UH OH...It's not just Discovery...

[Fat SAM]

Just saw the commercial for the season premiere of Malcolm in the Middle. Guess where Malcolm's family took their vacation this year?

[Chai Guy]

This issue is considerably different. It's a parody and Burning Man did not give any kind of permission (afaik). They didn't film any of it at the actual event either.

[Fat SAM]

You don't think that Burning Man gave any consent for that? I know that you can sue for infringement even in the case of even to great a likeness of a copyrighted symbol...Are you sure that Fox didn't at least run the idea past the honchos?

[Kinetic IV]

Are you sure that Fox didn't at least run the idea past the honchos?

At this point I'd really like to hear something, anything really from the ORG like Marian, AG, anyone as to what happened with this Discovery Channel mess and why. Right now I'm only hearing one side...a message which Chai Guy has done an excellent job of getting across. I would like to hear their side of the story before forming an opinion. But looking back at how they handled the Borg 2 situation I won't be holding my breath for that response for a while, that is if we get one at all.

I keep thinking about this and I wonder if I'm developing an isolationist view by thinking the outside media is bad for this event. That I want it to stay the size it is for my own reasons and I'm not thinking of the community. But then I look across the eplaya at the porta potty debacles, the trash issues, thefts, and all the problems...and I worry that this show will bring an influx of newbies in that the event won't be able to fully educate, they'll get on the playa and chaos will be the result. And not the kind of random but fun chaos that makes the playa what it is...I'm talking the bad kind. Now I know that's pulling out the stereotype brush but many of our newbies have learned about the event from BM positive sources. This is the mass media we're talking about...and my hunch is it won't give the viewers hardly any of the positive messages that other sources do...messages that are critical to the event's survival. Go talk to Robbidobbs about portapottie education if you don't get the importance of this.

So the more I think about it the darker it looks. That's why I signed the petition over on the Savebrc website. I'll shut up now but thank you Chai for demonstrating the idea of being in a Do-ocracy. No matter where this ends up the fact that the website exists is inspiring in it's own right.

Edit: Right after I posted this, Fat Sam posted something else that kinda relates to what I was saying. Here's a link:
http://eplaya.burningman.org/viewtopic.php?t=11355

[Chai Guy]

You don't think that Burning Man gave any consent for that? I know that you can sue for infringement even in the case of even to great a likeness of a copyrighted symbol

There is a "one-time fair use" clause that applies to parodies of public figures and such. Again, as far I as I know, no consent was given (the same for Reno 911, The Simpson, The Family Guy, etc, all parodies).

[theCryptofishist]

I saw that preview too and all I could think was how "off" it looked. The tents didn't "look right". ANd that art car shaped like a banana--looked like it was made by Hollywood technitians out of cast fiberglass. And who would do a banana art car when they could go all hte way with a phallus, instead of a phallic symbol? Oh well, typical fishy can't see the commercial for the ads.

[dragonfly Jafe]

hmmm...not an expert, but isn't "Malcolm..." a show that supposedly takes place prior to 1986? If so, what are they doing showing BM in the first place, a bit out-of-context isn't it? Just more shameless exploitation?

[Paradox Plaid]

dammit, there goes my banana and two apples theme car for next year...

[Fat SAM]

hmmm...not an expert, but isn't "Malcolm..." a show that supposedly takes place prior to 1986? If so, what are they doing showing BM in the first place, a bit out-of-context isn't it? Just more shameless exploitation?

It's the contemporary US. It's certainly shameless exploitation, but at least it's current.

[geekster]

Hey, Paradox, that's a huge cock you got there in that avatar!

Whatever. And if "saveburningman.org" or whatever it is has their way, idiotic portrayals like that are all that anyone is ever going to see of the event because actual portrayals shown on "politically incorrect" media outlets will be banned.

I guess I am on the side of the org on this one. If a documentary is done that the org has control over and gives an accurate and artistic exposure to the event to people who are curious and might otherwise never get a chance to see it firsthand, I have no problem with it. For-profit media is the main outlet for getting information (both good and bad, correct and crap) to the population of the world.

