Interesting critique of Burning Man

[Traditionalist]

This is kind of a far-right website from what I understand. I consider myself more of a "traditionalist" and not a radical right-winger. I read this site from time to time and agree with some of the things they say but not all. Anyway, I thought this article about Burning Man was pretty hilarious and revelatory. What do you guys think? Burning Man doesn't seem so innocent after I read it.

http://www.amerika.org/social-reality/burning-man/

[junglesmacks]

"Is Burning Man some sort of test-run for extreme liberal communities in the distant future?"

[Traditionalist]

"Is Burning Man some sort of test-run for extreme liberal communities in the distant future?"

haha! I think he's maybe read too much Jean Baudrillard!

[DustHand]

I think there is something to be said about my work internet filter blocking that site as "Hate Speech."

[jkisha]

Drivel. But he got this right...

Look at the aerial view of Burning Man.  It looks like the civilizational ruins of an Alien race from another planet.

Sort of looks that way from the ground too, as he would have known had he ever bothered to attend the event before attempting to write an article about it.

[Trishntek]

Obviously, an article written by someone from the outside looking at,,,, what? Certainly not the event itself,,,, maybe gleaning information from the Afterburn or news clippings.

I actually was surprised how minor the statistics are in relation to population, logistics and the environment of the event itself!

He mocks us for not witnessing a resurrection and then dares to present an image of an ENTIRE CITY which is RESURRECTED ANNUALLY!

[Ugly Dougly]

They spelled America wrong; what can you expect from that point?

[DustHand]

[Savannah]

Based on the remarks so far (especially the ones suggesting the author has not attended the event) I'm not in the mood at the moment to give the site a page view on their stat counter. It would be better if the author went . . . and then wrote reviews like that CapAlert guy who sees movies, and then rates them on a number of scales including the degree of offense to god. He clearly loves movies, but cannot justify seeing them unless he then tears them apart online in a fit of righteous anger.

* Pinocchio

"Geppetto prays to the blue fairy which looks like an angel with wings and all. Geppetto kneels with palms together and head bowed which is traditionally symbolic of Christian prayer to God, but he is praying to the blue fairy. This smells a little bit like the beginnings of the use of initially small and seemingly innocuous tools and tactics to substitute Christian symbolics with "gentle" counterfeitings to draw away from the Christian faith: the beginnings of paganizing Christianity by paganizing the children. [2 Cor. 11:3] Maybe there is nothing to the possible dangers of "wishing on a star" stealing thunder from praying to God, but maybe there is."[13]

* Lord of the Rings

"This movie is likely another maneuver to capitalize on the new found infatuation of visually oriented youth with bright and dazzling display of the occult, witchcraft and evil. It is another presentation of the "good" using evil to fight evil. And it presents sorcery as both "good" and evil. Violently. Grotesquely."[

* The Nutty Professor II

"While the most foul of the foul words was not noted even once, slack was taken up to the breaking point with at least 67 uses of the three/four letter word vocabulary [Col. 3:8] and God's name in vain both with and without the four letter expletive [Deut. 5:11]"[15]

* The Rocky Horror Picture Show

"homosexual song/talk/dance/presence/practices" "suggestive eye movements" [16]

http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Capalert

[knowmad]

intresting.
There was a lot of condemnation and vilifing.
Some one sugessted nuke bombing us.
But not one of them said "We should pray for them."

you see folks, at it's core it's about hate.
I'm going to the temple to pray for them to find love, and then We'll burn it, then I'll dance in the ashes.

[Traditionalist]

Obviously, an article written by someone from the outside[/color][/size]

But actually that offers a unique perspective don't you think? Sort of a bird's eye view? Ever hear the phrase, "Can't see the forest for the trees?"

I thought the article was hilarious, personally.

[Savannah]

It's arguable that it's not "perspective" if they can't actually see it, touch it, taste it, or report on their own experiences, positive or negative. I would call it conjecture, speculation, or hearsay.

[Traditionalist]

It's arguable that it's not "perspective" if they can't actually see it, touch it, taste it, or report on their own experiences, positive or negative. I would call it conjecture, speculation, or hearsay.

Well how do all of you know he hasn't attended Burning Man? That is all speculation on your part as well.

[knowmad]

It's arguable that it's not "perspective" if they can't actually see it, touch it, taste it, or report on their own experiences, positive or negative. I would call it conjecture, speculation, or hearsay.

Lipstick on pigs.
Call it for what it is
Talking out your Ass!

[Eric]

But actually that offers a unique perspective don't you think?

It doesn't offer "perspective"- it offers regurgitated babble the author read somewhere else. Not a single original idea, no uniqueness at all.

Ever hear the phrase, "Can't see the forest for the trees?"

If you fly above the forest all you're going to see is the trees, and maybe a couple of birds. You're going to loose the variety and uniqueness (there's that word again) of the individuals that make it up, and that can only be seen by being amongst them.

