#1 Question

The Hosh · Post by **The Hosh** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 8:51 am

When I tell people I'm going to Burning Man, the #1 question I get asked is:

"What bands are playing?"

Does this happen to anybody else? Is it just me, or does it seem like most people just don't "get it"?

Steven bradford · Post by **Steven bradford** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 9:20 am

Thankfully, yes.

misfit · Post by **misfit** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 9:27 am

no questions asked, they just call me a Fuck'n hippie as they walk away...

capjbadger · Post by **capjbadger** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 10:07 am

I always get asked, "What is Burning Man?"
How the hell do you sum up a week long city of 40k people?

That and, "So are you going to burn your art car?"
Fuck no...

Badger

Post by **actiongrl** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 10:36 am

Bands and managers contact us all the time wanting to know how to get booked on the "lineup".

Teo del Fuego · Post by **Teo del Fuego** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 12:36 pm

I heard that Sting and Blue Oyster Cult are headlining over at the Toyota Synergy Drive Pavillion on Friday.

Post by **AntiM** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 1:42 pm

I get, Oh an art festival, do you make lots of money? Uh, no?

DJmoYst · Post by **DJmoYst** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 1:54 pm

misfit wrote:no questions asked, they just call me a Fuck'n hippie as they walk away...

i get the same reaction, and i tell them "well... for one week... i cant hurt. Right?"

MozyBonz · Post by **MozyBonz** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 1:55 pm

actiongrl wrote:Bands and managers contact us all the time wanting to know how to get booked on the "lineup".

Really...how do you get booked on the line up? **hehehehehe**

Main stage would be great!

this is the one I get

"What is Burning Man?"

Dork · Post by **Dork** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 2:02 pm

Burning Man? That's like a barter faire, right?

Been getting that a lot since I moved to Spokane. Guess I'll have to go to a barter faire one of these days so I can give a more informed reply.

capjbadger · Post by **capjbadger** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 2:08 pm

Last person was all, "Wait... There is all this art out there to see, but you can't buy any of it?? WTF??"

Badger

mojo · Post by **mojo** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 6:27 pm

I get, "arent there a bunch of naked people all drugged out"?

robbidobbs · Post by **robbidobbs** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 10:42 am

When someone asks me, I give them the short answer:
A week long art festival with 40K people in the middle of the northern Nevada desert.

It's when they ask me what I do there, my friends that have heard all about it roll their eyes and say "Uh oh, here we go."

Post by **mdmf007** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 12:46 pm

I usually respond in two manners -

If the person is a tool I tell them "yep BM isnt for you - I would stay at home"

on the other hand If I like the person and think they can contribute - I will set them straight about any misconcieved ideas, or beliefs.

The following is from a conversation I had with an associate -

"Burningman - just a bunch of drugged up hippies, if you ask me" Randall says with a sort of im better than you attitude.

"really - have you been?" I say countering his attitude. I can tell by the tone of his voice that this is going to escelate and I am in the mood for drama.

"HELL NO!!! nothing but a hedonistic, LSD laced pagan fire worshipping cult" He says with authority, like the tone of his voice makes it truer somehow.

I finish the first bite of my chicken caeser salad and take a few seconds to formulate a thought. My initial reaction is to simply go into defend mode and argue with emotion. The salad gave me the 2 seconds i needed for that impulse to pass and a more logical argument to come to mind.
"Randall - if you have never been there - how can you say that? whats your source of information?"

" I know enough about it from their website, and have read some articles all about it."

I say with a skeptical tone "You know better than I that you cant believe everything you read, and to base your judgements on a website and some articles isnt really balanced and you get this attitude from not even one living person?"

I then go on to say that I have been six times, have a blast every year, and would live there if i could.

As this was a working lunch I had my laptop with me. So i spun it around clicked on "my videos and photo" folder and opened up hours of video and thousands of photos.

I then Said "Randall - Burningman can be a drugged out sexfest if you make it that, hell, you can do that in downtown Seattle here. Doesnt make the rest of the community a drugged out sexfest. For me I make burningman a time to let the craziness ooze out from work, and the playa gladly soak it all up - I dance, perform, sing, meet people, work where the difference is that my job is now fun..."

"what do you mean you work there?" Randall says

"I am a volunteer with ESD there, as a medic/firefighter." Knowing what his response is going to be.

"They pay good?" Randall knows that we hire out to federal customers and what we charge for services.

" I get meals when I work....but it still costs me 2-3k to go for the 10 days." I let him know that bm is a volunteer community, that the majority of construction, set up maintenance is done by a volunteer force of thousands. Port potties, EMS, Law enforcement, and infrastructure is all in place. Few people are paid

We watch videos for the rest of the meal, and i invite him to come with us if even for a short period of time. I am pretty sure that he leaves with a better sense of what BM is.

He has only known me in the field, and in the corporate setting, and I am positive he never would have guessed I would be at BM. I didnt get a commitment from him but will bug him again and if he doesnt come - maybe i swayed his opinion a little bit. Especially when he saw hs boss on video at Burn night with me, having a good time.

later all

Apollonaris Zeus · Post by **Apollonaris Zeus** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 1:03 pm

do they really burn people there?

