Burners vs. Beauticians

[ZaphodBurner]

Interesting opportunity for cultural juxtaposition.

Friday night the Mizz and I went to a party in north Portland hosted by the Snuggletown folks. One of our campmates, Miss Sunshine, who is a rock singer/hair stylist, invited us to another party right down the street for the grand opening of a new salon (the kind that hands you a beer while you wait.)

We arrived at the burner party to find it in full swing. Hand drums, laptops with photo albums from the Burn, folks in costume talking about the Burn, all kinds of huggy snuggletown stuff going on... Some big round guy walks in with his white-tighties on over his sweatpants wearing a faded pink shirt that says "I SHAVED MY PUSSY FOR THIS?!"

Too cool, gotta go abduct Sunshine and bring her Home.

Walked up the street, which has mostly turned from drug-ridden gangland to the new art district, and the party at the hair salon is in full swing. Un/fortunately, we might as well have been naked.

See, the snuggletown people said "Bring your favorite playa-wear" so I wore the playa: Not having cleaned my roadwarrior leather, I brought the desert with me. Sharika wore a miniskirt, thigh-high boots and a flame top.

At the hair salon, everybody had fabulous hair and looked straight out of a fashion magazine, except of course us, but Sharika is hot and the Cleopatra-eyed queens cast dirty glances and "Oh my gawd those boots are so..." until they realized I was with her and then they got all bitchy-cheerleader-caught-gossiping. The Burner in me suppressed the inner jarhead which wanted to say "Shut your hole before I huck your gay ass over the balcony."

The drinks were free and good, but one thing we noticed about the Beautiful People is, the minute you smiled at them they got that look of panic around the edge of their eyes, and everybody appeared to scan each other looking for flaws or fashion fuckup. Like high school all over again, only the kind where they have a formal and nobody knows how to dance.

This embodied the fashion scene: Huge, hip, fabulous and totally vapid and insecure. Never did find Sunshine. We decided Snuggletown and the rotund guy with the shaved pussy were infinitely more desireable than beautiful metrosexual dipshits and their product hair.

Back at the Snuggletown party we sat out on the front porch. Now, Portland doesn't have much of a 'hood but the cops call what there is of it Little Beirut and time was, law-abiding white people didn't go out at night because they'd be attacked by ganstas, and law-abiding black people didn't go out at night because they be attacked by the police...a curious, hard-luck and confused microcosm where the Ku Klux Klan, for example, once donated the lumber for the first black church.

So one of the Snuggletown hotties, Miss Sharika and I sat out on the front porch and two gansta types came along, hooting at the hos and trying anything they could to get invited inside. They became a bit edgy and came onto the lawn to invite themselves in.

By coincidence, Mr. "I shaved my pussy for this" came out with his underwear outside his sweatpants et al. Before he said a word the yard had cleared. Fucking glorious.

Saturday night came equally weird and involved a viking getting a spontaneous blowjob on a dance floor and me getting laid next to a police station, but I'll save that story for another day. Bon temps,

-zb

[can't sit still]

Zaph, good post. It begs an analysis. The "crushing pressure to conform"
Let's call it CPC, because I type with 2 fingers.
X number of people have insecurities that prevent them from resisting the CPC .
X number can only resist the CPC when stoned or loaded.

Others can resist CPC with little effort at all. The guy in the tights comes to mind.
Do you think that the populace as a whole is slowly pulling away from conformity??
Are fewer or more people opting out of living up to other people's expectations??
BRC doesn't allow dogs or CPC. With the exception of "too cool for you"
There's conformity to queue up for ice or JOTS. You only camp in designated areas. But there is very little personal conformity.
I believe that this is what attracts many of the participants.
What are your thoughts on the matter?
Dan

[ZaphodBurner]

{1}Do you think that the populace as a whole is slowly pulling away from conformity??
{2}Are fewer or more people opting out of living up to other people's expectations??
BRC doesn't allow dogs or CPC. With the exception of "too cool for you"
There's conformity to queue up for ice or JOTS. You only camp in designated areas. But there is very little personal conformity.
I believe that this is what attracts many of the participants.
What are your thoughts on the matter?
Dan

{1} Yes. Not in the beatnik/hippie/punk/new-wave pulling away, where, for example, tie dye is the official uniform of the nonconformist, but in a more global sense, possibility emboldened by the previously-mentioned counterculture trends.

I think today's American culture is a product of Depression and World War II-era mass post traumatic stress: Get a house, get a car, get a wife and a job and a secure, peaceful society. Fly the flag like they did at Suribachi and blow the shit out of anything that might conceivably threaten that way of life.

{2} Fewer, totally, although in writings such as 13th Gen, researchers predict a return to almost Victorian prudishness starting with the later GenX. I'm not sure I buy it yet, but children respect their grandparents more than their parents and as the Boomers take control, we see how they've sold out everything they once stood for. So did the WWII generation, but that's harder for the younger generations to see.

What if Burning Man is not a revolution in itself, but a catalyst, or mere evidence, of something bigger happening? Perhaps the world is about to enter another intellectual and artistic Renaissance, this one made possible by technology and characterized by electric sound and light.

