Enrique Gili is a freelance writer covering Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (Ocean Beach's dreadlocked trustafarians and E -fueled hippy chicks have decamped for a multi-day bacchinalia in the desert or at least until the drugs run out. In recent years hipsters and stoners have taken their toll on Black Rock City. Burning Man's credo of "radical self-expression" leads its citizens (39,100 last year, more expected this year) to extravagant displays of wanton creativity; it culminates in the equally wanton destruction of much of that art -- by fire. Which is why this year's theme -- "The Green Man" -- caught some off guard. (Sac Bee)
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Comments
...Wow. You have NO idea what goes on at Burning Man, do you?
For the record, I agree: this year's Green Man theme is strange at best. But other than that, you're taking cheap shots at an event that has inspired work toward many causes. Environmental (BM works with BLM to protect the lakebed on which the event is held), political (pretty self-explanatory), scientific (I'm talking both chemistry- and engineering-related: Hexayurts, anyone?). A lot of good has come out of Burning Man, and as for "wanton creativity"... this is an event that encourages radical community-building in addition to radical self-expression.
Maybe you might rethink how much you know about the subject of your post. Go there and see for yourself, then decide.
Posted by: vika | August 25, 2007 08:32 AM
Oh, and trustafarians? Hahahahano. That's like saying only spoiled kids of rich parents go to MIT (which has a healthy representation at Burning Man every year).
Some people going to Burning Man do have money they don't know what to do with. Others pool resources with striking ingenuity. Still others go into major debt (not that I'd know anything about that, oh no) in order to participate.
Not as much of the art at Burning Man gets destroyed as you seem to think.
I'll stop here.
Posted by: vika | August 25, 2007 08:36 AM
Thanks for the earnest and lengthy post, I enjoy comments
positive, negative, or snarky. Now for the rebuttal.
The BM organizers have to work with federal officials. They're utilizing public land at taxpayers expense.
Burning Man is staged on the so named playa, in part
because the BLM won't sanction Burners permits to use incendiary devices that have the potential to start forest fires. Nor do they want streams overrunning with shit.
Yurts, free standing structures designed and
perfected over over the millenia in Central Asia is that some kind of breakthrough. I wonder how did the Mongols ever manage to get along get along without Burners ? What's next a tepee?
"Radical self expression" I forgot to add the legions of
art fags attending BM. The images and terminology emerging from BM are fairly self-explanatory.
Art fags aren't necessarily gay nor do they need to possess artistic talent. I'm referring to bands of smug wankers prone to publically uttering grad speak mumbo jumbo. http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=art+fag
I like art and I like festive gatherings, but does there have to be a dissertation on it. If you want to raise hell, blow off steam, wear outlandish outfits and get wild , I'm for it. Just don't turn it into a masters thesis.
The anuual tutition at MIT is 33k and that doesn't include
housing and living expenses. Who can afford that? Trustafarians and MIT grads emerge from the same gene pool, parents with enough money to ensure their children's comfort in whatever path thier offspring choose to follow, whether it's following a jam band around the country or a post grad fellowship at Harvard.
"Still others go into major debt (not that I'd know anything about that, oh no) in order to participate."
If blowing a thousand dollars on glitter or glow sticks
is your point of reference for going into debt then you're the one who's clueless. People who can afford BM are comparitively well off, and are at best situationally broke.
Having said that, if you're half- way attractive and
plan on getting your freak on at BM on please send pictures. Illustrated naughty bits are fun! Destroying the art is optional.
I'll stop there , enrique
Posted by: Enrique | August 26, 2007 02:12 PM
"Oh, sorry. I thought yours was a science blog, not a blog where you make snap judgments about art tastes and come on to strangers. A real winner! "
Now look who's being presumptous, a healthy dose
of self esteen is a good thing so long as it isn't misplaced.
"If people interested in the actual environmental issues around Burning Man want to talk, I'm happy to talk elsewhere. "
But it wasn't strictly a science post and your response wasn't very sciency ,was it? Instead you felt compelled to take me to task on my blog for my choice of language, which was in turn referring to a Sac Bee article and based my own personal experinces in my neighborhood.
"For the reference, the Hexayurt is not just a yurt. It's cheap and durable housing suitable for refugee-camp use, and evolved separately from Burning Man. In fact, their stated desire (found on the homepage) is to find "a company that wants to manufacture these and ensure global availability." It's about housing the homeless; BM is merely a good testing ground. "
I know that. I didn't feel it was necessary to belabor the point its so bone headed. Hexayurt is just one more item on the BM agenda to get peeved about..
