People came to Burning Man once it was lit it on fire. Nobody had invited them. They didn’t know anything about the 10 Principles, or understand what The Man was about. They just saw something cool and wanted to participate. They had no gifts. Strangers who could see through the naive tribal cult facade of Burning Man ruined Burning Man.
In 1989, the Cacophony Society first publicized Burning Man. Now people
who weren’t Larry and Jerry’s friends (or random strangers on the beach)
could hear about it and show up, which was a betrayal of everything that
an open event held in a public place stood for. The Cacophony Society
ruined Burning Man.
In 1990, Burning Man was now a public spectacle. Hundreds of people who
heard about it through media accounts crowded around Baker Beach, trying
to see something outside of commerce get lit on fire. People who had been
there the year before were disgusted by all the new, uninitiated,
wanna-be, Burners. Local residents ruined Burning Man.
In 1992, the first sound camp (then a “rave camp”) appeared at Burning
Man, introducing amplified music to what was not yet Black Rock City.
Music, as everybody knows, is not art, so those kids and their damn music
ruined Burning Man.
In 1993, some Burning Man attendees became concerned that uncool people
might show up, and in particular wanted to keep “fat frat boys” away.
Though none were ever sighted, the very idea that they might come incited
a small panic. Fat frat boys (in absentia) ruined Burning Man.
From 1991 – 1996, the population at Burning Man (now in the Black Rock
desert) grew from 250 to 8,000 people. Nobody knew who the hell they were,
and everybody was complaining about how much art they were creating.
Friends of Friends of Friends ruined Burning Man.
From 1997 – 2001, there was serious concern that “Yahoos” – local Nevadans
who liked guns and trucks – were coming to an event where, for years,
people had used trucks to transport their guns. Obviously these people who
lived in Nevada year round wouldn’t understand the culture we had created
at all. Yahoos ruined Burning Man.
From 2003 – 2006, “weekend warriors” – people who only came for the latter
part of the week – were considered an existential threat to Burning Man,
and concerned Burners were certain that, if direct action weren’t taken,
Burning Man wouldn’t be worth going to anymore. Weekend Warriors ruined
Burning Man.
In 2007 a dissatisfied “old time” Burner, who believed Burning Man had
been ruined too much, burned the Man down in order to save it. This marked
the first time someone who ruined Burning Man did any actual damage. Old
time Burners ruined Burning Man.
From 2008 – 2012, Turn-Key Camps were ruining Burning Man by creating
circumstances in which some people didn’t have to set up their own tents
or cook their own food – which had been happening with other camps for
years, except that money wasn’t involved, except when there were camp
dues. But … clearly the new people brought in by Turn-Key Camps knew
nothing about the 10 Principles, or understood what the Man was about.
They just saw something cool and wanted to play. Critics knew they could
never be educated or be a contributing part of Black Rock City. Turn-Key
Camps ruined Burning Man.
In 2013, Burners were horrified by accounts of vapid and worthless
celebrities crawling across the playa. Though virtually none of the 60,000
people in attendance actually encountered one of these celebrities in any
way, their very presence cast a retroactive pall over the year, so no one
could enjoy the very good time they’d had. Worse, these celebrities had
had the gall to take pictures of themselves. Honestly, who takes pictures
at Burning Man? Celebrities ruined Burning Man.
From 2014 – 2016, Plug and Play camps … which are like Turn-Key Camps, but
different, since the most problematic Turn-Key Camps had been successfully
acculturated into Burning Man and now welcomed strangers and emphasized
giving and participation, something Plug and Play Camps could obviously
never do … were covering Burning Man like a plague. Well, a small plague –
they actually represented a small fraction of Black Rock City’s total
population and like the celebrities before them were rarely seen by
others. But critics knew that unlike the celebrities, many of whom were
starting to support art projects and engage in acts of gifting and
participation, Plug and Play camps were hopeless and could never possibly
get what Burning Man was about. Plug and Play camps ruined Burning Man.
In summation:
• Burning Man has been ruined 27 out of 30 times.
• On two occasions, it was ruined twice in the same
year. (This is a conservative estimate. Other models suggest Burning Man
has been ruined three or four times in a single year.)
• In total, 12 different groups (that we know of) have
done the ruining.
• The only actual physical damage done to Burning Man
was committed by people trying to protect it.
So get real and make Burningman an amusement park that does not skirt state and federal pollution regulations. I was a 1986, 1987 burner. It was decidedly anti- global and a celebration of regionalism.
You neglected to mention the 2000-2002 era of law enforcement agencies competing to see who could make more arrests. You also forgot to mention when the DMV put restrictions on art cars, cars that had been a staple of the event, because they were not “mutant” enough yet they allowed giant polluting bus hulks that were covered in ropelights, chag carpet with a crapy soundsystem.