Thanks for your comments. Have a great week!

-zb

[Eric]

X number can only resist the CPC when stoned or loaded.

too true. Being non-conformist means you have a strong enough "sense of self" to resist all the negative reactions you get from strangers, which can range from weird looks to outright hostility.

Try being non-conformist outside of a major urban area (and sometimes even in one). I don't get too many weird looks in SF, but when I go visit my family in Utah- *oi*.

Do you think that the populace as a whole is slowly pulling away from conformity??
Are fewer or more people opting out of living up to other people's expectations??

Society as a whole? Staying just as conformist as it always has. You get ripples of individuality, but as a whole society tends towards conformity. For better or worse, that conformity is part of what makes any society function.

BRC doesn't allow dogs or CPC. With the exception of "too cool for you"
There's conformity to queue up for ice or JOTS. You only camp in designated areas. But there is very little personal conformity.

Utilikilts? Cowboy hats? Party-color hair? Fake fur anything?
How about Decompression charging less if you're in "Black Rock City attire".
Those are all signs of conformity. Have you been to a party and been able to identify someone as a likely Burner? Another sign of conformity.
None of this is bad- it is what it is. Are we more individualistic than society as a whole? Hell yes. But in a crowd of other Burners? Not so much.
We all have our own style, and may be fiercly independent, but to say there is little "personal conformity" is a stretch. We may not all be wearing the same thing, but we do tend towards similar styles.

I will, however, take our conformity over the general America conformity anytime.

(except for fake-fur. I'm bored of fake-fur. But that's just me.)

[can't sit still]

I agree with you Eric, but some of the conformity is a result of sun,dust and lily white skin. The utilitarian stuff [form follows function] is going to look similar. There's not many ways to make a hat with a wide brim. Then there were subsets of conformity[deathguild, tie dye, tutus] It's pretty near impossible to be completely original. Mantis isn't a copy of anything. I suppose that if one dressed up as a scout from Nam wearing nothing but camo paint and a finger necklace,,,that would be original.

I seem to be drifting. I think that there's a difference between wearing something because you like it ,,,,and wearing something because you think others will like it. True expression?? regardless of what others are wearing. Not sure.

[ZaphodBurner]

I agree with you Eric, but some of the conformity is a result of sun,dust and lily white skin. The utilitarian stuff [form follows function] is going to look similar. ...
I seem to be drifting. I think that there's a difference between wearing something because you like it ,,,,and wearing something because you think others will like it. True expression?? regardless of what others are wearing. Not sure.

Perhaps there is conformity, such as buckling under peer or other social or elemental pressure, versus custom, such as dressing up for Burning Man, Halloween, a fetish ball, whatever.

Custom (if that's the right word) allows greater creativity and flexibility and it's also optional. You don't HAVE to wear fake fur and goggles at BM or dress up as a vampire for Halloween, as opposed to, say, a corporate dress code.

Cooperation, also. IE, the Rangers are going to conform to wearing khaki, but that's so people can identify them in a hurry. They cooperate with the dress code not because somebody tells them they're deviant if they don't, but because it makes sense.

(I feel like Mr. Robinson. 'What else starts with C, kids? C is for Convict. And Contraband. And Crack Cocaine...')

-C

[robotland]

[quote="ZaphodBurnerCooperation, also. IE, the Rangers are going to conform to wearing khaki, but that's so people can identify them in a hurry. They cooperate with the dress code not because somebody tells them they're deviant if they don't, but because it makes sense.

[/quote]

In "Beyond Black Rock", one of the Rangers comments that the khaki isn't a uniform, it's a costume. A wonderful philosophy, if you consider the definitions of those two words!
I'm very fond of the color green, and it's a really bad laundry day when you can catch me NOT wearing some- When I was in grade school you'd get beaten up if you wore green on Thursday, 'cuz that meant that you were queer.

[Eric]

Perhaps there is conformity, such as buckling under peer or other social or elemental pressure, versus custom, such as dressing up for Burning Man, Halloween, a fetish ball, whatever.

I mostly agree with this point. But customs become conformity after a while (is this whole thread going to be tongue twisters?)

While there is a great deal of freedom in what you can wear at BM- the environment pretty much being the only limitation- people still tend towards similar things. Those things aren't required, but have become customary and people tend to conform with custom. Again- not good or bad, and I'm not even going to try to pretend that my personal style isn't part of that same trend. My style gets read as a Burner or a Redical Faerie (or both) all the time. I have that look. I don't try to, but it happens anyway. *shrug*

I'm not saying that there aren't people who even at Burning Man or on Halloween or what-not stand out as completely original in style- they are the miniority however.

I never actually condidered the Rangers/ EMT or even Lamplighters etc. in this discussion. To wear a uniform is by nature "conforming", but is also a neccesity. You need to be able to find these people in a crowd (Rangers/ EMT) or it's part of the spectacle (Lamplighters).

[robotland]

Or, BOTH.

[Eric]

Or, BOTH.

oh sure.
Go and cleverly summarize it in two words.

*sigh*

[Squidly]

I find this topic VERY interesting on many different levels.

