1000 Burner Protest: Project Jericho

[Fat SAM]

I'm looking for a thousand people who want to protest the corporate pavilion. I have two months to organize this relatively small number. 1/40 or 1/45 or so of the population of BRC. I'm looking for people who are opposed to the idea of the direct corporate infiltration of BRC and the invitation of those corporaters by the BMORG.

Once, every day of the event...this is so simple and such a small time investment...I want 1000 people to get together and march around the pavilion once en masse. For six days. On the seventh day, I want every person to march around the pavilion and then stop, encircling it. When everyone is in place, airhorns are blown in unison until the cans completely empty and then one collective shout. Afterwards, a march will be made on First Camp and statements or poems or missives or whatever anyone would like will be read through bullhorns to whoever might be lurking there until everyone who would like to has said their peace.

That's it. That's my protest idea. An hour a day. And then something longer on day seven. I think it's a worthwhile investment and one I hope that people who are like minded will be willing to make.

All I need are a thousand like minded people....Burning Man is composed of the most networked people in the world, right? If you're interested, tell your friends. Get together.

I'm going to make a myspace page for it tonight, because I don't know how to make a regular website. Help is appreciated from anyone interested.

This is not a theme camp. If noone volunteers with me, I will do it alone. One thousand is my goal. More, however, are welcome.

[Dork]

I'm in. Be sure to put it in the who/what/when/where. I don't know if you'd be able to reach enough people just via message boards and word of mouth.

[Fat SAM]

Is there time to do that? I happen to really like that idea. It's an event and I want people to know about it. I've never really thought about putting something in there. Kooky.
I wonder if it'll get past the editor.

edit:
It's so easy! Who knew?

[MikeVDS]

If I see it and feel the pavilion is pure evil, I'll join in, but i won't commit until I see it. Gigsville is having the same discussion on our internal lists.

[Token]

I'm there for sure. Post it to the events calendar now.

http://playacal.burningman.com/day.php

I think they just pull out data from here for the printed calendar at some date in July or some such.

Either way, make it interesting like "Pavilion Protest and Striptease competition with pole dancing". Or "Megaphone Insult and Profanity Contest at the Pavilion".

[LeChatNoir]

I vote for "Megaphone Insult and Profanity Contest at the Pavilion", 'cause I just like the way it sounds.

[Das Bus]

This sounds like fun - and I just ordered 2 megaphones last week! MUWHAHAHAHA

Personally I think we should do this whether we like what we see or not. It's performance art and shows the world that WE have a voice, and what WE say matters.

[LeChatNoir]

Exactly...

Gotta have checks and balances... even on yourself.

[Fat SAM]

It's posted to the WWWW...I posted it pretty closely to the description I gave above. I made the myspace page last night but I'm' going to polish it today. If you're interested, you can add yourself as a friend on that page, but I guess it's not necessary for folks from eplaya...you're all pretty easy to track down and communicate with. If you do want to, though, it shows presence and might help others. The url is myspace.com/project_jericho

[capjbadger]

Great idea Sam. I have to admit I'm of the same mind as Mike on this one. I'm going to try to keep an open mind until I see it. I'm getting there early, so I should have time to make up my mind before the protests start happening.

This sounds like fun - and I just ordered 2 megaphones last week! MUWHAHAHAHA

Personally I think we should do this whether we like what we see or not. It's performance art and shows the world that WE have a voice, and what WE say matters.

Where did yu get the megaphones? I've been looking for good priced ones that are not cheap ass toy ones for a while now.

Badger

[Abductor]

When I first saw this thread, I was nauseated at the thought of Cingular and Miller Beer in a place that would seduce all with free air conditioning and free catering. But then I googled it and found at http://money.cnn.com/magazines/business ... 100117064/

"Clean-tech companies can exhibit their technologies, but their products can't display a logo. No marketing material will be allowed. Company reps can't even demonstrate their wares in the pavilion; they have to turn them over to Burning Man, which will demonstrate the technologies in whatever artistic form it chooses."

It seems to me that Harvey and the environmental director are trying to give a big boost to green technologies. Is a protest still warranted in that light? I'm not taking their side, I'm genuinely interested in your response.

[capjbadger]

Hey Abductor, lets read a bit more shall we?

Given these restrictions, why would a company want to come? For one thing, there's evidence that simply bringing your product to Burning Man and letting it speak for itself can pay rich rewards. Goodell cites the example of Current TV, the San Francisco video content company that came to the event in 2006 and did a show every day but didn't display its brand.

