Avoiding nudity at BM - is it possible?

JassenB · Post by **JassenB** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 10:52 pm

I feel really, really stupid for even asking this, but here it is: Is it possible for an individual with perfect eyesight to experience much of Black Rock City and avoid exposure to the nudity of others?

I know, I know, really dumb question, but let me explain. My first Burn was 2009, and I am returning for 2011. I have a very dear friend that has been curious about BRC for years and years, and is enticed by everything she hears about it...except the nudity. This is based on religious/moral grounds, and I completely respect her thoughts in that department.

If there is an avenue available for her to be part of the BRC community, I want her to come experience it, and she is willing to come if I can figure out this one piece. Here are some things I've thought about:

-keep her nocturnal - I don't recall seeing a single penis at night in 2009 (which surprised me, because I'd think that some very creative blinky creations could be contrived in that arena....)

-camp in Kidsville/family camp area

-make the stay a shorter duration, like Thursday through Monday

-camp on our own in deep playa and keep her away from the heart of the city (yes, I realize this defeats much of the interaction obtained from attending)

-rent a (gasp!!!) RV to keep a bit more sheltered

Am I contemplating a hopeless battle? I don't think so, personally. I really think she could experience much of what BRC has to offer, but maintain her personal beliefs at the same time, I really do. Things like this are, I like to believe, part of what makes Burning Man a personalized experience for each participant.

Any and all suggestions are eagerly anticipated!

Much love!
-Jassen

Post by **Elderberry** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 10:58 pm

Doesn't sound like BM will be her thing, penises or not. Leave her home or tell her she needs to get over all her hangups. And no, I don't buy the moral religious excuse. There is nothing wrong with a naked body.

JK

moonrise · Post by **moonrise** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 11:14 pm

I don't think it's possible.

Sounds like you'd have to hide n sleep allllllll day and only night burn?
I prefer the night but, uh, daytime was also fantastic.

Maybe this is a Rites of Passage time for your friend? (or not)

While I sat in my truck waiting to get in a naked guy ran by my truck...how can you prevent her from seeing that?

EB · Post by EB » Wed Jan 19, 2011 11:18 pm

This is a fools errand. If you've been before then you know it will be impossible to "experience" burning man without going out amongst others. Is it possible to keep someone locked in an RV all day? Yes. Are they "experiencing' Burning Man? Of course not.

I predict you will be miserable trying to make this happen and en more misery when it fails.

Edana · Post by **Edana** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 11:26 pm

And for what it is worth, Kidsville is certainly NOT a no-nudity zone! People might be just a little more modest than in other parts of the city, but there is plenty of nudity to go around.

Not to mention the fact that you need to have kids with you to even camp there in the first place.

JassenB · Post by **JassenB** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 11:28 pm

I did figure this was a fool's errand. Thanks everybody for the replies, I definitely appreciate it.

oneeyeddick · Post by **oneeyeddick** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 11:44 pm

There is plenty of nudity going on at Kiddsville and I have plenty of pictures to prove it.

delle · Post by **delle** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 2:52 am

Wow!

I've got to say I'm a bit humbled by the amount of love and respect that you have for this person to even consider such an unselfish burn-modifying experience for yourself to include her.

Definitely admiring the sentiment behind it all.....

mudpuppy000 · Post by **mudpuppy000** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 7:50 am

I bet if she just stayed in the dust free zones she wouldn't see any.

Leo · Post by **Leo** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 7:53 am

I think you have two options:

a. Leave her at home and both of you will be happy.

b. Bring her to Burning Man and she might have a "paradigm shift" with her beliefs about nudity.

Burning Man is what it is. We could be having a similar discussion about someone who doesn't like techno, extreme daytime temperatures, dust, people in costumes, loud music, crowds, etc. Other than being blind, I don't know how someone would spend a week at Burning Man and avoid seeing naked people.

Post by **AntiM** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 7:53 am

I can't think of a viable way. And you can't camp out in the deep playa.

After a day, once she puts her eyes back in her head, she wouldn't even notice the nudity. We were all born naked anyway.

C.f.M. · Post by **C.f.M.** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 8:22 am

As someone formerly of the same mindset, here is what I think:

There is simply no way to avoid it. If she has never been to a burn before, I suggest going with her to a regional, first. BM is a hard experience even for those not bothered by nudity, and for a virgin to already have to struggle and deal with playa issues, something like that just shouldn't be added to the burden.

Ultimately, it's something she'll have to decide - there's Christian burners, I don't know if that's her religion or not. We have a group come to Transformus, and they do some really neat art installations.

Would the good (the art, the interaction, the potential to witness*) be worth the nudity?

*I don't mean handing out Chick tracts and telling people they need Jesus. One's witness should simply be the way in which they live their life, as Christ instructed, through treating others as we'd like to be treated.

ibdave · Post by **ibdave** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 8:35 am

start with every-time "She" comes over, you strip down and over time she'll become use to seeing a swing dick. Really tho, this just might not be the place for her...

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 10:13 am

Agreed, Burning Man is NO PLACE for someone who is disturbed by someone else's trip.

But I manage to avoid it simply by looking for it!

Ogdenhousedj · Post by **Ogdenhousedj** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 10:20 am

There's room for everyone at burningman, except for close-minded people

Parasitoid · Post by **Parasitoid** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 10:22 am

You should bring her. I love watching people freak out over stupid shit.