'05 was my first Burn, so I went without knowing quite what to expect (as I suspect all first-timers do). Interestingly, I found quite the opposing feelings of personal freedom. One that I could "get away with" personal expression in the sense of what I wore and did, and on the other hand a sense of pressure to "fit in" with a certain Burner-style, ie: the Utilikilt/cowboy hat/combat boots look. I didn't want to look like a stupid newbie, but I guess that's just my own insecurity. I hope to be more comfortable with my self-expression next year.

One of the aspects I sooooooooooooo enjoyed about BM is that judgements are (supposedly) suspended for the week. So, are we now judging others for conforming, especially when back in the real world? Or do we judge them for not conforming to a style while at the Burn? Or for conforming to that style? Or is it their motivations we judge? Conforming because of their own insecurities and/or inabilities to accept others the way they are or not wanting to be ridiculed by the fashionistas of the day if they're not wearing just the right clothes/shoes/hairstyle.

I'm sure most everyone deals with their own conflicting feelings when it comes to self-expression and society's pressures for conformitiy. Here in the real world, we have to do what we have to do in order to get along and make a buck. I have the utmost respect for those who can live the lifestyle of self-expression year-round. We all make our choices and try to live with them while attempting to remain true to ourselves. It's a balancing act, no?

In the end, maybe what's important is that we don't judge others for the choices they are making in their lives, whatever they are. As long as no one gets hurt..........

[robotland]

on the other hand a sense of pressure to "fit in" with a certain Burner-style, ie: the Utilikilt/cowboy hat/combat boots look. I didn't want to look like a stupid newbie, but I guess that's just my own insecurity. I hope to be more comfortable with my self-expression next year.

There ARE options....The Fairy Wings And Striped Stockings Look, or Furry Leggings Raver.

Alternative Culture is STILL culture...It's human nature to homogenize ourselves on some level, to gain acceptance into the tribe. And some people just aren't very creative when it comes to their "costume". It IS hard not to judge to any degree, it being our nature. I got a surprising number of compliments on my Utilikilt this year, just because I had bothered to dye it myself (They don't offer Forest Green.) and wear a handmade Electric Sporran.

[theCryptofishist]

handmade Electric Sporran.

That's a little TMI, don't you think?

[Davoid]

handmade Electric Sporran.

That's a little TMI, don't you think?

You mean Three Mile Island, of course.

[Squidly]

on the other hand a sense of pressure to "fit in" with a certain Burner-style, ie: the Utilikilt/cowboy hat/combat boots look. I didn't want to look like a stupid newbie, but I guess that's just my own insecurity. I hope to be more comfortable with my self-expression next year.

There ARE options....The Fairy Wings And Striped Stockings Look, or Furry Leggings Raver.

Alternative Culture is STILL culture...It's human nature to homogenize ourselves on some level, to gain acceptance into the tribe. And some people just aren't very creative when it comes to their "costume". It IS hard not to judge to any degree, it being our nature. I got a surprising number of compliments on my Utilikilt this year, just because I had bothered to dye it myself (They don't offer Forest Green.) and wear a handmade Electric Sporran.

An Electric Sporran? Now THAT sounds interesting.............tell me how it works.

I actually brought 2 bins of finery and accessories along, but felt more comfortable dressing up my bike than myself. I did experiment a little with purple fake fur, wings and wigs, but eventually function started to become more important as the week wore on and I found myself less inclined to "dress up". I found that I was most comfortable in a sarong, so that became my uniform.

[Magikal]

The Burner in me suppressed the inner jarhead which wanted to say "Shut your hole before I huck your gay ass over the balcony."

I'm sorry, for some reason I find that hilarious. But of course being a slob, and being sneered at by the immaculately coifed pretty boys, it's always difficult for me not to muss up their pretty little hair.

[Eric]

The Burner in me suppressed the inner jarhead which wanted to say "Shut your hole before I huck your gay ass over the balcony."

:D :D :D I'm sorry, for some reason I find that hilarious. But of course being a slob, and being sneered at by the immaculately coifed pretty boys, it's always difficult for me not to muss up their pretty little hair.

I like mussing up their hair too!

oh, wait........

lalalalalalalalalalalalala

*skips away innocently*

[blyslv]

"bring her Home."

Home? Talk about buying into the dominant zietgiest!


" they got that look of panic around the edge of their eyes, and everybody appeared to scan each other looking for flaws or fashion fuckup. Like high school all over again, only the kind where they have a formal and nobody knows how to dance.

This embodied the fashion scene: Huge, hip, fabulous and totally vapid and insecure. "

Project much? Did you take the time to get to know any of these people and ask them questions about their reactions? Or did you just assume that's how thay are because that's how you want them to be? i get a sense that you need to set yopurself up as some sort of hipper/burniner then thou person who can pass judgment based on the appearance of somebody else. Oh yes, you're very astute, you can read anybody's mind!

You know all the answers, but do you know which questions to ask?

"my roadwarrior leather,"

Deathguild Dweeb? How original!!! I wish I looked like a young Mel Gibson before he discovered the Pope.[/i]