If you want to believe this article has something to say, have at. If you think its a unique perspective you obviously haven't been to the Burn yourself.

[theCryptofishist]

It sounds like the same old tired rehash from someone else who wants to score points against an american subculture.

Can we do a really lazy analysis of right-wing christians now?

[knowmad]

This is kind of a far-right website from what I understand. I consider myself more of a "traditionalist" and not a radical right-winger. I read this site from time to time and agree with some of the things they say but not all. Anyway, I thought this article about Burning Man was pretty hilarious and revelatory. What do you guys think? Burning Man doesn't seem so innocent after I read it.

I Smell a Troll!

It's arguable that it's not "perspective" if they can't actually see it, touch it, taste it, or report on their own experiences, positive or negative. I would call it conjecture, speculation, or hearsay.

And what I said I ment about the OP not Savannah's...

Lipstick on pigs.
Call it for what it is
Talking out your Ass!

It sounds like the same old tired rehash from someone else who wants to score points against an american subculture.

Can we do a really lazy analysis of right-wing christians now?

Can we move it over here to the Bashing Christians Thread?

[Kinetik V]

Well that was a perfectly good waste of a few minutes that would have been better spent playing Farmville or something.

[SODOMIZER]

There was a lot of condemnation and vilifing.
Some one sugessted nuke bombing us.
But not one of them said "We should pray for them."

Why would they do that? It's not a religious site. It's a paleoconservative deep ecologist/new right site.

I think their point is to critique a number of modern trends as they would appear from that worldview.

Notice they are also harsh on both mainstream and underground ("far") right.

It doesn't sound to me like you did anything but stop in briefly to confirm your own hatred and bias

[knowmad]

There was a lot of condemnation and vilifing.
Some one sugessted nuke bombing us.
But not one of them said "We should pray for them."

Why would they do that? It's not a religious site. It's a paleoconservative deep ecologist/new right site.

I think their point is to critique a number of modern trends as they would appear from that worldview.

Notice they are also harsh on both mainstream and underground ("far") right.

It doesn't sound to me like you did anything but stop in briefly to confirm your own hatred and bias

oh? you're right. that's what I was doing! Don't suppose Jesus would forgive me do you? I mean what I did was pretty bad. awww man! I feel horrid! I just lumped a valid, honorable religion with a group of folks that have a sense of place and of history, a sense of self derived from forebears, kin, and culture—an identity that is both collective and personal. Jesus is pro'ly crying uh?
Shit! I keep doing this. maybe its all the meth I've been smoking.I've been trying to stop but Satan really has a hold of me. do you maybe have the number of a church I could call? Maybe a real good Traditional one? maybe I should just rip up my ticket to Burning Man. that's when all the Self Hate began. jheeesh I feel just awful.
SODOMIZER, Do you believe in the power of prayer? Cause I'm gonna bend my knees in prayer and .... hey Wait! you'r not going to try to Bugger me in the ass while I do this?... oh there I go engaging my Bias when I should just trust God, and believe that his chosen ones might be disguised as a person named for a forbiden sexual act.
any way where was I? oh yeah trying to get my soul right with God.
Right after I shoot this last hit of smack, and get that 12year old boy that's in my trunk to stop crying.....

[Traditionalist]

intresting.
Some one sugessted nuke bombing us.
But not one of them said "We should pray for them."
you see folks, at it's core it's about hate.

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that comment was probably a joke!

Why are you guys getting hung up on the Christianity thing? Because he used the word resurrection ONCE?? You know the concept of resurrection pre-dates, and is not exclusive to, Xianity, right?

It doesn't offer "perspective"- it offers regurgitated babble the author read somewhere else. Not a single original idea, no uniqueness at all.

If you fly above the forest all you're going to see is the trees, and maybe a couple of birds. You're going to loose the variety and uniqueness (there's that word again) of the individuals that make it up, and that can only be seen by being amongst them.

If you want to believe this article has something to say, have at. If you think its a unique perspective you obviously haven't been to the Burn yourself.

Do you even understand what the word 'perspective' means? Above a forest and within a forest both offer perspectives, just different ones. But they're both perspectives. One's close up, the other is far away.

How do you know I haven't been to a Burn? How do you know the author of the article hasn't been to the Burn? Is it so crazy to think that someone could go to Burning Man and then be critical of it or make fun of it?

oh? you're right. that's what I was doing! Don't suppose Jesus would forgive me do you? I mean what I did was pretty bad. awww man! I feel horrid! I just lumped a valid, honorable religion with a group of folks that have a sense of place and of history, a sense of self derived from forebears, kin, and culture—an identity that is both collective and personal. Jesus is pro'ly crying uh?
Shit! I keep doing this. maybe its all the meth I've been smoking.I've been trying to stop but Satan really has a hold of me. do you maybe have the number of a church I could call? Maybe a real good Traditional one? maybe I should just rip up my ticket to Burning Man. that's when all the Self Hate began. jheeesh I feel just awful.
SODOMIZER, Do you believe in the power of prayer? Cause I'm gonna bend my knees in prayer and .... hey Wait! you'r not going to try to Bugger me in the ass while I do this?... oh there I go engaging my Bias when I should just trust God, and believe that his chosen ones might be disguised as a person named for a forbiden sexual act.
any way where was I? oh yeah trying to get my soul right with God.
Right after I shoot this last hit of smack, and get that 12year old boy that's in my trunk to stop crying.....