TomServo · Post by **TomServo** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 10:33 am

I'll admit, I was a little excited about the nudity, before my first year. After about 30 minutes on the playa, I didn't really notice it. Everything else was soo much more interesting.

Tiahaar · Post by **Tiahaar** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 10:38 am

JassenB wrote:I feel really, really stupid for even asking this, but here it is: Is it possible for an individual with perfect eyesight to experience much of Black Rock City and avoid exposure to the nudity of others?

Any and all suggestions are eagerly anticipated!

Much love!
-Jassen

ROFL!!!

whew! OK. sorry. serious. ahem.
just camp next to me everything will be fine.
furries don't count as naked people

but your only hope of having this friend not see a bare human at Burning Man would be to have him/her wear a blindfold from the time you left the blacktop till you got back on it. sound and touch only. Or you could help this person GROW UP and realize that the human form is perfectly natural being bare. Now just don't be going off to the sex camps and totally corrupting that poor individual

Bring em I say!!!

Post by **Savannah** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 12:21 pm

Jassen, you're a good friend for even trying to think of how you could make it work, though if her standard is "I can't see a naked person" it's simply impossible. She is (probably) too delicate to hack it out there at this point in her life, and she might have a terrible time, which will have a marked impact on your week. (This is coming from a person who keeps her clothes on--without anyone judging her for it--& is neither for nor against.)

Tell her that maybe 1 in 20 people there is naked, that they don't chase you down or pressure you to do the same, and that after a day of being there, it all gets very commonplace and unremarkable, but that you can't shield her from this sort of thing any better than you could prevent her from seeing tomatoes in Italy.

If your friend sincerely wants to go, she might eventually realize that:

1) She can keep modest standards for her own behavior.

2) Her decisions about her own life will not magically evaporate just because a naked person passes her in the street. If she does a complete 180, it's because they weren't very strong beliefs in the first place. Naked people are not wizards. (Though wizards? Often naked).

peachandpapa · Post by **peachandpapa** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 12:35 pm

Give her the low down on the whole Burning Man experience, including the nudity. The nudity will probably be the least of her moral/spiritual concerns when she actually experiences Burning Man.

If she still is interested, bring her, but....

Make sure she brings her own transportation so she can leave whenever the experience becomes too much for her. Don't let her moral hang-ups ruin your burn!

Good luck!

C.f.M. · Post by **C.f.M.** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 12:37 pm

Naked people are not wizards.

Says you.

[youtube][/youtube]

Post by **Savannah** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 1:01 pm

You did not finish reading my statement. Clearly this man was a wizard before he was naked/tased.

(But I support any reason to post that.)

knowmad · Post by **knowmad** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 1:08 pm

Tell her that her Frevent prayers have been answered and all the heathens have come to see the errors of their ways and repent. The have cast aside thier barbaric ways and now embrace modesty and a Chaste Life.

wow, glad that's over.

Ogdenhousedj · Post by **Ogdenhousedj** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 1:33 pm

It sounds to me like the friend is a mormon, and they are raised to think that you should be offended by nudity. Shit most of them keep as much clothes on during sex as possible after they are married I dont think the burn is the place for those people unless they have the will to leave the Zion Curtain

C.f.M. · Post by **C.f.M.** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 1:41 pm

Ogdenhousedj wrote:It sounds to me like the friend is a mormon, and they are raised to think that you should be offended by nudity. Shit most of them keep as much clothes on during sex as possible after they are married I dont think the burn is the place for those people unless they have the will to leave the Zion Curtain

One cannot surmise her religion from the OP, plenty of them believe mixed nudity or nudity at all is sinful/immoral, whether Christian, Mormon, Muslim, etc.

Post by **AntiM** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 1:51 pm

Ogdenhousedj wrote:It sounds to me like the friend is a mormon, and they are raised to think that you should be offended by nudity. Shit most of them keep as much clothes on during sex as possible after they are married I dont think the burn is the place for those people unless they have the will to leave the Zion Curtain

I didn't think Mormon right off, and I live in Ogden too.

Ogdenhousedj · Post by **Ogdenhousedj** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 2:02 pm

AntiM wrote:
Ogdenhousedj wrote:It sounds to me like the friend is a mormon, and they are raised to think that you should be offended by nudity. Shit most of them keep as much clothes on during sex as possible after they are married I dont think the burn is the place for those people unless they have the will to leave the Zion Curtain
I didn't think Mormon right off, and I live in Ogden too.

I know you do anti M I've tried to meet you at the last few regionals I think I met Larry last exodus but alas I never make it to hushville (Im way too loud) but Mormons are the only ones that I could think of that would be that judgmental about nudity and I guess Muslims too but I've just had more experience with Mormons and their crazy ideals

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 2:04 pm

Parasitoid wrote:You should bring her. I love watching people freak out over stupid shit.

And there's no shortage of stupid shit on the playa, is that what you're sharing?

ibdave · Post by **ibdave** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 2:30 pm

go camp with the Norwegians at the bOOby bar camp... They seems to have a handle on dealing with Nudity...

C.f.M. · Post by **C.f.M.** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 2:37 pm

Ugly Dougly wrote:
Parasitoid wrote:You should bring her. I love watching people freak out over stupid shit.
And there's no shortage of stupid shit on the playa, is that what you're sharing?

HEYMANIT'SART!!!!

Avoiding nudity at BM - is it possible?

Avoiding nudity at BM - is it possible?

Re: Avoiding nudity at BM - is it possible?