Making the analogy to a refugee camp is an indication of just how of touch you are. Comparing BM's surreal summer camp atmosphere to real human suffering, Ha!.
Absent the, misery, cholera outbreaks and death squads hovering on the perimeter I suppose
For starters Burners chose to be there and can leave at any time.
And there are other considerations: how much does it cost, can they knock ten thousand out in a jiffy and get them where they need to be quickly. Economies of scale and practicality counts for something.
If you want to stop a refugee crisis end the violence, so people can get back to thier homes In the meantime, single piece tents & tarps work extremely well as emergency shelter against the elements with less parts to inventory.
"But you just want the nekkid pictures, don't you?"
Of course. This is all a grand stategy to obtain
nude pictures. You got me, scienceblogs is just one elaborate ruse, a side project for Burner Girls Gone WIld. If you send them (naked or otherwise)
I'll post them to my not so scientific blog for commentary. That'd be excellent. Just don't scorch my eyeballs with troll pics.
Posted by: vika | August 26, 2007 06:09 PM
If you're going to reply to my comments, you may
want to do me the courtesy of publishing them.
But I have given you the opportunity to post at lenght,
you've pretty much capitalized the commentary for 24 hours now. I think its clear who's taking which position.
Hexayurt is just an example of a project tangential to Burning Man that is worthy of a good look. I was bringing it up because you seem to think that BM is a worthless enterprise, and having had direct experience with it, I disagree. Aside from hurling insults, discussing gene pools of "rich people" and being vaguely creepy, you haven't given any evidence that you know what you're talking about. If you post incorrect information on the internets, expect that someone will correct it.
I never said the BM was worthless. I made some observations with my toungue planted firmly in cheek.
Even the response to your mounting outrage has been
an excercise in goading you, which is something that you've failed to comprehend.
But since you still don't get it: Hexayurt is NOT A BURNING MAN PROJECT. It's a project conceived and engineered by a person (and his team) who, so far as I know, has never been formally involved with Burning Man, but who has gone to the event. Just like other professionals -- chemists, biologists, engineers, journalists, university professors, artists, programmers -- go to the event.
I'm not making an analogy to a refugee camp; I'm saying Hexayurt is suitable for use in refugee camps. Environmentally speaking, the Black Rock desert is a good testing ground for housing in harsh conditions.
It costs little; that's the point. It is easy to manufacture thousands; that's the point. Will you read the site and/or specs before criticizing?
Yes more plastic is the answer. We definitely need more plastic. How about a shelter that returns to the earth when you're done like canvas. Whatever the merits of the HexaYurt are a week in the desert hardly a real challenge
If it remained freestanding through rain, sleet, hail, snow, for six months, under intense UV light then it might do the trick.
And if the point is it is so tangnetial , then why are you so adament? What are you trying to justify. Why can't BM just be a Summer End blow out for well-heeled hipsters with Mad Max overtones. Does it really have to be imbued with so much signifigance.
I've been reading ScienceBlogs for a year or two, and have never seen any SB author behave as outrageously as you're behaving. So please to not be hiding behind the SB logo; YOU're the one who wrote that garbage above. Discussing art fags on SB and then taking *me* to task? B***, please.
Really. The ID and Creationist camp might take issue
with that. They've been baited for quite some time. They mostly deserve it. I'm not quite sure you do, but do try
to be not so earnest. I think I'll add this bit of commentary to the Seed anthology, next time. Thanks for making this exchange possible.
Posted by: vika | August 27, 2007 01:28 PM
I would appreciate it if you did not edit my comments but allowed them to stand as I've written them, then comment yourself to respond. This is how we do it in the blogosphere, you know? No, apparently not.
Burning Man *can* be a summer-end blow out, and for some people it is. But it is also a socially significant undertaking, and its effects spill over well beyond the week in which it takes place. It's highly imperfect, but it is important.
There's a difference between planting tongue in cheek and (as I wrote in my first comment to your post) taking cheap shots. Your goading crossed the line when you asked me for naked pictures of myself in the desert.
Posted by: vika | August 27, 2007 04:13 PM
But I gave you more than enough room in this forum to post your views. And your stuff is mostly in quotes. And yes it is the blogoshphere. However, it is my blog and not your soapbox.
I'd like to see emperical evidence on that, I mean other than benefiting academic salons and grant funded projects. Real world examples not art hipster fluff.
And you ate it up hook, line and, sinker. But seriosly
if you happen to be attending BM and there's interesting visuals I'll post em. Burners Gone Wild ought to do wonders for traffic.
Posted by: Enrique | August 27, 2007 05:14 PM