2013 Theme - Cargo Cult - thoughts?

[Elorrum]

Baggage is the new cargo.

this

[graidawg]

I will need to find my own angle on this theme since my take right now cannot get past the word Cargo. At the beginning of the short documentary series, Guns Germs and Steel, the author of the book, Jared Diamond relates a seminal conversation he had with a New Guinea friend, and how it got him thinking: "Why does the white man have so much cargo, and we have so little?" Appealing to an outside being for material things? Isn't there something more I should want if aliens came? I think my cult will be the cult of MTV cribz, or the cult of plug and play RV luxury burning. Why not the cult of mutant vehicles? I want one so badly. I shouldn't plan for myself, educate myself, think of a way. I just have to want it want it want it so bad and build an altar to whatever I think it is as a kind of celebratory art, on my vacation from being a fucking slave and letting the message that I don't have enough rule me. Well, I bathe in hot drinking water, have enough food to be obese, and access to doctors and medicine. Plenty cargo. Pretty fucking luxurious to much of the world. Even if I'm drowning and paralyzed by my stuff, it's probably not the right stuff to have anyway, and I need to imagine what kind of cult I would be in if I could be in one that would worship the better cargo I should really really want, but have no chance of getting on my own. The altars already exist here, and I think they are billboards, and trade shows, and t.v. commercials, hell, t.v. Let's just have a year where commercial sponsors can come to the playa and build their own exposition. I think they would REALLY bring in the cargo.

What I would ask for, seeing how the closed system of Earth is turning us into overpopulated stressed and deranged toxic hangers on, is a way out or a solution. A way to release the pressure of our over population and spread out a bit in space.

If it can be said to be cargo, i come to Burning Man everytime for the Cargo Cult reasons, the cargo being the people there and in the same way the followers of a cargo cult try and bring the planes full of spam back i try to create the possibilty of my cargo being there all the time. Is that the same thing or am i missing the point?

[Bob]

Cultural appropriation? Do I go over to your house during one of your BDSM sessions and slap the Nazi SS officer hat off of your head?

[Elorrum]

If it can be said to be cargo, i come to Burning Man everytime for the Cargo Cult reasons, the cargo being the people there and in the same way the followers of a cargo cult try and bring the planes full of spam back i try to create the possibilty of my cargo being there all the time. Is that the same thing or am i missing the point?

No, I think you are right. It should be stuff we really like. Is it material though? material we can't obtain?

[AntiM]

Powerball tickets. Yeah?

[AntiM]

MyLarry says "Cargo, yay! Car go vroom vroom!"

That's what I get for letting him read over my shoulder.

[AntiM]

scargo-400x266.jpg (37.18 KiB) Viewed 3868 times

[theCryptofishist]

I will need to find my own angle on this theme since my take right now cannot get past the word Cargo. At the beginning of the short documentary series, Guns Germs and Steel, the author of the book, Jared Diamond relates a seminal conversation he had with a New Guinea friend, and how it got him thinking: "Why does the white man have so much cargo, and we have so little?"

For what it's worth, I thought of GG&S, too. Only, I remember reading the book in the 90s wherein Diamond baldly states that he thought that the New Guineans were smarter than the white man, because the selection pressures of the stone age killed stupid (because the life was tough and complicated), and the selection pressure of white men was resistance to all the various plagues that beset those who live in cities. I was quite shocked. I had simply never seen that kind of statement in print before. Another reason why I believe that the theme is not racist, and opens us up to very interesting possibilities.

[lucky420]

I had a bad cargo pants experience last year on the way to BRC.

I had the big truck packed and ready to go, met all the burner convoy at my house, we all chilled until time to go, made sure my kids had their tix and id's, had my will call info in my backpack, etc.

The convoy gets to the Mustang exit at about 4 p.m. and since I hadn't eaten all day decide to get hotdog or something. So I check my back pockets for my id and debit card...mmm must be in backpack although I usually always keep it in pockets. Nope not in backpack...panic sets in as I'm sure I put it in my pocket. I commence to do the slap every fricken pocket on my CARGO pants over and over like a deranged cheerleader...id nowhere to be found.

pretty much in tears. By now because I am picturing it as having fallen out of pocket(s) onto the street somewhere and I won't have I'd to get into BM. I called my son in a panic who was fortunately still at my house, asking him to go check the street by where the truck was parked...yeah he found it,on the table by the front door.