If the goal is to present the event in a favorable way to a wide audiance, I don't see any other way.

[Paradox Plaid]

i've got him on a leash, you're all safe...

[Paradox Plaid]

ah crap, i'm double posting...i must be drunk plus BioBase 501.
i have to know, is that animal chin in your avatar? if so, kudos!
wait, i had something to say about this...f-em. i don't really mind what people think about the event. they aren't willing to try their luck in the desert so who cares? as long as we continue to leave no trace, then i think we win. they can always speculate about the hedonism and bacchanistic displays, but as long as they don't venture out - i don't see the harm.
but that's just one man's opinion.

[geekster]

Think of an x-ray tooking directly down into the skull from the crown of the head. That is exactly what it is. I thought the shadow that looks kinda like the man being inside the skull was cool, kinda like "what's on your mind?".

[geekster]

The head actually belongs to someone else who some might know. Here is a bigger version:

[The CO]

I've seen plenty of video footage of BRC on the telly since '96, and heard many gripes about how the event was portrayed. Some thumb rules I've learned: 1-The media is never going to get it right. Don't expect them to. They will show their version, which is different from everyone elses. 2-A tv show is not going to convince any to go/not go. It might interest them, but try to think of anyone you've met that sez they came because they saw it on tv. If the borg wants to make $$: hey, its their festival...

[Fat SAM]

i have to know, is that animal chin in your avatar?

It is, in fact, the world famous skater Wonton Animal Chin, who has been missing since the mid 1980's. Good eye.

And speaking of avatars, I always thought that your's was some kind of a geode, geekster.

[Hotblack Desiato]

Tonight's "Malcolm in the Middle" totally did not suck. It was a little hokey, but not embarrassing at all.

[Dr. Pyro]

I just saw it too; thank Dog for the east coast feed from TiVo and Direct. It hyped the steriotypes (nudity, weirdness) but clearly these people never went to TTITD, otherwise Malcolm would never have stepped on a cactus and his brother could not have found rocks for a perimeter. And only 2 miles from the enterance? What planet are they from? Stupid and steriotypical, but it could have been worse. I guess.

[LeChatNoir]

Yeah... I must admit that I laughed for multiple reasons. And at least it didn't get me all riled up, like I feared it would. I didn't notice anything even close to an anti-commerce line in the script (no big surprise), but I did like it when the RV exploded in a grand fireball.

And I think Larry Harvey and a couple of goons really should go marauding around the playa, too.

[unjonharley]

Rainbow tribe wrote that mess.

[Mister Jellyfish Mister]

There was a good Copernican shift to it when the burners participated with the default world performance of the Dad. Here's what burners think of you, default world guys.

I liked the guy who was shooting "Stanley" at people.

It made Burning Man look like fun. It will be in 2006 even though this too will swell our numbers.

[Zulegoona]

It’s a sit-com people, not High literature, concessions were made to present the plot what there was of it. What would you have had Dewy gathering to make an arbitrary perimeter to be defended with his life. in the twisted closed suburban stance the dad had? Malcolm stepping on a cactus, was odd but later what’s her name said he would need a tetanus shot that I would think would be more appropriate for a rebar injury, how many people in the great American sit-con watching audience would understand what rebar is and that it is used as stakes and could get hut on it. Cactus is something sharp people could relate to stepping on.
I rather appreciated that the biggest yahoo of the kids, embraced the dust as it were and seemed to get into it, and lost his focus of naked women. I also liked the contrast between the dads RV fortress of suburbia and the rest of the event participants including his wife. The little Larry Harvey participate speech was a little corny but did get the point across that the event wasn’t just about destruction and boobs, it was about art and community. AS a situation established sit-com characters are put in I think Burning Man fared pretty well, It did come off as more that just a big party in the desert.....

