Burning Man Logo on Everything

puffycloud · Post by **puffycloud** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 7:05 pm

when i first hit the playa 8 years ago, the burning man logo seemed sacred. it wasn't until the next year that we saw someone wearing a shirt with the logo painted on it, and we recoiled with disgust. burning man seemed to be a respite from a commercialized world in which logos and symbols are constantly fired at us.

this year, there was such an enormous amount of crap with the burning man logo on it, i felt disturbed. it has become a veritable nike swoosh.

i can understand having a sticker on your car, especially a clever or subtle one, if you live in an area where it's hard to find other like-minded people.

but frankly, all these chintzy necklaces and spray-painted t-shirts are tacky as hell. off the playa, i suspect they serve more to advertise that one is a burner rather than connect with others. on the playa, they are a weak way to say, "i'm a participant!" while serving as a substitute for actual original and personal expression.

i suspect i am going to next year off, as there are several other animal-farmesque elements of burning man that have really started to trouble me.. but if i do come back, i am making schwag camp. i am going to cover every single surface of everything i own with the logo. i am going to layer myself with logo necklaces like mr. t.. because if you hate something, you might as well ironically indulge in it.

thanks for reading, and thanks for another good year. i love you people even though you really get on my fucking nerves sometimes.

Sensei · Post by **Sensei** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 7:11 pm

And that, boys and girls, is Sensei's "Post-o'-the-day". Nice work, Puffy C!

kukulcan · Post by **kukulcan** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 7:26 pm

yeah, this was only my 2nd year, but i definitely agree with you in lots of ways.

on one hand, it's kind of fun to have that sort of memorabilia off the playa, and it's cool in the way that many of these things are one-off or handmade items which will never be duplicated; they can serve as a great link to a specific time, place, or occurence, and CAN hold some great memories.

on the other, is it really necessary to affirm your experience in that way? how much can you use the symbol before it becomes a dull replacement for some sort of meaningful communication? at what point are you just perpetuating a sigil or meme mindlessly, versus giving a gift to someone when the circumstance is right?

i don't like schwag, but i do like meaningful gifts or found items. i don't like receiving gifts that have the Man on them simply by virtue of that symbol being on them, because symbols are empty, and the Man itself can hold no meaning for me; there has to be a reason for it. i loathe a symbol that gets turned into a commodity to serve as a catch-all for something meaningful.

Kinetic IV · Post by **Kinetic IV** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 9:19 pm

The reference to the Nike swoosh got my attention. Damn, you're right. It's everywhere. And all the schwag stuff reminds me of a game played in a couple of camps: Schwag or Moop. It's getting harder and harder to tell the difference. Puffycloud, you have a damn good post there. Damn good!

The CO · Post by **The CO** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 10:58 pm

I have been making shirts with the man on them for everyone in my camp for 6 years now. It gives us a sense of uniformity.

If you don't like seeing the logo, don't wear it. Don't take gifts and don't make them.

I love the art that comes out of peoples camps. Even more so when it is simple. If the Borg was encouraging/promoting/controlling it like Nike, I could see where you're coming from. But they aren't it, they let it be used pretty freely, and it gives us an anchor. Even if every person in BRC had a logo, that's only 40k... out of how many in the states? When I see that tacky swag (not schwag, that is bad weed) somewhere in Montreal or Mexico or Alabama, it takes me back to BRC.

puffycloud · Post by **puffycloud** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 9:44 am

"It gives us a sense of uniformity."

creepy.

"Don't make gifts and don't take them."

i will continue to give and receive gifts - but not with the logo on them.

"I love the art that comes out of peoples camps."

i do, too. that's why it sucks that people are just painting the man on things instead of ACTUALLY MAKING ART.

it's like when people fly the american flag, but vote for legislation that increases pollution of the land. it's using a symbol while actually defeating what that symbol stands for, which in burning man's case is radical self-expression.

puffycloud · Post by **puffycloud** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 9:47 am

oh, and - swag, shwag, and schwag are all acceptable spellings for promotional logo items. look it up.

_tears_ · Post by **_tears_** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 10:18 am

I persoanlly have a tattoo on my back of the burning man symbol as well as my native american tribal sign involved in the ink drawing.

I do agree with you however...

The CO · Post by **The CO** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 11:28 am

So if something has the Man on it or incorporated into it, it ceases to be art? That seems limiting to me.

What's creepy about people in a theme camp having a "uniform"? We are a military themed camp. Mad scientists tend toward lab coats; hell, nudists have a uniform (of sorts) that unifies them.

Doesn't radical self-expression allow you to put whatever you want on your art? What if I build a giant wooden Nike swoosh to burn? Is that ironic art? If I build a mini-man riding on the swoosh, does it stop being art? Or become more ironic?