Fantastic! I can’t wait to see what ruins BM next! My bet is on French
Canadians.
Poutine ruined Burning Man! Yes, I can see this. We actually said our
first fist fight at Lakes of Fire, the Great Lakes Regional Burn, is most
likely to occur over someone cutting in line for pouting at Camp Sorr’eh.
Damn Canadians
ys:
October 6, 2016 at 5:55 pm
One I’ve heard:
1996 Wired magazine ruined Burning Man.
Report comment
◦ Terbo Ted says:
October 6, 2016 at
7:13 pm
I think it was even
earlier than that, 1994ish.
Report comment
▪
B'anna says:
October 6, 2016 at 9:38 pm
Wired was ’95. They took a photo of my five year old son disguised as a
giant eyeball. There was a naked little person in the background. It was a
5 year old boy and naked little person who ruined Burning Man.
Report comment
▪
B'anna says:
October 6, 2016 at 9:44 pm
Maybe ’96… I have the issue buried in a trunk…
Report comment
▪
◦ frinetik says:
October 7, 2016 at
2:47 am
Mondo 2000 magazing
in 1995, and Re/Search counterculture “magazine” a little earlier I think.
I’m pretty sure Wired didn’t exist yet and that was a 2000 article you’re
remembering.
Report comment
▪ Phil
Goetz says:
October 7, 2016 at 12:17 pm
Wired 1996 article: https://www.wired.com/1996/11/burningman-2/
I just checked Wired’s first issue; it came out in Nov. 1993.
Report comment
▪
• William Winters says:
October 6, 2016 at 5:58 pm
You forgot the time Malcolm in the Middle
ruined Burning Man.
Report comment
• Simon Of the playa says:
October 6, 2016 at 6:10 pm
its actually the other way around.
burning man has totally ruined all of the
above peoples lives.
Ru.
ined.
Report comment
• Allan (Big Sureal) Badiner says:
October 6, 2016 at 6:44 pm
Esalen ruined Burning Man by luring the
Burner community to the coast and tricking them into enjoying Cypress
trees, the slapping ocean waves, the hot baths, and garden fresh food. How
can they go back to the parched dessert dust and eat oreos and potato
chips after that? :-)
Report comment
◦ Juno says:
October 7, 2016 at
9:32 am
Truth.
Report comment
◦
• Terbo Ted says:
October 6, 2016 at 7:04 pm
It’s all my fault.
-former mayor of the “Techno Ghetto”, 92-96
and first DJ set, 1992.
Report comment
• Maria says:
October 6, 2016 at 7:09 pm
Spot on! Thank you!
Report comment
• Rosie von Lila says:
October 6, 2016 at 7:37 pm
<3
Burning Man: It was always better next
year, until it was ruined. Again.
Report comment
• Dustin says:
October 6, 2016 at 8:20 pm
We’ve ALL ruined it, isn’t that the point?
Sure’s been my goal, I’ve been ruining since 2003.
Report comment
• Bruce says:
October 6, 2016 at 8:46 pm
The Simpsons ruined Blazing Guy..I mean
Burning Man.
Report comment
• Marrvelous says:
October 6, 2016 at 9:16 pm
More of this! Excellent list of things
to-do at Burning Man.
Report comment
• henni says:
October 6, 2016 at 9:21 pm
Hallelujah! Thank you for this.
Report comment
• Boris says:
October 6, 2016 at 9:43 pm
What’s Burning Man?
Report comment
• Helga says:
October 6, 2016 at 9:53 pm
Great! Wonderful! Thank you!
Report comment
• Sandydenice says:
October 6, 2016 at 9:59 pm
Remember : bugs also !
Report comment
• chicken john says:
October 6, 2016 at 10:25 pm
I ruined Burning Man a few times.
Report comment
• Pepe Mapache says:
October 6, 2016 at 10:56 pm
This was my first burn ever. Words fail me
to describe this event. I’m writing a blog trying to explain the whole
experience but all I can say is: have no expectations and come experience
it first hand. Make the burn, your burn. It is mind-blowing and can also
be a very profound spiritual discovery.
Report comment
• Shaggydog says:
October 6, 2016 at 11:05 pm
I know you don’t speak for the Borg, but
you got a lot of nerve mentioning Paul Addis when they are in large part
responsible for ending his life.
