Nudity an Nervousness

Dork · Post by **Dork** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 12:44 am

Taking anything too seriously makes it difficult to have fun at Burning Man. Hopefully you will be better able to appreciate sarcasm and playfulness in person than you are online.

Nobody's forcing or humiliating anyone into doing anything. Hats (and pants) off to everyone who finds a goofy way to interact with people.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 1:23 am

I've been going to OUR LOVELY PLAYA for years and have never seen any nudity. Ever!

Except... for that group of peole last year that were having a pre celebration for their weddings by swapping and doing various oral things with and to each other right in front of center camp, or that couple I saw having sex on the ground in front of the porta pottires last year, or the 20 heavier set, tan, hairy gentlemen I saw last year with (do you call them ball rings?) metal tubes around their sacks, or maybe a few other people I saw last year.

Don't worry, that was all last year. I'm sure this year will be different.

Markov Chaney · Post by **Markov Chaney** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 9:15 am

Have to go with Dork on this one. Although I will be going pantsless and shirted just to get that hug from Lydia Love, I think that the patszooka is damn funny.

Booker · Post by **Booker** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 11:31 am

Hats (and pants) off to everyone who finds a goofy way to interact with people.

One more Dork For President vote here. (No not THAT dork, this,/i] Dork.) I daresay I'll be following Lydia's no-pants movement, at least for a nice parade to the pantszooka camp. Maybe bring some beer along and hope it turns into a party.

Dmac: When you find yourself saying should about Burning Man, you may be loading yourself down with expectations that'll just get in your way. Relax, come on out, see what you think when you get there. And I suggest leaving the trouble-starting to the experts -- like Lydia.

Dr. Pyro · Post by **Dr. Pyro** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 11:36 am

You can trust me on this: with this subject, Booker knows what he's talking about.

Lydia Love · Post by **Lydia Love** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 12:19 pm

Maybe bring some beer along and hope it turns into a party.

Oh yeah, baby. How could it not?

Now I gotta read some manifestos to crib from...

desertmac · Post by **desertmac** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 12:37 pm

I fully intend to go and have a wonderful time, and I absolutely will not be looking for any tension. On looking back at gothalot's post, I see it more now as just an obnoxiously sarcastic post, but don't get a sense that he's really intending to DO what he's saying. If he's not actually intending to do this to anyone, I have no real problem with him.
On first reading, I interpreted his post to read that he was actually planning on pointing out men in a crowd and humiliating them, which would be exceptionally cruel.
Since now I don't expect that is his intention, I'm relaxed and chilled, guys. Yeah, I still shake my head at people who spew misogynistic and ageist crap **jokingly**, but they're free to do so, and I'm free to call them pathetic losers.
Like I said, I just wanna go and feel like I can do my trip, enjoy seeing other's trips, and hopefully, share as many trips with others as I can. Naked.

Peace

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 12:40 pm

desertmac wrote: SO, Lydia Love, I will join with you in getting people to de-pants

I recommend EMS shears. Cut through the clothing without injuring the person.

desertmac · Post by **desertmac** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 12:51 pm

"I recommend EMS shears. Cut through the clothing without injuring the person." (I couldn't figure out how to use the 'quote' function, I'm such a newbie!)
But hey, Lydia, I could get into that! And you can get such precision with those shears. We could practice and get it down to where we could depants anyone in 2.4 seconds, calling it "shear pants attack".

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 1:03 pm

The quote function is a bear. It helps if you know something about http or unix or some other non-"wysiwyg" system. Hit the "quote" button in the upper right of the particular post and you get the regular entry screen with the entirety of the post in it. Cut what you don't want. Respond outside the [/quote] or "end-quote" signal with your own comments.
means start boldface type
[/i] means end italic type.
You can use the buttons above the entry screen--ie press the bold button before you type the word you want bolded and then press again after you've typed it.
This is a pretty poor explination, actually, but I hope it gives you something to start experimenting with.
And I really resonated with what you were saying about the "beautiful bodies only" remark.

desertmac · Post by **desertmac** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 1:10 pm

For newbies and veterans alike: GET NAKED! It's fun, and being naked in a crowd of energized and open people like BM attracts will be a feeling like you've never had! I guarantee it! LOL Trust me, I know cuz my credentials are... well... I'm... well, ok, I don't have any credentials. I'm just sometimes loud and opinionated, and can be obnoxious myself, and sometimes get worked up too much about things like I did about this whole thing.
So all I say to newbies who are nervous about nudity is: don't let stupid comments like theirs intimidate you into keeping your clothes on if you are wanting to see what it feels like to go nude. I know I won't.

stuart · Post by **stuart** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 1:24 pm

desertmac wrote:I will be a newbie to BM this year...
...the entire concept of what BM is all about.

be careful putting those two thoughts together

-this message brought to you by the expectations police-

-wears pants despite firm round ass-

stuart · Post by **stuart** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 1:38 pm

DM the pantzooka is real and I bet you will find it not nearly as abbrasive as a random truck load of mad max rejects trying to expel their oedipal angst by squawling 'FUCK YOU YOU FUCKING FUCK', via a bull horn, over and over and over and over and over at anyone and anything.