Stupid me, STUPID CARGO PANTS!

[Foxfur]

I will need to find my own angle on this theme since my take right now cannot get past the word Cargo. At the beginning of the short documentary series, Guns Germs and Steel, the author of the book, Jared Diamond relates a seminal conversation he had with a New Guinea friend, and how it got him thinking: "Why does the white man have so much cargo, and we have so little?"

For what it's worth, I thought of GG&S, too. Only, I remember reading the book in the 90s wherein Diamond baldly states that he thought that the New Guineans were smarter than the white man, because the selection pressures of the stone age killed stupid (because the life was tough and complicated), and the selection pressure of white men was resistance to all the various plagues that beset those who live in cities. I was quite shocked. I had simply never seen that kind of statement in print before. Another reason why I believe that the theme is not racist, and opens us up to very interesting possibilities.

And the amazing shelter structures crush his quaint little story about stupid westerners being unable to build a shelter for themselves.

I can build a tent using my cargo pants without taking them off.

[wh..sh]

As for the theme itself I think it has potential, though it's more specific than the last few years' themes.

I understand where BMorg is coming from, more trying to get people to view themselves as the cargo cult. I also understand the racial concerns. I've actually heard of cargo cults a long time ago, to me they've always been linked with the "tribal savage" archetype we see in media. There is a running theme in media of white explorers meeting indigenous tribes, and the tribes deification of the explorers. I'm not offended, but then I'm not Melanesian so I wouldn't be.

EDIT: I am Jewish though, and nobody asked my opinion on the Barbie Death Camp. If they did ask, I'd say I assume it's in good fun, and I have to think I'd have the same reaction to this years theme if I was of Melanesian descent.

I like your attitude
It's unfortunate but we all still carry the burden of our culture and our history.

[Simon of the Playa]

[media]

[knowmad]

As for the theme itself I think it has potential, though it's more specific than the last few years' themes.

I understand where BMorg is coming from, more trying to get people to view themselves as the cargo cult. I also understand the racial concerns. I've actually heard of cargo cults a long time ago, to me they've always been linked with the "tribal savage" archetype we see in media. There is a running theme in media of white explorers meeting indigenous tribes, and the tribes deification of the explorers. I'm not offended, but then I'm not Melanesian so I wouldn't be.

EDIT: I am Jewish though, and nobody asked my opinion on the Barbie Death Camp. If they did ask, I'd say I assume it's in good fun, and I have to think I'd have the same reaction to this years theme if I was of Melanesian descent.

I like your attitude
It's unfortunate but we all still carry the burden of our culture and our history.

Not my people we traded it for some Beads and Blankets.

[Ugly Dougly]

xxx

Melanesians and their practices are no "stupider" than any practice that modern westerners (you and I) practice. Any of a hundred things we do before breakfast could have been chosen as an emblem of anti-reliance, for lack of a better word. We expect some electronic image to entertain us, we expect some corporation to make our fire for us, we expect someone to kill animals for us so we can have our food.

If these all fail, we call this a disaster! In old Fiji, this is called everyday life.

Tribal cultures are far more self-reliant than modern westerners as a general thing. It's because of this that the John Frum movement seemed so out of place - ironic and yes, humorous. The phenomenon needed this isolation in order for it to be identified. In the modern west, it is so much part of our culture that it's nearly impossible to isolate for study.

[Ugly Dougly]

[media]

[graidawg]

Bruce Parry is pretty cool

[knowmad]

....

Tribal cultures are far more self-reliant than modern westerners as a general thing. It's because of this that the John Frum movement seemed so out of place - ironic and yes, humorous. The phenomenon needed this isolation in order for it to be identified. In the modern west, it is so much part of our culture that it's nearly impossible to isolate for study.

