and that's not the kind of PR the event needs.

Hospitable environments, unfortunately, tend to be heavily regulated. Folks don't like groups of freaks to burn stuff in their hospitable environments. The Recreation Plantation in Dripping Springs, TX, where Burning Flipside is held, is fairly hospitable, but it's tiny and the regulations are really tight. Also there are fire ants. I'd much rather dust than fire ants.

[pescifish]

Originally Posted by RevDahlia

The organizers have never explained what the symbolism is. As I understand it, back in the '80s a bunch of folks were hanging out on Baker Beach (in SF) one night and spontaneously decided to build a human figure out of driftwood and burn it. It turned into a really good party, so they decided to do it again the next year, and it snowballed from there. I don't think there is any explicit symbolism; it just seemed like a cool thing to do at the time.

Incidentally, Burning Man came a hairsbreadth from being named "Lumber Man".

Wow! I always assumed it was an extension or version of the Fiestas de Santa Fe and the burning of Zozobra. But, now that I've read your link and other articles, I see they are completely separate events and even motivations.

[RevDahlia]

Originally Posted by pescifish

Wow! I always assumed it was an extension or version of the Fiestas de Santa Fe and the burning of Zozobra. But, now that I've read your link and other articles, I see they are completely separate events and even motivations.

I'm pretty sure that there's some kind of Jungian thing at work here, though. There are lots of events that revolve around giant human figures being set on fire, throughout history and all over the world. Just because Burning Man happened more or less by accident doesn't mean that there isn't some connection, even if it's buried in the depths of our weird old monkey brains.

[Clutch Munny]

Originally Posted by RevDahlia

I'd much rather dust than fire ants.

Well, I'm not much on housework myself, but laying off anyone is heartbreaking.

[pescifish]

Especially family members.

[RevDahlia]

You guys are awful.

[pescifish]

He started it.

[viscousmemories]

[Clutch Munny]

Wait, you meant --

And I thought that --

Oh, what a misunderstanding!