Report comment
◦ ScrewPaulsMemory says:
October 7, 2016 at
9:01 am
Paul Addis was a
convicted arsonist. Arsonist and Artist may start and end the same, but
they’re not even remotely close. The org going forward with charges
against a criminal that was later arrested over an attempt to burn down
Grace Church wasn’t some cruel act that forced him to kill himself. He was
a tortured jackass and he went out in the same way he lived – as an
inconvenience to everyone around him at the time. Even his death was a
spectacle that harmed tons of people. Good Fucking Riddance.
Report comment
▪ Robyn
Barnes says:
October 8, 2016 at 4:00 am
Perhaps you’re unaware of the cacophony and chaos that used to be Burning
Man. Paul was a prankster, steeped in the culture of Burning Man of the
past. For years people joked about burning the man early. Paul just took
it to action. One or two members of the BMORG were relentless in meting
out harsh punishment against Paul. It was extremely vengeful, and put Paul
on the path that led to his death. It was an ugly time in the BMORG’s
history. Candy coating it, sweeping it under the carpet, or vilifying Paul
will not hide the BMORG’s diabolical actions.
Report comment
▪ Chris
Radcliffe says:
October 8, 2016 at 2:36 pm
Paul Addis was my friend. He was hounded to death by the same member of
the BMORG that raped several woman before he supposedly got his drinking
under control. The project settled several of these complaints with cash
and no action was ever taken to eliminate the rapist. A DPW cleanup crew
ran him off the playa one year after a nasty incident where this same
person threw a girl in a fire pit while he was drunk. That was the asshole
that pursued charges against Paul Addis. That asshole ruined Burning Man,
for me anyway.
Report comment
▪
merlin olsen says:
October 10, 2016 at 11:03 am
Complete and utter bullshit. Addis lit an occupied structure on fire.
Degree of criminal prosecution is not left up to regular citizens (the
BMORG) it is done by Nevada state prosecutors in accordance to the law.
Addis was responsible for his OWN demise. He wanted to be an “artist”
however he was an absolute SHIT artist and likely couldnt come to terms
with that. I find it appalling that so many people will defend him but as
he began to spiral downward NONE of these defenders where there to offer
him the psychological support he needed.
Report comment
▪
• Chompp says:
October 7, 2016 at 12:49 am
What about cell service/WIFI? Surely that
ruined Burning Man 2016!
Report comment
• Samir Rath says:
October 7, 2016 at 1:11 am
First time burner and I rarely reply to
posts on the interweb. But you sir! You have now created more room for
imagination on how we can ruin burning man next year. I will devise evil
schemes of how we can get more and more humans to actually live, love and
genuinely take care of each other beyond a transactional system of
instantaneous demand supply.
Report comment
• Andrew says:
October 7, 2016 at 1:22 am
Get a proof reader. Half this article is so
poorly articulated that it makes no sense. Also, I think you should check
the dictionary before you use words longer than 4 letters.
Report comment
◦ Matt Haze says:
October 8, 2016 at
12:49 pm
Proofreader is one
word.
Report comment
▪
Missmorganlang says:
October 24, 2016 at 8:38 pm
Baahahhahahahahah!!!!
Report comment
▪
• Massimo / Burningmax says:
October 7, 2016 at 5:31 am
Cops ruined Burning Man and the radical
self expression / immediacy.And BM itself ruined the event, with the
“corporate turn” of a few years back. I guess both with the “spirit” of
protecting it… go figure….
Report comment
◦ Shiny says:
October 7, 2016 at
9:56 am
Glad to see you
absorbed nothing from the article…
Report comment
◦
• Timothy Phillips says:
October 7, 2016 at 6:01 am
Thank you for this, I love it. For years
I’ve felt sad every time I’ve had to endure someone’s tirade about people
who ‘don’t belong’ at Burning Man. It’s always a group, never a person, a
stereotype that vaguely describes people seen from a distance. I used to
try and argue, but I’ve learned you can’t reason someone out of something
they didn’t reason their way into. Then I tried to point out the
opportunity they were missing to reach out to someone and show them what’s
beautiful about the community. The playa is a wonderful classroom and you
don’t need to lecture. Simply lead by example, be open and approachable. A
small gesture can speak volumes to illustrate the values you claim to hold
dear. Sadly this too has fallen on deaf ears.
Now I just endure. I watch and I observe that the people who seem the most
determined to ruin burning man aren’t the wealthy, or the foreigners, or
spectators, who more often than not are genuinely moved by what the playa
represents and leave eager to find ways to contribute. No, the dangerous
ones are the self appointed truth holders eager to rigorously impose their
ideas of what Burning Man should be, who never want to see it change.
Except that it has always changed. It changed many times before they were
there. What they are trying to protect is not the true Burning Man, it’s
only the version of it that they first fell in love with.
