Burning NAKED

[canexplain]

Geez so many rules, guidelines, suggestions, so few people to follow them .....

[clocksnmirrors]

last year was my first year

my goal was to be naked as much as possible. mission accomplished.

can't wait to do it again this year!


oh and i did see one couple walking naked and the dude was proudly sporting a hefty morning boner. good stuff that

[Elliot]

All right… I’m in a thoughtful mood today (as such things go with my Cocker Spaniel brain), so I’ll pipe up.

I see three aspects to men going nude.

The first is the bodily feeling of the breeze caressing our largest sensory organ, our skin, and the relief from the restriction of movement, and the pinching, of clothing. On this, most of us, of both genders, seem to agree.

The second is the specifically male situation. All my life I have felt guilty about being male – partly over my personal “thinking with the wrong head”, and also on behalf of all my fellow males who do the same.

But now we have Burning Man – the gathering where behavior is mostly limited only by the fundamental concept of “Your rights end where my nose begins”. For one precious week each year I do not need to feel personally responsible for every rape committed throughout the ages. The sense of mental relief provided by this “License To Be How Mother Nature Created Me” makes a pathetic farce of every medication the doctors have ever prescribed for anxiety, insomnia and depression.

Then the third aspect, which is the occasional erection. Not only do we have the outwardly protruding male mating-apparatus, but sometimes that hardware is at full alert, which, when not adequately concealed by clothing, is considered inappropriate in public, and downright threatening, or at least offensive, to many ladies.

Fact is, of course (I dare say), that the rampant male mating-instinct is why humans still exist on this planet. We are at an awkward stage of evolution, where we are just smart enough to invent our own destruction, but not yet smart enough to prevent this, except by breeding faster than we can kill each other -- not always with the agreement of the prospective mother. Ask any of the countless ladies who have been abused over the last 20 million years or so.
Even at nudist gatherings it is considered bad form to be erect, denying the natural limits of human willpower.

So that leaves us with the one problem of my “rights” versus the ladies’ “nose”. I do believe I understand how many ladies feel. That’s what I have felt guilty about for most of my adult life. Seems the question boils down to where a lady’s “nose begins” in this context.
I can offer no fool-proof solution to any of this. I just want to contribute whatever little I can to the thread.
I’ll go back to repairing bicycles now, for which I am better qualified.

[gaminwench]

If you carry a sarong (read playa towel) whenever you're nude, then you can shield the delicate ladies from your ferocious manliness, should the need arise...
and you'd also be prepared to cover anything you sit on, thus sparing your hosts any concern about, well, y'know...
and you'd be ready for a sudden dust storm.

Always carry a towel, when traveling intergalactically... wise words, no?

[Elliot]

Why, soitenly!

[Tiahaar]

always carry a cock sock, deploy as needed

[Ugly Dougly]

Nice KOTEKA, buddy.

[tatonka]

ya know if ya painted yourself to look like a rhino , having a horn sticking out there would be natural

[Elliot]

But would I want to sharpen it?

Next wisecrack... (Ummm.... He said "crack"! ): I don't need paint to look like a rhino.

And while I'm back at it.... Gaminwench referred to my "ferocious" manliness.... Well, the ravages of time have adjusted my manliness to something more like "lackadaisical", so there is little risk I will "do it in the street and frighten the horses".

Shall I go on? Better not.

[Ugly Dougly]

Underwear that's fun to wear!

[katy potaty]

I have no problem with an erect cock, as long as the person sporting it isn't obnoxious or annoying in some other way. Sometimes a little coverage can be even more intriguing, though. We had a guy camping across from us who wore a bike seat as a codpiece. I was pretty amazed he managed to keep it up all week.

[BBadger]

I have no problem with an erect cock, as long as the person sporting it isn't obnoxious or annoying in some other way.

OH DER SCHLANGEMANN!!

[media]

[katy potaty]

I KNEW those things had other good uses. Sportish!