666 baby!

[theCryptofishist]

Do you even understand what the word 'perspective' means?

Snort!

[SODOMIZER]

I'm sorry, have we seen any legitimate/intelligent critiques of the article yet?

We can do better!

[Eric]

I'm sorry, have we seen any legitimate/intelligent critiques of the article yet?

I don't recall seeing yours- perhaps you'd care to lead the way?

[BBadger]

I'm guessing that Traditionalist is some shill trying to earn attention for his article. The article is devoid of value, not because of its subject, but because of its intent and purpose. Nothing is more boring and a waste of time than reading an article obviously made for its own choir. This goes for liberal and conservative rags, atheist and religious rants, global warming "truth" sites, or any other sites that ends up being a circle-jerk for itself and its readers. It's not edgy or controversial, just a waste of time. We've already dignified this degraded source of "journalism" well beyond what it deserves by even responding to it. So HO HUM, I'm going to read something else.

[Traditionalist]

Bahhhh! You guys are no fun at all. I thought you burners were footloose and fancy-free! Have a laugh why don't ya?

[DustHand]

Here is an objective article.

Note the difference?
http://www.fastcompany.com/1775687/leadership-lessons-from-burning-man

[Gunslinger]

I'm guessing that Traditionalist is some shill trying to earn attention for his article. The article is devoid of value, not because of its subject, but because of its intent and purpose. Nothing is more boring and a waste of time than reading an article obviously made for its own choir. This goes for liberal and conservative rags, atheist and religious rants, global warming "truth" sites, or any other sites that ends up being a circle-jerk for itself and its readers. It's not edgy or controversial, just a waste of time. We've already dignified this degraded source of "journalism" well beyond what it deserves by even responding to it. So HO HUM, I'm going to read something else.

Well said.

[Traditionalist]

Here is an objective article.

Note the difference?
http://www.fastcompany.com/1775687/leadership-lessons-from-burning-man

I don't see how the Amerika article is any less "objective" than that article. The author of the Amerika critique hardly offers an opinion at all. He just asks bold questions and notices weird contradictions. And who wants "objective" anyway? If you want objectivity read the wikipedia entry. I thought all you guys were about radical self-expression?

But actually, there were some things I liked in the Fast Company article. "You can't order creativity. You can only create the conditions for it to blossom." That's very true. I also like how it is explained that BM offers people autonomy, mastery and purpose. But here is the rub. If offers only a week long SIMULATION of those things. Burning Man is not really real, is it?

There are real problems in the world and you guys are out in the desert entertaining yourselves and "finding yourselves." How much time and creativity is put in to Burning Man? For what? To "find yourself?" To show off your art pieces? To simulate some sort of utopia for a week?

And seriously, how can Burning Man claim to be about radical self-reliance when it is completely RELIANT on the the Federal Government, the State of Nevada and law enforcement among others? You know who was self-reliant? Henry David Thoreau, Cody Lundin.

Alright guys, have fun at Burning Man and be safe. Don't get raped by the SODOMIZER! See ya in the funny pages!

[HookahGod]

Burning Man is not really real, is it?

There are real problems in the world and you guys are out in the desert entertaining yourselves and "finding yourselves." How much time and creativity is put in to Burning Man? For what? To "find yourself?" To show off your art pieces? To simulate some sort of utopia for a week?

And seriously, how can Burning Man claim to be about radical self-reliance when it is completely RELIANT on the the Federal Government, the State of Nevada and law enforcement among others? You know who was self-reliant? Henry David Thoreau, Cody Lundin.

Alright guys, have fun at Burning Man and be safe. Don't get raped by the SODOMIZER! See ya in the funny pages!

I'll Bite -
American Society is full of those that wish to change the world - to build aquaducts, bridges, roads, power plants and towns, to create art for the masses to enjoy on their way to work, and perform for those on their way home to relax away the stress. But it's not allowed. Be it legalities, property rights, noise complaints, true organization is required to change the real world.
The best there can be for the individual is the chance for temporary creation - even for a week - to help the lives of the one community that welcomes he who brings change! Yes, it all goes away in a week, for that is all the BMorg allows or exists for.
But what was that I heard? Is there a project that seeks to welcome these creationists all year round? To better society not for 1/52nd of a year, but every day? Traditionalist, I think your mockery may have been answered.
http://blog.burningman.com/2011/08/news ... n-project/