[geekster]

I got several good laughs.

inaccuracies:

The waste disposal station
The cactus
The dead dry grass on the ground
Everyone so entirely too dust-free

But overall, I laughed, it was fun to watch. I loved the crowd reaction to the "performance art", particularly the scene where they were looking in all the windows. I felt a certain understanding when he didn't want burning man to end and tried to prevent anyone from setting him on fire. And Burning Van was funny too. I could imagine seeing something like that RV that really was part of a week long performance piece exploding in flames at the man burn. That would be so cool.

Some parts of it were accurate enough for me to think that at least one of the writers had been to the event before.

[The CO]

On the scale of accurate representation of BM, I'd say it was better that average(tho far from perfect). Yes, errors, (see list below & add as needed) but the concept of how people react to BRC was very accurate. BTW, the bannana bike is an old burner regular. Its been out there since at least 99. List of errors that will make burners cringe: 1-stepping on a cactus 2-finding rocks 3-"dumping area" sign 4-2 days? Who spends 2 days there? 5-the Man! (He was cute in a 96 way, tho) 6-driving an rv to the man

[Karma]

It was Damn Funny !!!
Save the Man camp must've been rolling at the end.
I liked how the Mans hands were on his waist.

Obviously some of the writers have been to the event b/4.
Plus Rosanna Arquette ?!?!!?

Great episode.

[jeffreybenner]

There was a good Copernican shift to it
I liked the guy who was shooting "Stanley" at people.

That was clearly their version of Larry Harvey.

I thought the whole episode was hilarious.

I googled, but have since lost the link, that this episode was filmed at a private ranch near San Diego, CA.

I thought the cactus, large rocks, etc. were plot devices that did no harm to a very funny portrayal of this dysfunctional family's reaction to Burning Man. I really liked the portrayal of the father, Hal's, relationship to his RV and the community's assumption that the motorhome was an art installation. All in all, they steered clear of over-the-top stereotypes and worked the usual story of this family into the Burning Man context very nicely, making full use of all the characters. If Burning Man is going to be portrayed in the default reality media machine (and why wouldn't it?), I think it does not get better than this.

[Fat SAM]

I thought it was really nicely done and appeared to have been at least influenced by people who attend...in particular, Reese (the yahoo kid) and his perceptual shift indicated that to me. I liked that the man was on haystacks...the first time I went, that's how it was and I remember how close we go to him...I liked the show.

I agree, too, that a lot of other people will have liked it and that numbers are going to be astronomical next year because of that one influence.

[TheJudge]

It did feel a little surreal as they kept saying "Burning Man" this and "Burning Man" that in the beginning. And when the father said "We're here" I covered my eyes for fear that it was going to be a horrible interpretation of what Burning Man is.

It was pretty terrible, but there was a flintstones looking stegasarous skull car that was a pretty cool art car.

I also saw a rolling banana. Was this the very same banana from 97?

And Lois participating in a "tribe" that resembled critical tits? That was pretty funny.

Sometimes I think I should hire myself as a consultant on films. Every time I see a dominatrix portrayed on TV or film, I just want to beat them with their own terribly-made whips.

[geekster]

I don't know if it will really impact attendance all that much. Just in case, maybe the org needs to put in GREAT BIG LETTERS that there really is no potty dumping station. It certainly is going to make the event seem more accessable to people. It made it seem that living was a lot easier than I have found it to be. No windstorm that takes out half the camp around them or blinding dust.

One thing I make sure I let people know when I get the "Oh, I have heard people talk about that burning man thing ... do they really burn men there?" is to tell them that *nothing* is available there. They need to bring everything. If they want a shower, they better bring one and they better think about what they are going to do with the water because you can't just dump it on the ground. That right there scares most of them away. The thought of going for a week in 100+ degree heat in blowing dust and dirt without a shower scrubs the thought of going right out of their heads.

[LeChatNoir]

There was a good Copernican shift to it when the burners participated with the default world performance of the Dad.

yeah, I liked that bit too. In fact, I laughed much more than I groaned. All in all, I think it did as good as a sitcom could. I even chuckled over bits of it again today, so I guess it's ok.

Could have been much, much worse, I think.

There... now I'm going to get beer.