I’ve heard about Burning Man since I was about 24 years when I worked with Matto at Pro Photo Supply, but it seems the time has come that it is entirely too main-stream. I have never been. About 8 years ago or so I wanted to go, but I am not of that scene really. Never was, never will be. I freely admit it. It looks like a wild as hell desert party with a bunch of really crazy freakin people. But how far is it from where it started? Maybe no one cares, maybe they all just figure Hey! The more , the merrier.
I received this email from the away network:
Burning Man—part carnival, part art event, part party, purely counter-culture—is an impossible-to-encapsulate event, which takes place annually (August 28 to September 4, in 2006) in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert. Organizers describe the event as an "experiment in temporary community dedicated to radical self-expression and radical self-reliance." The free-flowing mayhem culminates in the immolation of a massive human figure, hence the name.
"…immolation of a massive human figure,…" WTF is that? Who in the hell wrote that crap? Some 20-something communications grad, in his first job out of college who knows nothing of the community and culture surrounding the event? That’s what it sounds like to me. Compare that description to what is posted on the Burning Man website.
Naturally I have found plenty of information to lead me to believe it, A). will never die, or B). it sucks and should be stopped. The reality seems to be that no matter how much it is advertised, simply having 36,500 people descend onto Black Rock City every year is enough for the planners/organizers and they are still out to have a good time. Which, if you look at the pictures, they indeed do. I wonder how much is spent on this event though? The tickets are $350 bucks a pop!
I’ve always found this event intriguing, and it always cracks me up to get advertisements for it. I sorta liken it to the 55 year old yuppie CEOs that all ran out and bought Harley’s because they were coooool. They were right about half of it, the Harley’s are cool.