Burning Man

What is Burning Man?


1.

Formally "The Burning Man Project" is an annual, week-long event held just before Labor Day on a flat, dry lakebed near the town of Gerlach, Nevada (USA). First held in 1986, it's the oldest and largest event of its kind, having inspired numerous, independent regional events similar in concept. An "experiment in temporary community," its physical form is that of an enormous tent city with a grid of radial streets overlayed by 240-degree concentric rings, all surrounding the enormous wooden effigy of a man.

Participants refer to themselves as "Burners" and to their community as "Black Rock City," named after a nearby rock formation. The event-city is complete with temporary infrastructure, theme camps, and costumed citizenry; as well as hundreds of conceptual and thematic art displays and installations of every kind imaginable. The event culminates in the festive, ritual-bonfire burning of "The Man" on Saturday night, followed by the somber, reflective burning of "The Temple" (an art edifice) on Sunday.

The philosophy around which the event is organized espouses Ten Principals, which most notably include "leave no trace" (don't litter), "no spectators allowed" (everyone should participate), decommodification (a gift economy with no buying or selling), radical self-reliance (after all, it is a dessert), and radical self-expression. All participants are encouraged to help create the event in their own way, which may include the organization of a theme camp with friends, displaying their own art, or signing up for a shift to help run some aspect of the event while there.

About 40,000 people attended Burning Man in 2006.

“You going to Burning Man with a theme camp this year?”

“No, I’m just gonna sign up for a shift or two when I get there.”

See burning man, burners, annual, event

2.

As of 2009, Burning Man is society's officially sanctioned counter-cultural movement. And as this movement, it has no forward momentum.

It is a party in the desert. That's basically it.

It is fun and it is harsh. The environment in itself is beautiful and amazing. The culture of Burning Man is divided into two categories - 1) them 2) us. 'Us' consists of about 20% of the population of the City who mostly volunteer to work for the primary benefit of counting themselves part of the 'us' clique (they even get T-shirts to prove it). Needless to say, 'us' is a really annoying group (mostly). 'Them' is everyone else - mostly clueless spectators who have little or no interest in participating in activities or creating events or making art. When 'they' finally poke their heads out of their massive RVs, it's with the general purpose of taking pictures of freaks & geeks so they can prove to their friends back home that they 'did' Burning Man.

Freaks & geeks are another class separate from 'them' and separate from 'us' (but more them than us - thankfully). They consist of long-time participants called 'burners' who have attended the festival roughly more than 4 or 5 years. The also consist of newbies who are trying desperately to fit-in to appear as burners. They wear Utilikilts and repeat sayings like, 'safety 3rd' as if that signals to others they're 'in' on something cool. When they're not dropping names like telling you how they just had sex with LadyBee or had a beer with Larry Harvey, they're 'joking' about bacon or other sanctioned Burning Man topics with the design of impressing you. And who are you? You're just trying to get to the portapotties in hopes of escaping this moron who won't stop talking to you. No one cares that you 'know' Danger Ranger!!

If you say 'F yer day!' one more time in hopes of impressing me - I'm going to kill you. Which is why I no longer attend Burning Man.

See burning man, burningman, party

3.

50,000 burners out there on the playa...kickin' ass, as a bunch of dust, up into the desert night sky for 7 days. 7 days of random french maids coming from the middle of no where, parades of critical tits, live saving art cars (oh, bunny slippers), communal dinners on a 50 foot comet, sore butts from long bicycle rides, widened eyes from the understanding of the universe, smiles everywhere, sunsets to howl at, stars to sleep under (or not), music to tight rope walk to, and portopotties to respect. Oh burning man, I can't wait to come home.

I need 14 gallons of water, 2 flats of redbull, purple fur, sunblock, and a bicycle. Why? I'm going to burning man.

4.

Disneyland for Yupsters.

He scalped two Burning Man tickets at $250 a piece on Craigslist

See burner, playa, brc, burn, yupster

5.

Like wasting $1000 to hang out in the parched desert with 35,000 bitter hippies? If you answered yes to this question, then Burningmans for you! Come join the burned out Deadheads and deluded, hard-up Frat boys to chase the handful of washed up hippy women that were in their prime in the summer of love 1969. If you have any drugs, make sure to hoard them because everybody else will be! Not to mention the HUNDREDS of law enforement agents and their canine units just ITCHING to make a bust. Throw in the alkaline soil slowly eating away at any exposed skin, and you're good to go! Bring a women with you and watch 20 horney dirtbags instantly materialize to try to pry her away from you! This event might have been fun back in the '80s, but if you're really looking for a good time, spring break in Cancun is the place to be.

Now I know why they call it burningman, cuase man, do you get burned!


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