-despite his fondness for lydia, will still not take his pants off-

desertmac · Post by **desertmac** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 1:45 pm

Thanks Cryptofishist,
I clicked on the quote button and the post came up; I just didn't realize I needed to delete what I didn't want to include. Thanks for explaining it.
And I'm glad that comment resonated with you. I got worked up about their comments partly because I've been writing erotic fiction for a couple of years now and get a lot of feedback as I post chapters online. I've learned so much about how amazingly varied people's views of sexuality and their own bodies are. It's like, I'm gay and my stories are, of course, but I was assuming that just because someone is gay, that they would have the wide open view of sexuality that I had, without all those 'old-fashioned' notions of (I know nudity doesn't equate with sex. I'm just going with that aspect of it for this) modesty, body shame, etc. that are drilled into all our heads from day one. I've found that there are just as many ways of looking at these things in the gay community as the str8 community. So I tend to get incensed when anyone ridicules other people's bodies, cuz that just adds more layers of crap when many people are trying to break out of that thinking-- and from what I read about the beginnings of BM and the whole concept, that seems to be what BM is all about: breaking out of the constraints of our hypocritical society on all fronts. The gay community is the worst about this. If you aren't a 20something twinky with a gymbody, you simply don't exist, or have the right to exist.
I'm skinny and not 'gym-toned', so even with my personal confidence level, I would be extremely embarrassed if some group of people aimed a pantzooka at me in front of everyone and proclaimed that I was not beautiful enough to be naked (from the waist down even). I-- and I doubt anyone who it happened to, if it did-- wouldn't consider something like that "harmless good fun". It would be humiliating as hell.
Hope this didn't sound like a soapbox. Just wanted to explain a little about where I'm coming from.

desertmac · Post by **desertmac** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 2:13 pm

LOL, I'm having a hard time keeping up with replies here! Are you serious, there are people driving around with bullhorns.... ? Even randomly and only occasionally? I just don't get it. Why do some people (pantzooka's included) have to have their fun at other's expense? There are so many ways to entertain youself in an atmosphere like this. Why choose to target other people in ANY way?
Yeah, Stuart, I am trying to not build in too many expectations. I read all these timelines about the origins of BM on the site and some journals of veterans and many of these ePlaya posts. And I admit, I was a teen in the 70's and I always loved the things I read about San Fran and the whole Haight Ashbury thing in the 60's, and I was radiaclly anti-establishment-- and still am in many ways-- so I am probably projecting some of that onto BM. But hey, what the founders of it seemed to say is that it WAS a new generation of that type of thinking, so that's what I was hoping for. I know that there is always "one in every crowd" who goes against the grain of the atmosphere. But I see all these photo journals and they tell me a lot about what to expect visually, and in those pics, I see a generally fun and elated experience going on in people's eyes and on their faces. That is what I hope to see and feel like when I get there. I am trying to make myself expect no more-- but that is something worthy of expectation, and is enough.

desertmac · Post by **desertmac** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 2:24 pm

I meant to add in there something that will get lots of laughs from many, I'm sure: Really, people, "What's so funny about peace, love and understanding?" Do your own thing and dance together under the stars!
Oh my God! I almost said "Can't we all just get along?" LOL You have permission to beat me if I ever actually say that out loud.

Zephryus · Post by **Zephryus** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 3:00 pm

Y'know, it seems to me that the pantzooka patrol isn't protesting the right of other burners to have their genitalia swinging out in front of god and everyone, but rather the fashion faux pas that is wearing a shirt with no pants. My guess is they'd be just as happy if the "offenders" whipped off their shirts. I don't think it's about beautiful and ugly; beautiful people are fully capable of making bad fashion decisions. And as far as personal expression goes, I don't think anyone would infringe on someone's right to make a top-half-only costume. But a t-shirt? That's just plain lazy.

Lydia Love · Post by **Lydia Love** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 3:37 pm

To clarify - when I say "foricbly remove" I don't mean *anything* so vulgar as actually holding someone down and cutting the pants off of them. I intend to use my winning smile, my vibrant personality and if necessary, strong drink to get the pants off people.

Zephryus, so why the hell shouldn't someone get to be lazy? For there to be anything like a fashion faux-pas there must be some sort of status-quo, an "acceptable" aesthetic. I get alla that I need in Camp Reality, thank you very much.

I say no one gets to infringe on my rights to wear any damn thing I want to. I will rejoice in my partial nudity and reserve the right, for perpetuity, to choose which half is nekkid!