If you love the playa, your obligation isn’t to wall it off from perceived
threats. Instead you should nurture it as it grows. Help it evolve in ways
that are consistent with what you’ve learned there. Reach out, give gifts,
be radically inclusive and most of all, resist the urge to fear change.
It’s just an opportunity waiting to be understood.
Report comment
◦ Tamberguesa says:
October 18, 2016 at
1:25 am
Exactly. Thank you!
Report comment
◦
• Danny Lesh says:
October 7, 2016 at 6:17 am
cell tower needs a shout out here i think.
Report comment
• Moltero says:
October 7, 2016 at 6:23 am
I think that rapists and the sexually
entitled ruin burning man the most
Report comment
• Ruedas says:
October 7, 2016 at 8:52 am
This kind of smugness ruined Burning Man.
Report comment
◦ SZ says:
October 24, 2016 at
3:22 pm
Agreed
Report comment
◦
• Joe says:
October 7, 2016 at 9:56 am
2010-Present
Burning man becomes so large that in a single week Black Rock City emits a
country’s worth of greenhouse gasses and burns untold numbers of trees.
The leaders of burning man do not care, continue to call the event “leave
no trace”, and proceed to buy more wood for next year.
THE PEOPLE WHO MADE BURNING MAN ARE RUINING BURNING MAN
For real though, can we please talk about
burning less wood? There’s lots of ways to make art that shows the
temporal nature of things created.
Report comment
• Peter Schoenster says:
October 7, 2016 at 10:10 am
The link to the book in amazon is not
working.
Report comment
• Rainer Bulthuis says:
October 7, 2016 at 10:11 am
If this is representative of statistically
normal Burning Man mindset, then it’s completely safe to say that Burning
Man is ruining humanity.
Report comment
• john curley says:
October 7, 2016 at 10:20 am
Cargo pants ruined Burning Man, and i blame
a certain someone who won’t be named here. But you and I know whom that
certain someone is!
Report comment
• Gatt says:
October 7, 2016 at 11:07 am
It’s rare that I actually agree with
articles about Burning Man. Not only is this one good, it’s important to
our community. Bravo!
Report comment
• Greg B says:
October 7, 2016 at 11:25 am
Brilliantly!
I am very sorry for ruining burning man, in 2015
We created a small camp. We didn’t know what we were doing. It was
awesome.
I loved it so much that I came back this year…
And brought more friends…
THEY loved it as well and might possibly bring a couple of their friends
next year
WE participate and give and share (but sometimes we love going to the RH
parties…shhhh)
I feel terrible for Participating in the destruction of that most magical
event and community.
Report comment
• Joe says:
October 7, 2016 at 11:43 am
Very few common middle roaders go.
Extremists have the most fun. So, Extremists must unite and fix the Burn.
Al Quida, ISIS, and ISIL need not apply.
Thinking of extremism here, as a peaceful warrior.
EH?
Report comment
• Greggory says:
October 7, 2016 at 12:20 pm
The author doesn’t mention the elephant in
the room — people walking around Burning Man with their noses in their
smartphones — for good reason: unlike everything else he lists here, the
invasion of smartphones has introduced an element of ruin that cannot
reasonably be denied and that is an actual (i.e., as opposed to purely
philosophical) and unavoidable shift. It’s a default-worlding of Burning
Man, an effacing of the Playa as a place separate from the outside world
and where people had no choice but to be fully present. The fact that the
author avoids acknowledging such obvious damage because doing so would
moot the entire piece. Burning Man has not been completely ruined by
smartphone service (which seems to demand the question: why ban the
service?), but it has been compromised at a depth that leaves everything
he lists looking truly trivial.
Report comment
◦ Phil Goetz says:
October 7, 2016 at
3:20 pm
I don’t think
integration with the outside world is compromise. If Burning Man is a
fragile flower that can exist only in complete isolation from the Real
World, what good is it?
Report comment
◦
• bcbob says:
October 7, 2016 at 12:36 pm
They fergot “Frat Boys” those college kids
who just came to drink beer and ogle nekid women . .
Report comment
◦ kimee says:
October 26, 2016 at
12:55 pm
was going to add
that one myself
Report comment
◦
• Aa says:
October 7, 2016 at 12:39 pm
Back in 1982, I burned an effigy of a dog
and “man” on Baker’s Beach… A stranger at the time, named “Harry Larvey”
saw what I was doing and lit his cigarette on the flaming statues… Harry
Larvey RUINED Burning Man.
Report comment
• Thomas says:
October 7, 2016 at 12:41 pm
Wait, you’re saying if I go to Burning man
chances are I won’t even see a half naked celebrity? That totally ruins it
for me!