I think I'm missing something in the flag metaphor... Being from the States gives you the right to vote however you want. Doesn't mean you'll win, but if you want to support legislation to protect garden gnomes or clear cut forests, you can.

puffycloud · Post by **puffycloud** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 12:38 pm

no, i don't think that the logo and art are mutually exclusive. however, i have no doubt that the logo has become a substitute for personal expression (which i consider to be fundamental to art). i cannot help but wonder what all of these swag/schwag gifters would have come up with if they didn't just say, "i know - let's put a symbol that someone else came up on our stuff." what if they actually had to sit down and think about who they are and what the event means to them, and then expressed that through their creations? that is something i would treasure. instead, i have a pile of stuff with the exact same symbol on it over and over and over again, so repetative it renders it meaningless. this stuff doesn't tell me anything about the person who created it. it's just a cookie-cutter symbol.

what i meant by the flag metaphor is... people confuse symbols with what the symbol stands for. people will fly an american flag, but toss cigarette butts out their windows - displaying the "idea" of american pride while in reality trashing what that symbol stands for: the land, the people, etc. the symbol is not the real thing. painting a logo does not, on its own, make you a participant.

i have no issue with your military uniforms as part of your theme, though i am not sure why painting the logo on them does anything if you are all already dressed alike.

thanks for the discussion, by the way.

kukulcan · Post by **kukulcan** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 5:48 pm

i agree that in many instances it seems like people just defaulted to taking some half-baked or extremely basic idea, and slapping a Man symbol on it as a way of making it meaningful. people could easily avoid this by making themed art, since it changes every year and is way more open to interpretation, rather than using the same preset symbol over and over. i got a painted ceramic cross-section of a brain for the "Psyche" theme last year, akin to the sticker that was distributed with the booklets.

it's not something that is going to make me completely embittered and jaded towards the community as a whole, i just think we could do better.

The CO · Post by **The CO** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 9:02 pm

That makes sense to me. My big objection to gifting is useless crap. We give out dust masks, water & one ply toilet paper. Logo free, tho I did put the man on our calling cards...

Dusty Feats · Post by **Dusty Feats** » Fri Sep 08, 2006 6:18 pm

Good points all…

However, I think we pass through a rabbit hole of sorts en route to BRC, and once inside, the BM logo naturally becomes concentrated, perhaps to the point of being trite. Still, there are some unique gifts proffered that bear that simple yet indisputable image. For example, I have a necklace that might be best described as a petroglyph: a smooth, dark river cobble with a deep etching of “The Man” strung on a simple black lanyard. It was given by an individual from a nearby helper camp who I can only describe as a “gray-headed, tree hugging looking dude.” There is no doubt in my mind that much thought and effort went into making the artifact.

So let’s be careful not to lump all gifts that bear the BM logo into that of the cheapo. As we all pass back through the rabbit hole and make our way once again into the “default world ” that overused logo renders out and becomes an important symbol… at least to me.

Fat SAM · Post by **Fat SAM** » Sat Sep 09, 2006 11:16 am

I think the swag thing is taking on a couple of different aspects all its own, too...there was a slave auction where swag was the currency, for instance. It's got a very mardi gras bead-esque kind of meaning for a lot of people, too, or so it seems to me.

I was given this beautiful BM charm on Wednesday and by Saturday night I was so pissed with the whole mess of collecting swag (among other things - I had a really shitty week this year) that I just tossed it on someone's table (the table had a big sign on it that asked for 'bling' by the way).

Meaningful gifts, good conversation, inclusion rather than exclusion (which is what swag does, at a certain point..."Do you have one of these? Oh, well, this is just a party for people who have one of these.")

It's just another poison in the well.

Sorry. I don't want to bitch too much. The whole swag thing had bugged me this year, though, so I was keen to put down my thoughts.

retropsycho · Post by **retropsycho** » Sat Sep 09, 2006 2:16 pm

When I see the logo, the "Ranger" logo with the Man holding the ends of a semi-circle, I remember this:

"One day in 1986 I called a friend and said, 'Let's build a man and burn him on the beach.' I did this on an impulse. There was really nothing in my mind. Some passionate prompting, some immediate vision just had to be embodied in the world. Call it radical self-expression. I am. We built our man from scraps of wood, then called some friends and took it to the beach. We saturated it with gasoline and put a match to it, and within moments our numbers had doubled. People came running and instantly formed a semi-circle . . .

. . . when I look at Black Rock City today, I notice that its curving streets are like that semi-circle of people so many years ago on Baker Beach."

– Larry Harvey, 2002

blackrockcitydreams · Post by **blackrockcitydreams** » Sat Sep 09, 2006 2:22 pm

I too am dissapointed by folks just buying crap and slapping the man on it.
Being in the "promotions" business I am privy to the cost of such things.
EG. Beer cozies.. these environmental nightmares have an approx minimum order of 100- only one ordering 500 or more is going to get them for less than a buck.. the average Joe or Jane handing these out has put out about 300.00 for beer snug- a base 60.00 setup fee and 20.00 or so shipping.. Lets see some participation and more creativity than sticking 300.00 on their credit card..
One of my fab playa gifts.. was a little survival gift of folded paper.
It contained 3 sheets of toilet paper, a cigg and a match, a condom,stick of gum and an individually wrapped lifesaver. This person spent lots of time creating this thoughtful thing.

