Electrolicious

4 Responses to “Burners shouldn’t be surprised:”

1. Kate
   November 16th, 2006 at 9:11 am

   

   Sadly, to broadcast this as - an assumed - non-Burner is rather naive. It is also rather naive to think that the image of naked 30 - 40 year olds is definative of Burning Man.

   It’s flattering to think that this free-form art and participatory society is what people find artistic. Burning Man brings to life our imaginations allowing creation to flourish.

   Sadly, I do agree that some form of conformism is a part of BM culture now. It is, afterall, a part of human nature.

   However, that does not mean that a greater light shines beneath all of that in the form of a community so strong that it assembles itself annually in the middle of a desert where nothing else lives.

2. Ariel
   November 16th, 2006 at 10:30 am

   

   I’ve attended bm 3 times, first in 1999, and my concern is that the community is backing itself into an identity corner. Maybe it’s just the nature of underground communities to do so, but it’s frustrating to watch yet another radical community become commodified and stereotypable … and I think it’s up to the individuals within the community to protect it. I’ve seen this happen with the rave community, and I’m watching it happen to the hula hooping community, too. Burners are far from alone in this challenge.

   That said, there really is no denying that burners have become increasingly homogeneous — and I say this as someone who’s been and who spends a lot of time with burners. If members of a subculture don’t want to be pingeon-holed, it’s up to each of them (us!) to fight the stereotypes. Instead, I see most burners embracing them (at least on a superficial level). When you do so, you put your community at higher risk for being type-cast by ad agency art directors and the new york times … and former-burner bloggers.

   My headline and the quotes I pulled are intentionally dismissive, in part because it was intended to act as a snarky wake-up call. That said, I’ve been known to be too harsh about such things, and I should probably chill out a bit.

3. dori
   November 18th, 2006 at 9:39 am

   

   nah, no need to “lighten up” - as what i guess is considered at this point, being “old school” (um, i STOPPED going to BM after 2001) i am a little turned off by the comformity, too… i can’t tell you how many times over the past six years i’ve been unattending burning man that i’ve been written off by clueless new-skoolers. i’m not wearing the gear, i must not be in the know… ha!

   i mean, seriously, how many pairs of fuzzy leg warmers, sleeves, hot pants, fuzzy vests and big boots can a person see or wear before they move along? how many times can you hear the same speech before you’re like “yeah yeah little one, we know this already…”

   or what about the whole “leather, feathers and dreadlocks” look that it seems EVERYONE on the west coast is now rocking?

   yes, there is a lot of comformity - or, as you may want to call it, “tribal identity” - because that’s what tribes do, they identify by certain characteristics, including “uniforms”. the individuality is in the minor details, and is less important than the overall identity of the tribe.

   still… i might just be a little too individualistic for tribal uniforms just yet, lol…

   well, somewhat - i’m guilty of some large tattoos, tribal-style earrings, etc… but you’d never know it these days by the clothes i often wear, which cover most of it in a plain-janeness that would surprise my old burner friends - and those plain-jane clothes are mostly for functional purposes - a WEEK in the desert, sure, whatever, but a true vagabond lifestyle, and well, f*ck it, i got over trying to do it in platforms REAL quick.

   regardless, i do love how burning man STILL has the capability of changing peoples’ lives like it did mine. tho i may look like less of one these days, i’d not be nearly the huge freak i am today if i hadn’t have gone, and i still get a thrill watching the transformations take place… despite the conformity, the world is a better place for the existence of this phenomenon we know as Burning Man.

4. amy.leblanc
   November 20th, 2006 at 6:02 pm

   

   here in SF, i think the most dramatic burners are pretty evenly divided between the ‘furries’ and the ‘tribals’. i don’t fit into either, in terms of fashion, and unfortunately i think that had a lot to do with my feeling a bit isolated on the playa and in my community this year. however, i think it’s a small but visually obvious percentage of people who fit into these molds. if you look at the average burner, even on the playa, it’s a lot more about silliness and comfortability than anything else. what gets photographed and documented, however, are the day-glofur/silver hot pants/fishnet wearers and the dready/leather/feathered hat crews, and then that’s the image that is projected back out to the world.

   what’s crazy about burning man is that it’s OURSELVES who are doing this - taking photos of only the most “beautifully playafied” participants and putting them up in our photo galleries. the corporate media has very little to do with the image of burning man that is spread around the world - it comes from within. i purposely didn’t wear my furries in ‘06 because i didn’t want to be part of that stereotype, and i’ll never be tribal cuz hey - i like my earlobes and soft shiny hair. so there i am dancing around the playa in vintage cocktail dresses.

   like dori, i actively resist the “uniforms”, even when parts of it appeal to me, because i see it being pushed too far into the conformity realm. of course i understand that PART of what defines communities is fashion - i love fashion and believe that what you wear makes a statement about who you are and what you believe (or what you’re willing to ignore, in some cases) - but what i don’t like about it in this context is a) the turned up noses and “burnier than thou” attitudes sometimes possessed by those with the most fashionable attire and b) the resulting “burner stereotype” that gets perpetuated and sent out in to the world as if it’s ubiquitous.