Report comment
• Richard says:
October 7, 2016 at 1:03 pm
You looking to establish a perfect Utopia
which can never happen because of free will. If you took 60,000 people and
granted then exclussive membership and excluded outsiders you would still
ahve probems because of human nature. As time progresses and more
individuals hear about Burning Man the event will grow expotentually to
the point of hiring a security force to maintain law and order. So there
is not easy solution to the problem how to have fun but at the same time
protect the values of each individual attending the event. So I guess you
just have to go with the flow and make corrections as you advance or die
out and trying something new and bold, because Burning Man is slowly
losing it original meaning in this snowflake-millennial society.
Report comment
• Lord of this world says:
October 7, 2016 at 1:30 pm
Posts like this have already ruined next
years’ burning man. Great fucking job.
Report comment
◦ james squires says:
October 7, 2016 at
3:29 pm
haha
Report comment
▪ Yahoo
says:
October 7, 2016 at 7:20 pm
This comment ruined burning man.
Report comment
▪
• Betsy says:
October 7, 2016 at 1:37 pm
Thank you so much for the history of when
BRC was first and continues to be ruined. We take what we interpret out of
our experiences and leave with the satisfaction that it was another year
changing our lives. The endless inspirations, creative thinking and the
place for self expression includes the challenging elements from this
place that is on another planet. I still feel a bit sad and mostly guilty
that late one night I absolutely had to pee on the deep playa. I’m sure
that was the beginning of the ruin of Burning Man for me, I take full
responsibility!! Can I ever forgive myself? In the 12 years I’ve been
fortunate to attend, I’ve participated in three Theme camps, volunteered
as a sucker and pumper at First Camp, 3 Temple builds and the build of
Temple of Confessions. Getting involved in building the city is beyond
words of how dynamic the experience of BRC can be. I love that town!!
Report comment
• IwasThere says:
October 7, 2016 at 1:43 pm
Not a word about Tananbaum. Funny.
Report comment
• Kelly says:
October 7, 2016 at 2:00 pm
Amazing. This article truly ruined Burning
Man for years to come, and also retroactively. WE ALL ruined Burning Man.
I can’t wait to ruin it again next year. Last year. All years.
Report comment
• Lucia says:
October 7, 2016 at 2:14 pm
This is the funniest and most touching
article and as well, the best display of burning man ethics that I’ve read
on the burning man blog in a long time.
Really shines a light on my myself and how
to perceive not just burning man but community in life.
THANK YOU!!!
Report comment
• Bliss says:
October 7, 2016 at 3:28 pm
The spray glue…… it definitely ruined)'(
Report comment
• james squires says:
October 7, 2016 at 3:29 pm
Don’t forget:
-gas powered gopeds
-too much dubstep
-too many pictures on facebook
-tickets selling out / lottery
-drones
-rain
-cops
-bugs
-people on their cell phones
Report comment
• JG says:
October 7, 2016 at 3:49 pm
To sum : “Allowing an uncontrolled influx
of new participants ruined burning man”.
Yes, some clubs should be exclusive.
Report comment
• tom says:
October 7, 2016 at 3:56 pm
My first time to Black Rock was in fall on
a bike tour, against a headwind all day and almost to Gerlach stopping on
the causeway and seeing the mountains disappear down the valley to the
east …
The oldest American evidence is tied to
what were lakes, pre-Clovis near Paisley, OR, an easy 3-days away on foot,
this over 14k-years ago, crescent points are tied to them for bird hunting
and they are today’s Northern Paiute, they never went away yet were
effected by the boarding schools.
The trails are ancient there, the stands of
lake water easy to see with areas of habitation all around you.
It was habit to leave everything at
seasonal camps until the Europeans arrived and started picking them up …
the Europeans didn’t know the ethics because they never asked ?
Camping out, I can recommend the silence in
the cold nights at that altitude in fall, times where a stone many miles
away leaves a tinkle in the air … under starlight to walk by.
Report comment
• DrTune says:
October 7, 2016 at 4:26 pm
…I feel like such an idiot now. I had no
idea about how ruined it was and I’ve been going since 2001 – stupldly
thinking I’m enjoying myself while all around me was a corrupt, hollow
sham. Well… at least now the blinkers have been removed I’ll hate it
properly next year. Fuck. I feel so stupid; It’s like you find out your
whole life has been a lie.
Report comment
• Brian Bulkowski says:
October 7, 2016 at 5:46 pm
You left out the RVs that ruined burning
man. I would argue sometime between 2003 and 2006.
Report comment
• Sunburned says:
October 7, 2016 at 7:41 pm
Bronies ruined Burning Man!