[Gonzo Frothwood]

I have not owned a pair of underwear since I jumped out a window at 19 when a husband came home early and I left them under the bed. almost got my ass kicked. My anti-skidmark technique is an over size dust mask with a stencil on one side. I rarely sit down when naked but if i do I take off he mask (it is about three feet square)and put the stencil side down. When I get up I fold it skid area inside and tie it back like a boyscout scarf. I also basically use toilet paper when I poop. Prevention is the best policy.

[MacGlenver]

I take off he mask (it is about three feet square)and put the stencil side down. When I get up I fold it skid area inside and tie it back like a boyscout scarf.

So you fold the skidmark into your mask and put it back on your face? Yum! lol

Elliot -- your synopsis of the dilemma rocks.

[tatonka]

Waterpump went out in my car today , right in the parking lot at work. I went across street and got another , and was replaceing it when the boss came up and said someone from the medical side of the work place was complaining that there was a half naked man in the parking lot. I had my shirt off cause it was hot . I asked my boss if there was some sort of law , and he said no , just that the main boss was around and then he said just stay over here in this area and you should be ok. Sheesh what a bunch of prudes.

[Savannah]

I take off he mask (it is about three feet square)and put the stencil side down. When I get up I fold it skid area inside and tie it back like a boyscout scarf.

So you fold the skidmark into your mask and put it back on your face? Yum! lol

Well, if he's wearing it like a traditional boyscout, he's actually wearing it around his neck.

So . . . cancel your plans to give him a neckrub, and you should be fine.

[canexplain]

My reply to going naked: I am not buff. Well so I am past that age, but I realize life. Ill just be there, looking at the sparkle ponies remembering those days but that is the cool part: You guys, so lucky, me, also, time changes things, but not the basics... ... cr ok it sucks to not post that grrrrrr

[Princess Peach]

i'm nudity ambivalent. personally prefer to be clothed, but am not offended, affronted or opposed to nudity being present at any event. i feel like as an adult at BM, being offended by nudity is a little ridiculous....it's a place where you're supposed to push your boundaries AND being naked is kinda tame, considering other things present at BM for boundary pushing. i feel, also, that with gender identity and ambiguity being more accepted main stream, nudity is becoming a concept people are more comfortable with.

here's my question: would the lack of nudity be a deterrent in festival attendance? i'm asking because i'm heavily involved with planning the annual regional in my neck of the woods and though in the past, we held it at a place that is owned by nudists (so nakkidness was no problem), we wanted to move it to a larger place, to accommodate the attendance growth and we had to give up nudity to close the deal on this. i was surprised at how people lost their minds. is it REALLY that big of a deal to slap on pasties and a thong?

i tried to stay out of the discussion as much as i could, because i honestly don't have a horse in that race, but i just feel like BM and the regional burn are so not about JUST nudity. (or not about JUST any ONE thing). music, arts, sillyness, crafts, community, sharing, gifting, participating, etc.

i understand that nakedness is part of the burner ethos and i understand that rebelling agains the norms is as well, but to the extent of not going? really? people that are passionate about being naked, please explain.

[trilobyte]

Many regionals aren't able to allow nudity for one reason or another. In the case of the event you're involved in, you're taking away something that people had enjoyed as a freedom before - of course they're going to be upset.

Your situation sounds like something that should be addressed in a Town Hall meeting. If you have the option of continuing to hold it in the old space with all its limits, or move to the shiny new location that doesn't allow nudity, you might even want to put it to a vote at the town hall meeting. You may end up finding that the overwhelming majority of people really do care enough that they'd rather stay at the old place and deal with the limits, or you may end up finding that most people would rather move to the new place (sometimes it's just a few really vocal people).

[Princess Peach]

I understand that taking away nudity is upsetting (especially if it's been available before), I don't understand not going to the event because of it. I don't have any ONE thing that could possibly be forbidden that would make me not want to go to the event. I am curious about how can any ONE thing ruin the total experience so completely.