Favorite playa gift thread anyone?

RINGMASTER · Post by **RINGMASTER** » Sat Sep 09, 2006 10:02 pm

a camper near us had the logo on necklaces.. but the material was taken from carburetors he melted down and stamped himself. i dont think just because an item has the logo on it it automatically cheapens it. and i dont need it in the outside world to identify myself as a burner. i dont intend to ever wear it in the outside world. i took it as a friendship token inside the event, and will bring it next year to wear again.

ZaphodBurner · Post by **ZaphodBurner** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 12:01 pm

I was wearing The Man on a gifted trinket around my neck while I was watching my baby girl being born.

My favorite way to see the image represented is when its adapted to fit the theme of the camp. (For example in 2005 we were Zaphod, so we had a three-armed, two-headed man.) I enjoy the unique variations and ways in which they are applied to gifts such as the Voodoo Shooting Gallery's glow-in-the-dark shotglasses from 2004, which we use regularly at home.

-c

playa_buddha · Post by **playa_buddha** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 7:04 pm

A few years ago I hand-designed a rubber stamp with a simple logo of the man on it, and took it with me wherever I went and offered to stamp anyone who wanted it, anywhere they wanted it. ..on paper, breasts, butts, legs, foreheads. I'm typically kind of a shy person, and this simple little stamp I had was a good catalyst for me to meet people and make new friends. I'm into aromatherapy, so another year I made an oil I called "essence of Burning Man" and bottled it up in little tiny bottles and gave them out and Center Camp. It was from the heart, and I think most if not all of the people who got one of my oil bottles or a stamp appreciated them. I have a big zip loc baggie full of swag that people have given me at the eight burns I have attended. (I missed this year due to health and financial issues.) Whenever I'm jonesing for the playa, I bring out that bag and look through it and a memory comes up for each little thing that brightens my day and lessens the Playa jones.

emmablue · Post by **emmablue** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 7:28 pm

It reminded me of going to a college campus and people are walking around with their college gear on. I like to go up to people and say "oh is that where you go to school?"

I dont have an logos on my stuff, and when I see it, it makes my heart drop.

pinemom · Post by **pinemom** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 6:33 am

This was my first burn year...and IF i had another to compare it too, I would say it was by far my best year!

Having that little symbol around my life has done amazing things for me, and Im not into symbolizisms. But for me I was able to find people in my local that are artists like me...point in case...the other day i caught a glimps of a guy walking through the place I work with a small MAN on a necklace. I was able to say...without being looked at strangely "and how was your burn?" We proceeded to have a half hour conversation realishing our burns together. Our secret society...so to speak, is wonderful. I lived in Reno for 3 yrs, pre-burner, and was utterly and completely alone. I was uninspired to work on my arts and costumes(thats what I do... costumes)

Because of Burningman 06 Hope Fear and the Future...I met the man of my dreams...Pre-burn!!(a couple months prior to going)
and at this years Burn he proposed marriage, we're getting married on the playa 07!!!
Because of Burningman 06 Hope Fear and the Future...I started a costuming social group and made numerous wonderful burner and
non-burner friends!
Because of Burningman 06 Hope Fear and the Future... I am getting into a artist collaberation of other artists like me and some not so like me...I love new mediums!

So all in all i think its kinda like that lil pen or ring that the Masons wear...the secret society, that for this particual "burner" finds comforting!

Lorgasm · Post by **Lorgasm** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 6:39 am

Hey Pinemom,

Has your beloved showed you the secret hand shake? Ask him. I'm sure he'd be more than happy to oblige (wink, wink).

Peace and Congrats!,
Lorgasm

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 3:16 pm

I live in a place where burners are rare.
I would be happy to see the logo here.

Someone at the dmv gave me a small brass pin that looks like a button.
It has the logo cast into it.
It's subtle enough to wear when you meet Cheney.
It's very nice.

When it was given to me, I couldn't tell what it was.
In the dark, I thought it was some odd bit of metal given as a mock tip.
So I want to thank the mysterious stranger who gave it to me.

I don't know how I'd feel about the logo, if I lived in LA or San Francisco.

BAS · Post by **BAS** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 6:46 pm

It is very rare I even meet someone who has HEARD of Burning Man here in Racine, Wisconsin-- I don't believe I have seen the logo on anything not mine.

Come to think of it, the last time I met someone who had heard of Burning Man, the person apparently was some sort of conservative preacher who might have believed my sinus infection had been some sort of punishment for going to Burning Man (and may have been ripping off a widow of her worldly goods....

)

B.