Wait, no–Burning Man ruined bronies.
https://www.fimfiction.net/story/39452/burning-man-brony-fear-and-loathing-of-equestria
Report comment
• Jay says:
October 7, 2016 at 9:05 pm
That I couldn’t get a ticket ruined Burning
Man. Remains on my bucket list.
Report comment
◦ Kevlar says:
October 8, 2016 at
12:31 pm
Bucket listers are
ruining burning man.
Report comment
◦
• SwayBreeze says:
October 8, 2016 at 12:10 am
deeply enjoyed the article. am so glad i
was there this year to see it ** ruined ** properly, and up front, and
personal :) looking forward to many years of being ** ruined ** – properly
and otherwise, all in my own way of radical inclusion, etc.
Report comment
• Robyn Barnes says:
October 8, 2016 at 3:48 am
“In 2007 a dissatisfied “old time” Burner,
who believed Burning Man had been ruined too much, burned the Man down in
order to save it. This marked the first time someone who ruined Burning
Man did any actual damage. Old time Burners ruined Burning Man.”
Making fun of Paul Addis when certain
members of the BMORG are mostly responsible for his death. I find that
despicable!
The way the BMORG treated Paul was
absolutely horrible. I’d like to see someone here, who can comprehend the
truth, write a story about that. It will never happen on this forum.
Report comment
◦ roissy says:
October 8, 2016 at
2:27 pm
Paul Addis is
responsible for his own demise… Unless you have evidence someone in the
BMORG pushed him…
Report comment
▪ Robyn
Barnes says:
October 11, 2016 at 11:20 am
If you have critical thinking skills, you will find ample evidence of the
BMORG’s harmful meddling in the case.
Report comment
▪
• A says:
October 8, 2016 at 7:56 am
Yahoos are “techbros” from the era when
Yahoo reigned, not Nevada locals. They’ve been ruining Burningman for
almost 20 years ;)
Report comment
• Fluffy Kitty says:
October 8, 2016 at 9:08 am
Some of the ruins in this article seem a
petty stretch to fluff the author’s over-arching point, and it’s fun
seeing others adding some solid contenders here (go-peds, cell phones,
easy rich-tix = fewer normal-tix, etc).
The current equation seems pretty simple:
The intentional funneling of prime plug n play spots to countless
narciss-tourists – whom none of “the building & participating
community” will ever be able to “educate” what the 10 principles even are
(if you’ve altruistically & gently tried countless times to do it, you
know this) – isn’t “ruining” Burning Man. It has, however, created a
much-larger-than-any-ruin-in-this-article divisive rift that’s easy to
plot on a BRC map. The only remaining choice is to simply avoid those
unpleasant areas…..like any big city.
The 11th Principle: Live carefree, love
much, and for sanity’s sake avoid the BM Profit Centers of 2 & 10
after Friday noon. Sure you can hate on this comment below, but if so
please offer a better solution.
Report comment
• Dan livingston says:
October 8, 2016 at 9:32 am
Blogs about what ruined burning man ruined
burning man
Report comment
• TommyThisFinger says:
October 8, 2016 at 11:23 am
I ruin Burning Man every by not going.
Your welcome.
Report comment
• Dr. Bungee says:
October 8, 2016 at 12:00 pm
When the montage of the song “Home”, or
whatever the name of it was, went viral, it exposed the wonder of BM to an
incredible number of people. The resulting ticket shortage prevented a
number of contributors from attended. Did it ruin BM? I can’t say, but it
certainly changed it. As a long time burner, people ask me if it’s better
or worse now. All I can say is, it’s different. But, so am I, we all are.
Has burning man changed me? Definitely yes. Have I changed BM? Hopefully
so, in some small way. It’s not newbies vs veterans, or ravers vs artists.
I know people who have been going for a decade that still don’t quite “get
it”, and virgins that deliver mail. If you give to the community, you get
back so much more. It can be a lot of time and money, but it’s a whole lot
more fun being in the show, than just watching.
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• Kevlar says:
October 8, 2016 at 12:29 pm
Although I concur with the overall point,
this article reads like shitty spin. Plug-N-Play, and Turn-Key camps are
the exact same thing regardless of what the org is deciding to call them
today. Basically even the org is saying PNP/TK camps are the problem since
2008. Oh, except for the claim that “the most problematic Turn-Key Camps
(have) been successfully acculturated into Burning Man”. I call bullshit.
You tried to acculturate many camps, and your star pupil is who???
Star-Star? You have got to be kidding.
