th3dougler wrote:I have talked to a couple people who have been to BM before, and they say its not what it used to be. I dont want to get into trouble here, but I'm a big fan of conciousness expansion, I've heard the event has shifted focus onto alcohol consumption (although obviously either one takes second stage the the art and the community). I basically want to know if everyone is just going to be drunk and sloppy, or if there are some trippy characters, or if its a healthy balance of all different types of people. Hoping for the latter.
Good job at getting to the heart of an issue! It is true that the most visible substance on the playa is good ol' fashioned booze, but the community somehow seems to make it work. There is certainly a very good amount of alternate recreation, and you would be hard-pressed to find anyone at the event with prejudices against what you choose to use. What it boils down, though, to is that the people there are good people, and it shows whether they are tripping or drunk. Also, because of the cops at the event (and respect for other participants), people usually keep it pretty low-key if they're on something. In fact, everything is so goddamn weird that I suspect that there are a lot more psychonauts in a scene than what a first glance might suspect. Or rather, it is impossible to tell exactly WHO is the one out of his gourd: the painted butterfly man, or the guy wearing a white T-shirt and jeans. Where's Waldo?
As for people saying that it's not what it used to be, well...I've only been going for three years, so I can't say much about what it used to be. I CAN, however, point out that if any event remains the same after some 23 years of existence, then it probably isn't very fun. True, the size and notoriety have drawn some spectators who went to Coachella and Bonnaroo and think that Burning Man is just another festival to roll at and dance all night (funded, of course, by selling Oxy to people). I had some neighbors in 2008 that pulled up late Friday afternoon and fit the description perfectly. It was horrible. Their blatant disregard for everything that Burning Man stands for almost ruined my weekend. That evening, though, my friend and I were riding to Esplanade from our camp and I mentioned to him that the situation was still really bothering me. Immediately, a voice called back and I stopped. A motherly-looking woman had heard me and stopped what she was doing, even though she had no idea what I was talking about. I got off of the bike and explained to her the situation. She listened completely and then told me that I had to let those people go and focus on the real community that was still there, even with a layer of yahoos obscuring the clarity. She then asked if I wanted a hug. I did. It was the best hug I have ever gotten.
A little bit of a tangent there, but I hope it resolved your concerns somewhat. Don't listen to the grumpy old farts.