As an example: this same regional in years prior has been held at a nudist recreational space, so nudity was no problem, but the neighbors of this community has been complaining about the noise of all night dance parties to the point that last year (2012), there was a strict no amplified sound after 10pm policy that was enforced. Was it a different experience? yes, it was. It was the quietest regional i've ever been to. Was it still awesome? yes, HELL yes it was! like the lack of late night sound was not enough to erode the event completely. SO, this year (2013), we got sound back, but lost nudity - it was still a really great event. I understand why people are upset when they're used to something or expect something and it's not there, but i feel like nudity (by itself) or lack of it can't be the only thing that makes them NOT go.

also, you brought up an interesting point - the Town Hall meeting. I'm kind of split on what i think about this and i'm curious to see what you think about my thought process.

on one hand i like the idea of putting it up to a vote and letting the people decide what they'd rather have. ON the OTHER hand, being involved in production, I have noticed that there's a small vocal majority that represents every aspect of burner culture that pipes up when they're inconvenienced, but aren't heavily involved with planning and/or organizing the event. Since the event's creation and management is fueled almost solely by people that volunteer their time, skills and expertise to do it, I feel like big decision making should be left up to them. At the end of the day, you can't please everyone and if someone feels that strongly about nudity (or anything else for that matter), they should get involved. What are your thoughts?

[Savannah]

As a person who does not feel strongly for or against nudity one way or the other, I cannot speak for the group you want. However, of regular Burners who go nude, I will guess 4 things:

1) None of the people who like going naked at the Burn feel incapable of other outlets: i.e., joining nudist colonies, visiting nude beaches, or going out into the wild and wandering around naked. If you're nervy enough to walk around naked at the Burn, doing so in quieter areas is easier, far cheaper, and even more peaceful.

2) Many folks would handle a prohibition on nudity at Burning Man like they would handle the existing prohibition on illegal drugs.

(They'd be slightly be more obvious in execution, but just as resistant.)

3) Whether they should be or not, no one is seriously worried about any increasing restrictions on nudity, because nudity is becoming more prevalent/less criminalized in liberal cities. Toplessness among women is allowed in a few areas now.

4) Few people Burn in order to get nude first and foremost. For many, it's a side effect based partially 50% on the temperature, novelty, and lack of punishment.


And of nudists at Regional events I will theorize this: regionals are more restricted by their very nature, in all ways. So when something that has been allowed previously is suddenly taken away from a smaller pool of freedoms, the insult and disappointment is felt more deeply.

[DrewDubious]

All I know is you can kiss these tan lines goodbye.






Really. Fell free to kiss any of them

[Malcolm]

All I know is you can kiss these tan lines goodbye.






Really. Fell free to kiss any of them

I'm working on getting rid of them before BM, just in case I get the urge to bare all.

[DrewDubious]

All I know is you can kiss these tan lines goodbye.






Really. Fell free to kiss any of them

I'm working on getting rid of them before BM, just in case I get the urge to bare all.

I think I just got one upped!

[Simon of the Playa]

join the denim revolution.

[Elliot]

Ah… yeah… me too -- I’m working on erasing tan lines a few minutes every day. Need to have a “base tan” as protection against sunburn. (Trust me on this. )

And I’m scheduled to participate in Spencer Tunick’s Desert Spirits nude photo shoot, a BM honorarium art project. Wouldn’t want to cause glare in the lens.

By the way, naked customers go to the front of the line at Elliot’s Bicycle Service & Wine Bar. Last year two ladies brought in a bicycle for repair that way – so I promptly stripped myself and improvised the word “Naked” on the Bicycle Service sign out front. It didn’t entirely catch on, but the invitation stands. Perhaps I should double the wine rations?

[Malcolm]

By the way, naked customers go to the front of the line at Elliot’s Bicycle Service & Wine Bar.

Good to know if I get a flat...

[Runlinds]

I plan on spending more time naked or topless this year. I didn't see a lot of topless females last year (but saw plenty of men lettin it all hang out), but the ones I did see, I thought were beautiful and confident. I probably wouldn't spend much time at camp since I feel like I might weird my friends out but I am normally pretty liberal so despite feeling like I might be judged, I'm going to do it anyway.

[Dr. Pyro]

I plan on spending more time naked or topless this year. I probably wouldn't spend much time at camp since I feel like I might weird my friends out.

Then may I suggest you meet a whole new group of friends at Barbie Death Camp & Wine Bistro? Wouldn't want you to get all lonely or something.