Somnivore · Post by **Somnivore** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 3:44 pm

[quote="mojo"]I get, "arent there a bunch of naked people all drugged out"?[/quote]

Yeah, last night it was "what ya gonna do, take a bunch of LSD and stuff"

I get the hippie thing too. I've tried to explain it but I just get the funny looks. I even stopped trying to explain it to my wife (who is ten years younger then me). She doesn't even get it. Oh well, I'm going to miss her for two weeks

.

Hey, new BM bumper sticker. "My wife said if I go to Burning Man this year she wouldn't be here when I get back home. I'm sure going to miss her."

emotion_sickness · Post by **emotion_sickness** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 4:57 pm

ME: "Im so excited about going to Burning Man this year"

FRIEND: "Burning Man? Never heard of him, is he good?"

frenchblue1 · Post by **frenchblue1** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 5:13 pm

Last year I got the "your going to hang out with gay naked hippies on drugs?" I can't stand the sterotyping...getting sick of that narrow minded view so I don't really like to talk about it anymore unless the person is really worth it.

K-mom · Post by **K-mom** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 7:14 pm

frenchblue1 wrote:Last year I got the "your going to hang out with gay naked hippies on drugs?".

well, thats a pretty precise demographic right there. i doubt it even accounts for a fraction of the people out on playa

Barbie · Post by **Barbie** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 8:06 pm

I really love how people look at you like your a total FREAK when u say I go to burning man....

MikeVDS · Post by **MikeVDS** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 8:14 pm

I really love how people look at you like your a total FREAK when u say I go to burning man

Funny. People usually look at me like I'm a freak, yet when I tell them about burningman, they don't even flinch and act as if it was expected. Weird...

BigCock · Post by **BigCock** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 8:15 pm

robbidobbs wrote:When someone asks me, I give them the short answer:
A week long art festival with 40K people in the middle of the northern Nevada desert.

It's when they ask me what I do there, my friends that have heard all about it roll their eyes and say "Uh oh, here we go."

yup. just a campout with dfcx Y'zzQ3=pR
>sB?iiiiiE@nTsS+&hqEieIOOOOoooo!jQL69T&A and portapotties.

EspressoDude · Post by **EspressoDude** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 8:20 pm

Somnivore wrote:
mojo wrote:I get, "arent there a bunch of naked people all drugged out"?
Yeah, last night it was "what ya gonna do, take a bunch of LSD and stuff"
I get the hippie thing too. I've tried to explain it but I just get the funny looks. I even stopped trying to explain it to my wife (who is ten years younger then me). She doesn't even get it. Oh well, I'm going to miss her for two weeks .

Hey, new BM bumper sticker. "My wife said if I go to Burning Man this year she wouldn't be here when I get back home. I'm sure going to miss her."

been there, seen it done it. BurningMan is Waaaay better than any drugs!

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 8:45 pm

'Round here it's typically either shop talk because they've been too, or it's talk about some friend, neighbor or relative who's gone.

Post by **Eric** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 8:58 pm

K-mom wrote:
frenchblue1 wrote:Last year I got the "your going to hang out with gay naked hippies on drugs?".
well, thats a pretty precise demographic right there. i doubt it even accounts for a fraction of the people out on playa

Seems to be most of the people I see.

Of course I plan it that way.

*heh*

mojo · Post by **mojo** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 10:34 am

Actually, I have begun telling people that it is dusty and dry and awful and they really shouldn't even think about going..(more for ME).

The CO · Post by **The CO** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 2:12 pm

"Isn't The Burning Man a (insert any poorly worded/stereotypical description here)?"

My standard response:

"Yes. That's exactly what it is. And it's hot, and dusty and windy. Don't go, you'll be miserable."

However, when I get asked what the festival is by a truly curious person, I tell them: "It's whatever you make out of it."

The author Helene Hanff was asked by a Native Londoner what she wanted to see in London. Ms. Hanff replied that she wanted to see the London of literature. The Londoner said, "Then it's all there."

The Hosh · Post by **The Hosh** » Thu Jul 26, 2007 12:22 pm

capjbadger wrote:Last person was all, "Wait... There is all this art out there to see, but you can't buy any of it?? WTF??"

Not true at all. I saw lots of art for sale last year. Big tents with big paintings, each boldly displaying a website address. Looking at those website, while at the event, some of the paintings were listed as "sold", suggesting they had been sold during the festival.

capjbadger · Post by **capjbadger** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 9:19 am

The Hosh wrote:
capjbadger wrote:Last person was all, "Wait... There is all this art out there to see, but you can't buy any of it?? WTF??"
Not true at all. I saw lots of art for sale last year. Big tents with big paintings, each boldly displaying a website address. Looking at those website, while at the event, some of the paintings were listed as "sold", suggesting they had been sold during the festival.

Wait... what??

Maybe I went to all the wrong places. I've never seen that at all. WTF?

Badger

Barbie · Post by **Barbie** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 10:15 am

I saw it also