I like to believe I come From a "modern" culture that is "self reliant" that has adapted and overcome countless invasions and forced re-inventions. I come from Human Culture, a member of the human race. I have No Idea Who John Frum is, but if he doesn't play nice his skull will make a nice goblet , and his Ideals; Noble, Racist or Other will not matter.

Alas Poor Yorick! for I knew him well.

[Simon of the Playa]

[media]

[Roberto Dobbisano]

every time..

EVERY TIME!


it's always the stupid fucking hippies.....

[Foxfur]

....

Tribal cultures are far more self-reliant than modern westerners as a general thing. It's because of this that the John Frum movement seemed so out of place - ironic and yes, humorous. The phenomenon needed this isolation in order for it to be identified. In the modern west, it is so much part of our culture that it's nearly impossible to isolate for study.

I like to believe I come From a "modern" culture that is "self reliant" that has adapted and overcome countless invasions and forced re-inventions. I come from Human Culture, a member of the human race. I have No Idea Who John Frum is, but if he doesn't play nice his skull will make a nice goblet , and his Ideals; Noble, Racist or Other will not matter.

Alas Poor Yorick! for I knew him well.

Simon cuts his blow with the crushed bones of dead opponents.

[junglesmacks]

Simon cuts his blow with the crushed bones of dead opponents.

This goes beyond being "sig worthy". This is fucking gravestone worthy.

[Ugly Dougly]

Fuck bungee jumping. It doesn't take balls to strap on industry-approved rubber cables. Try using a freaking vine from the jungle.
Oh and inventing it first, yeah, that too:

[media]

[mgb327]

I keep thinking "Escargot Cult", which puts me on the hoarding snails track, as well as bacon. I have an acre of tradtional Japanese furniture-grade bamboo here at the house, up to 50' lengths....now, what to build, what to build......

[Ugly Dougly]

A land diving tower, of course...

[Ratty]

A raft for you and Wilson.

[knowmad]

news update from the "Petition to Burning Man Org to change the Cargo Cult Theme";
nearly 24 hrs. later and; Still 3 votes
HAHAHAHAHAHA!

[Simon of the Playa]

Dougly...


i believe this was Yours...

[BAS]

As I was listening to the Clash in my car earlier today, I recalled how "Lost in the Supermarket" really doesn't have anything to do with a supermarket. It has to do with our cargo cult driven economy.

I'm all lost in the supermarket, I can no longer shop happily
I came in here for that special offer, guaranteed personality
I wasn't born so much as I fell out, nobody seemed to notice me
We had a hedge back home in the suburbs over which I never could see
I heard the people who lived on the ceiling scream and fight most scarily
Hearing that noise was my first ever feeling, that's how it's been all around me
I'm all lost in the supermarket, I can no longer shop happily
I came in here for that special offer, a guaranteed personality
I'm all tuned in, I see all the programmes, I save coupons from packets of tea
I've got my giant hit discothèque album, I empty a bottle and I feel a bit free
The kids in the halls and the pipes in the walls make me noises for company
Long distance callers make long distance calls and the silence makes me lonely
I'm all lost in the supermarket, I can no longer shop happily
I came in here for the special offer, a guaranteed personality
And it's not here, it disappear
I'm all lost in the supermarket, I can no longer shop happily
I came in here for the special offer, guaranteed personality
I'm all lost in the supermarket, I can no longer shop happily
I came in here for the special offer, guaranteed personality
I'm all lost (I'm all lost in the supermarket)
I'm all lost (I can no longer shop happily)
I'm all lost (I came in here for that special offer, guaranteed personality)
I'm all lost (I'm all lost in the supermarket)
I'm all lost (I can no longer shop happily)
I'm all lost (I came in here for that special offer, guaranteed personality)
I'm all lost in the supermarket, I can no longer shop happily
I came in here for the special offer, guaranteed personality
I'm all lost, I'm all lost, I'm all lost
I'm all lost in the supermarket, I can no longer shop happily
I came in here for the special offer, guaranteed personality

[oscillator]

[moonwookie]

My favorite Clash song ever....

There is a possible upside to the people who feel it's racist - perhaps then they will leave all those "primitive" feather headdresses at home...