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• notsoanon says:
October 8, 2016 at 3:01 pm
Reminds me of this:
https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%A4vlebocken#Nedbr.C3.A4nning
Which is a christmas straw made goat that
comes with the celebration in the north (west only?) of Europe, in Sweden
since 1966 and it has been burnt down allmost every year even though
police some years have inteionally tried catching those doing it. The
julbock gets wet and i think at times they’ve used fluid that is
environmentally friendly but deter fire to make it harder (so it’s not
simply hitting it with an arrow or something like that…
have a good one
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• RubylaserJules says:
October 8, 2016 at 5:28 pm
Actually the TV show High Maitenance ruined
it again, or wait, will ruin it next year because the show on BRooklyn
burners just aired yesterday. And it was hilarious.
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• Mr. Cranky Pants says:
October 11, 2016 at 10:08 am
An interesting list that unfortunately
deflects one of the great angst-ridden concerns of participants from all
periods of the event. Perhaps the word “ruined” is a bit much though I
would suggest that each year as the event grows larger to include a
proportionately larger group of neophytes, that Burning Man has – and
continues to be – diminished by those not acculturated to the principles
that so much of the event is founded on. In all fairness the event is not
immune from the uglies that inhabit the world. Physical and sexual
assaults increase each year. Abandoned camp sites and the volume of
participant MOOP continue to increase in both size and scale. Out of
control law enforcement personnel continue to harass participants and wipe
their collective asses with Constitutionally guaranteed rights of those
stopped for questionable or outright illegal searches and citations,
tiered access to tickets based on ability to pay ever skyrocketing costs
hack away at the egalitarian nature of the event in favor of the more
privileged. So yeah, these are real issues. Issues that have and continue
to diminish the experiences of so many people who (if they’re lucky)
return year after year. Things really have morphed into a Tragedy of the
Commons situation with the commons slowly being consumed by those more
focused on vicariously feeding off the energy of the event than
contributing to it. Pretending that this isn’t the case by poking fun at
decades old concerns does nothing to address or improve the increasingly
parasitic nature of many of those now attending the event.
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◦ Ward says:
October 17, 2016 at
10:07 pm
I’m only a second
time burner but can see what you’re getting at. It really is simply a
numbers game. The sheer number of entrants is big and I guess growing. The
more there are, the more anonymous we all become. So seems inevitable
overall experience gets diluted. Still an amazing spectacle. There will
always be the moments unlike anywhere else…
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◦
• The Hustler says:
October 12, 2016 at 8:42 am
I’m still not good at Burning Man-ing.
I’ll accept full responsibility for ruining
Burning Man.
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• Buckstar says:
October 12, 2016 at 12:17 pm
Small correction: in 1991 Burning Man was
ruined by my roommate, Mark, who got his Suzuki Samurai stuck in the mud
and had to be rescued by Civil Air Patrol.
Mark ruined Burning Man 1991.
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• Michael says:
October 16, 2016 at 10:55 am
Too much frickin bacon, bacon ruined
Burning Man, and my cholesterol count!
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• Eye in the Sky says:
October 16, 2016 at 11:01 am
Fire ruined Burning Man, So next year they
rebuilt it and tried again.
It sounds we need to build a wall, 30′
high, and make them pay for it. Roger Waters will be performing at the
trash wall.
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• Rahulio says:
October 17, 2016 at 8:16 pm
This year, I kind of feel like the cell
phone carriers ruined burning man, or at least set things up to do so in
the next few years. I was on top of Robot Heart on late Wednesday night
and two girls came up top. They were wide eyed and looking all around. I
pushed them in front of me so they could lean over and see the crowd first
hand. One of the girls pulled out her cell phone, and I was right above
here. She started typing and hit send into her text app. I think a burning
man angel died somewhere.
More than many other aspects, the
serendipity of burning man. Not being able to easily communicate outside
or within changes the nature of your experience. If you get lost and can
just text your friends, how may new friends will you not make.
While I didn’t see a ton of people using
phones, this year, with more coverage, this could have a transformative
effect on the overall experience.
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• Derwick says:
October 17, 2016 at 9:15 pm
Burning Man ruined Burning Man. Wash,
Rinse, Repeat…
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• Contra says:
October 17, 2016 at 9:44 pm
this is great – but could use a couple more
chapters. you left out techies (’99-’02), RV drivers (’00-’04), eco scolds
(’05-’07), airport-to-playa sparkle ponies (’07-’10), and techies redux
(’13-present). also i think the “yahoos” and “weekend warriors” are
reversed – i woulda put the weekend warriors first, and *then* the Reno
rednecks :D
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• Charles Britzman says:
October 17, 2016 at 9:56 pm
Excellent insight. I’m a non-burner who is
pee-dancing at the perimeter of revelation, and I read my “The Jackrabbit
Speaks” with intense interest, and have a gig’s worth of downloaded BRC
photos saved on my backup drive. I believe one Burn won’t put me in the
groove, but missives like yours make me believe a groove is there, despite
60,000+ people.
