WHY THE HELL WAS CNN ALLOWED ON THE PLAYA THIS YEAR?

[gerlachedNloaded]

Is the Bmorg selling out?

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/living ... g.man.ktvn

i don't want tourists or the flippin media. goddamnit! This is OUR event!

[C.f.M.]

I'd say the question is more when, exactly, did they sell out...yay Alchemy, and all the other burns keepin' it real.

[junglesmacks]

Oh. My. God.

[AntiM]

There's always been media at Burning Man, and quite a lot of it too. A little late for the outrage party bus. That art car sailed decades ago. My first year, 2001, one of my sources was the article in the Triple A Via magazine.

[gerlachedNloaded]

fuck that. i say next time we see cameras and asstards with mics and flowered shirts, we do everything we can to make ANY video they shoot unairable. that goes for the "tourists" at center camp too. day pass my ballsack..

[C.f.M.]

fuck that. i say next time we see cameras and asstards with mics and flowered shirts, we do everything we can to make ANY video they shoot unairable. that goes for the "tourists" at center camp too. day pass my ballsack..

Ha ha ha, I did that! We (Playawaste Raiders) got rounded up for an on-camera interview.

Him: "So, what is Burning Man?"

Me: "Seriously? What a stupid question. Ask us something interesting."

Him: "Tell me about the 10 principles."

Me: "Really? That's all you could come up with? Go interview the survival guide and leave us alone."

And so on.

[actiongrl]

CNN's first visit to the playa was, I believe, in 1996, and they've been back a few times.

[motskyroonmatick]

Media is unavoidable and additionally an essential part of "spreading the philosophy." If CNN coverage causes one person who feels out of place in life to feel a little more comfortable in the world then I think it is worth it.

Is this really one of those if I see you on your cell phone at burning man I'm going to kick your ass things?

What if CNN coverage finally motivates one kick ass person to create and bring an amazing work of art to burning man? Or perhaps a person to become a burner and they add to the community?

[C.f.M.]

Heck, the Village Voice did a 7-page spread on the ICP Juggalo Fest, so CNN at Burning Man ain't no thang.

I'm just waiting for Fred Phelps to come protest!

[Melvynman]

They brought a ticket. They register their camera. Did I miss something?

[gerlachedNloaded]

ooh i've got some GREAT ideas if Freddy decides to make the journey...

[theCryptofishist]

Imagine the kinds of stories the media would run if they weren't allowed into the event.
Every event-hater in Washoe County (and a good many elsewhere) would be speculating in the grandest manner and distorting things into all sorts of twisted shapes.

[LostinReno]

Actually it wasn't CNN per se. It was a local news guy/story from Channel 2 in Reno. I saw this run locally on Monday night. It actually took precedence over the rib cookoff which I thought was cool! If you notice they give KTVN credit. Must've been a slow news day for CNN.

[Kinetik V]

I remember this article in Wired magazine a long ways back that changed many people's worlds by introducing them to Burning Man for the very first time....

In short...I'm glad the media attends the event and documents some of what takes place there. Like it or not it's now a part of American history....when our great grandkids are in school doing reports at least they will have articles and video clips they can call on to understand what the event was like way back when.

Oh and CNN quite frequently uses local content....it's part of their affiliation agreements...in short it wasn't a slow news day, just a routine one.

[The Bass]

The key issue here, I think, is consent.

Last I checked, Media Mecca required all cameras to agree to get consent from their subjects before filming.

So if you want to be filmed or do an interview, go ahead - but if not, make it very well known.

Disorient does not allow news crews to film inside our camp.

This sometimes requires quite a bit of haggling when a crew shows up with lights-a-blazin'.

But if you stand your ground and keep explaining, "we do not consent," after a while they get tired and go away.

[Ugly Dougly]

We must keep TTITD a secret!

[Lowz]

Ignore them, they probably still think that this leaf is the canadian flag ..

[swampdog]

I actually liked the CNN piece from the OP. Thanks, CNN!

[silkkat813]

At least CNN need to get permission to film. The tourists can come, make videos, and post them on Youtube.

[goathead]

Imagine the kinds of stories the media would run if they weren't allowed into the event.
Every event-hater in Washoe County (and a good many elsewhere) would be speculating in the grandest manner and distorting things into all sorts of twisted shapes.

Oh they do.
I am still trying to figure out how to make the
Flaming Baby Carriage Rotisserie BBQ

I mean if we sacrifice them we should eat them right?

The story KTVN did looked ok to me, local media has been out there from the beginning.

[joya]

I actually liked the CNN piece from the OP. Thanks, CNN!

Ditto. I wasn't sure what to expect coming from CNN... but I think they did a fair job in their reporting -- and it is this kind of thing that makes it a lot easier to explain Burning Man to those in the default world that either have never heard of it or else have a warped stereotype of what the event is (bunch of free-loving hippies on drugs in the desert -- heh)

Radical Inclusion. cheerio!

[Tin Halo]

I remember this article in Wired magazine a long ways back that changed many people's worlds by introducing them to Burning Man for the very first time....

I remember that one, too. For some reason, I have one picture from that article engraved into my mind, and did for years, before I actually got there.
My first burn was a gift from some friends... ticket, ride, camp and all. I remember opening the envelope, and just staring at the ticket, recalling the article... and wondering what the hell I was about to get myself into.

[Isotopia]

link here: http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/4.11/burningman.html

[dj_john69]

CNN's first visit to the playa was, I believe, in 1996, and they've been back a few times.

YES...i made it a point to get them trashed that year while they were pushing around their shopping cart aka mobile studio gear transportation. They wanted to see BM through a Burners eyes and that's what they got.

I won't say anything else about it so please dont ask. LOL

[Dr. Pyro]

Josh, you're not going to like to hear this, but I actually put our camp's name with Media Mecca to come by and interview/photograph us. I figure all publicity is good publicity. Maybe the BMOrg has the same thoughts. I know that I, for one, have never met a camera or a microphone that I didn't like.

Just sayin'.

[Tin Halo]

link here: http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/4.11/burningman.html

Ahh... yes. That's the only time WIRED covered BM, isn't it?

My favorite part:

"Woke up, had breakfast. Looked out my RV window and saw a guy sitting on a toilet. He was skidding by at about 45 mph in a massive trail of dust. He had his toilet mounted on a wooden sled, and he was being towed by a pickup. His pants were around his ankles, and he was reading a magazine as he skidded along. It was the magazine reading that made this truly a memorable gesture. "

[Bob]

700+ search results for "burning man" on the Wired website, versus 94 on the CNN website, fwiw.

Why is *anyone* allowed at Burning Man?

[oneeyeddick]

In 96' I remember an article in the Elko newspaper with the headlines
"SATANISTS GATHER FOR A WEEK OF SIN IN THE N.W. DESERT "

I was laughing my ass off, wish I had kept it.

[Dr. Pyro]

It seems to me that headline is completely accurate.

[gunsmith]

I saw Satan & Jesus drinking a beer at burningman