Lydia Love · Post by **Lydia Love** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 3:38 pm

psssst. Stuart. How much strong drink is it gonna take?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 3:47 pm

Lydia Love wrote:I intend to use my winning smile, my vibrant personality and if necessary, strong drink to get the pants off people.

(crossing arms) betcha can't!

stuart · Post by **stuart** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 3:55 pm

psssst. Stuart. How much strong drink is it gonna take?

i knew playing hard to get would payoff.

seriously though, it will take a lot. I have been training for the drinking olympics for most of my life.

although last year in camp this guy had a toy space gun. I dubbed it the irresponsibility ray. Whenever you got shot with it you dropped yer drawers and ran around the camp hollerin for few moments.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 3:58 pm

Once again, DesertMac, I hear you. Other's minds can be so clueless. I've been through a lot of what you're talking about as a hirsute woman. Who's the woman who wrote "Big, Big Love"? A great sex-radical text, imo.
And it's real hard to read tone on this board. I have a tendency to subtle understatement or real deadpan contrary statements, which killed a lot of threads in its day (under my previous incarnation of BlueBirdPoof) and got me scolded (gently) by Technopatria today (as cryptofishist). And yet, sometimes you gotta get up and say hey--especially when someone's potentially passing off the really oppressive crap.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 4:00 pm

Lydia Love wrote:To clarify - when I say "foricbly remove" I don't mean *anything* so vulgar as actually holding someone down and cutting the pants off of them!

I knew that Lydia--just throwing something into the mix. I tried to find a link, for yucks, but wasn't able to.

Now if only someone could tell me what the proper fasion activism for "Pardon my Sarong" would be, I could die happy.

stuart · Post by **stuart** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 4:23 pm

I loved the fashion article in last years piss clear.
'sarong, so wrong' made me spew my lunch.

Zephryus · Post by **Zephryus** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 5:01 pm

Dearest Lydia Love,
There isn't a damn thing lazy about strutting around half naked, especially if you do it with the attitude that you exude on these boards. And honestly, I have a great love for the ridiculous which leads to my seeing the concept of a pantzooka as 31 flavors of awesome, and will probably lead to my endorsement of burners brazenly casting off their denim shackles, so to speak. But I do feel justified in calling (glorious) pantslessness a fashion faux pas. Here's why: If you look at most pants, they're generally cut to accentuate the upper half of the human form, whether or not the person is wearing an upper garment. They're fit around the waist so as to create a set of lines that show off the beauty of the human figure. Most shirts, on the other hand, are made with the assumption that the individual will be wearing a lower garment. Thus, they're not fit to the human form in the same way as pants, and indeed require pants as a base. Worn alone, they don't imitate the lines of the human figure, and they end up looking silly. (Note: I know that there are a good number of women's shirts that are in fact cut very nicely to the human figure, but from what I've heard, it's mostly men who go pantsless.)
I think we differ in our definition of the term "fashion faux pas". I call it the wearing of clothes in a way that kills the asthetic they were designed to create; I hear you calling it the wearing of clothes in a way that deviates from the socially acceptable norms. I'm happy to agree to disagree on this point. In fact, I'm happy to drop the argument altogether. From my point of view, people frolicking in the freedom of pantslessness is a wonderful and beautiful thing, as is the idea of someone running around with a lovingly handrafted pantzooka. Who says a little friendly rivalry can't be fun?

stuart · Post by **stuart** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 5:08 pm

'life is too short to not wear fantastic pants'

III · Post by **III** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 5:11 pm

to get back onto a serious bent, for a bit -

i've been laughed at for being a fat naked man at burning man. i've laughed at others where the naked and fat was only incidental. (usually there's a camera involved, which is a whole different way to get yourself in trouble). i've also gotten good natured poking, and outright support.

you'll meet all sorts of people there. expecting only one kind of response would be kind of boring.

Lydia Love · Post by **Lydia Love** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 5:59 pm

although last year in camp this guy had a toy space gun. I dubbed it the irresponsibility ray. Whenever you got shot with it you dropped yer drawers and ran around the camp hollerin for few moments.

I must get my hands on this technology!

Zephyrus, for the crimes of being a smartass fashion know-it-all it will become a primary mission of the movement to get a picture of you in something unflattering. (smooch)

you'll meet all sorts of people there. expecting only one kind of response would be kind of boring.

absolutely no-shit dahling. viva la difference! (but, you know, mostly viva no pants!)

Post by **Eric** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 6:41 pm

Lydia Love wrote:Now I gotta read some manifestos to crib from...

Good.
I talked to Adrian last night.
He wants it for Piss Clear.

Always willing to help The Revolution (whichever one it is)

Post by **Eric** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 6:49 pm

stuart wrote:I loved the fashion article in last years piss clear.
'sarong, so wrong' made me spew my lunch.

As the Piss Clear guy in this thread, we thank you.

Nudity an Nervousness

Ok

Re: nudity on the playa

Re: nudity on the playa