Frank Herbert (Dune) waxed poetic about how all good things get
infiltrated sooner or later. Just look at the ‘default world’ : Like our
DNA can be seen as a record of our history with diseases, our societies
can be seen as a record of our history with trying to do the right thing,
and how the opposing forces run it down.
Good things provide niches for opportunistic parasites. It’s the way of
our existence in this veil of tears, and if you want to keep out the
weeds, you make the lawn healthier.
But that’s a negative way to describe inclusion, and seeing the good and
praising it is the key to the Galaxy.
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• johnnyjet says:
October 17, 2016 at 11:29 pm
greetings comrades and fellow primates,
this is my home-made camper with solar power a powered cooler(I only buy
ice for cocktails) a composting toilet. What part of radical self-reliance
do you not understand. The 1st turn-key camp was 1st Camp, all of us
burners pay for the gas for their generators, they wouldn’t know self
reliance or self expression if it hit them on the nose
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• Famous Melissa says:
October 18, 2016 at 2:22 am
This was hilarious. ! Larry , Bob Gelman,
and Crimson Rose , Michael Michael debuted a Fellini Inspired 30 minute
video of their antics out at Fly Ranch at the Anon Salon in 1990 in Oct or
Nov. …. Larry and Crew were in a small Anon Salon Art Room holding court
watching the film; there was a signup sheet for anyone interested in being
a part of the art movement in the works. . Thanks to the Salon Anon it
grew exponentially because they had put on huge art show/ music / high
fashion events all through the 80’s . Those were the people in the nascent
stages of burning man that built the community . Marcia Joegh et all had a
huge art community going to their big Galleria, Party Science Glass Haus
events long before Harvey debuted his film. We all were hanging around the
Anon Salon when Larry ruined Burning Man thanks To his own film and sign
up sheet!!!! And this is fact .
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• Meep-Meep - Camp Sparky says:
October 18, 2016 at 5:40 am
God and BMOrg ticket lottery
notwithstanding, I hope to ruin Burning Man even better next year!!
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• Squared says:
October 18, 2016 at 6:30 am
You are an old decrepit person. These
groups haven’t ‘ruined’ anything. If anything, it’s elitist like you who
sit around and complain about how the world is un fair or that some one is
harshing your burn. I’ve been to the burn five times. Do I like the plug
and play’s. Absolutely not, but I don’t allow them into my”kitchen” at
burning man or any where else. I’m sorry you don’t like the way BM is
transitioning, but it’s not yours, it’s ours. Stay home or quit bitching.
Squared
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• Love Machine says:
October 18, 2016 at 9:00 am
The Ten Principles ruined Burning Man!
I’ve been a Burner for a few years and and experienced all the totally
fantastic humans attending (and some aliens, I’m sure; where else would
they show?), with an ever-widening circle of these delightful anthropoids
I’ve adopted as family. This year I had to stretch to practice these
principles with the naked old-timer across the street, the redneck Trump
supporters down the road, and the totally blotto euro-trash dude that
wandered into our 3 AM fire circle and started to complain that his
girlfriend wouldn’t take him back, just because “I only cheated on her
fifteen times”. Good God, how radically inclusive does a Burner have to
be?!?
How can a bullet list of hippy-dippy mantras change the default world when
they get trampled in the alkaline dust of Black Rock City? BM is the
collective result of 70,000 individual experiences of the self-selected;
the one chance in the year to stop engaging in omphaloskepsis, to gaze
outward on our fellow denizens in this little enclave as it exists and
imagine it as the model reflecting the world we want to live in. Too bad
they will let anyone attend: Thanks, Ten Principles!
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◦ Famous Melissa says:
October 18, 2016 at
9:27 am
Well written , best
so far … And all Greek to me full of critical thought and Greek speak!
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◦
-The 10 principles ruined burning man. This
group didn’t need an arbitrary authority to push a load of dogma.
-The early Burners who decided to do a biological experiment gone wrong,
breed, push their will on the larger group (and got their way) ruined
Burning Man. Can’t have open sex acts on the Esplanade these days right?
-“Default world” practices of taking something away arbitrarily if one in
a rare case something goes wrong like like guns, “drones”, dogs, and laser
pointers ruined Burning man. Oh yeah but the demonstration this year that
having underagers floating around causing major law enforcement hysteria
is worse than lawful guns and the other crap. “We (BMORG) said so”.