Then there's Matt Cheney, CEO of MMA Renewable Ventures, which funds clean technologies around the globe and offered to provide Black Rock City with enough solar cells - 270 kilowatts' worth - to light the Man and power the pavilion. After the event, those solar panels will be installed at no cost - remember that free Burning Man labor? - in the nearby town of Gerlach.

Cheney will be getting very generous rebates from the state of Nevada. Not enough to cover the $1.5 million tab, he says, but the good publicity will more than make up the difference. "There's a tremendous alignment here," Cheney says. Enough, he adds, to do it again in future years.

From their own article, they make it very clear that branding or no, this is advertising on the playa and it pays very well to do so.

So how do you like your hard work being exploited?

Badger

[Abductor]

That is a good point. Is that the sole reason? Those cells are helping to power the event. Is that different from an artist getting a grant, and writing off expenses?

[capjbadger]

That is a good point. Is that the sole reason? Those cells are helping to power the event. Is that different from an artist getting a grant, and writing off expenses?

I'm afraid I don't understand what you are saying. Is that the sole reason what?
Yes, the cells will help power the event. Nice. Are you familiar with the saying "The end does not justify the means" ?
No advertising here means just that. No damn advertising. The org is using your free labor to sell the BM "client base" as a ready packaged market for corporations to advertise to.

Badger

[Token]

The org is using your free labor to sell the BM "client base" as a ready packaged market for corporations to advertise to.

Badger

So if MG didn't open her big mouth and call us out as the "buying power behind the brand" and a "value proposition" would you give a rats ass about the pavilion?

[Bob]

Protesting somebody else's art is retarded.

[Abductor]

I'm honestly just trying to decide if I would agree and want to protest with this group. I hope it's not a hijack of the thread.

[Fat SAM]

So if MG didn't open her big mouth and call us out as the "buying power behind the brand" and a "value proposition" would you give a rats ass about the pavilion?

It's not thread hijack at all.

I'd be less pissed, probably, because it wouldn't be so clearly evident how the BMORG or at least its head feels about the people who support them. We are assets used to encourage the influx of corporate advertising and have been described as such. I don't like being objectified.

A lot of people who go to Burning Man embrace the non-commercial aspect that's represented (on-playa, for those who wish to make the old 'you have to buy stuff to get there' arguement. Also, I've never bought ice or coffee there and didn't have any ice-cream last year, thank you). That duplicity really rankles me, yeah. Green power's great. Clean tech's great. I'm not protesting green power or clean tech, and I think that's part of the motive for inviting green power and clean tech companies. Who'd protest them? The Earth is my habitat and I like it here and I try to do my part. I think, however, that given the particular ethos of Burning Man concerning marketing and consumerism, coming out and calling the people who make the event happen every year assets is pretty obviously hypocritical.

If it were an art display or if the people displaying the technology paid to come out like most of the rest of us and just shared their stuff, yeah, I'd probably feel better about it. But this isn't sharing. This isn't based on the altruistic sunshine that Melo and her cohort are trying to blow up our asses. This is advertising at Burning Man coupled with acknowledgement and encouragement by the LLC. So yeah, I'm protesting.

Hey there, Bob. If it's art, I guess I'm a retard.

[Bob]

And if the art you're protesting is retarded, what does that make you?

[Fat SAM]

That's not what this thread's about, Bob. I'll make a thread just for your inquiry. You can find it in "Open Discussion".

[Bob]

So would the parameters of this discussion include suggestions as to the nature of your protest, or do you presume to retain sole proprietorship over the artistic direction of that as well?

[Das Bus]

Great idea Sam. I have to admit I'm of the same mind as Mike on this one. I'm going to try to keep an open mind until I see it. I'm getting there early, so I should have time to make up my mind before the protests start happening.

This sounds like fun - and I just ordered 2 megaphones last week! MUWHAHAHAHA

Personally I think we should do this whether we like what we see or not. It's performance art and shows the world that WE have a voice, and what WE say matters.

Where did yu get the megaphones? I've been looking for good priced ones that are not cheap ass toy ones for a while now.

Badger

I ordered them from http://www,dealextreme.com I found the info off the AZ list. Some people have bought the battery operated key chain lights from them and have been very happy with them, so I'm throwinf caution to the wind, as these megaphones are about $10 each with free shipping.

It's pretty cool to post a link to some company's stuff when this is a thread about protesting corporations at BM! LOL
; )

[Rocket75377]

Hmm. I'm in. W/W/W/W to follow?

[actiongrl]

Hah, I love it, an AD in the protest thread.

If it were an art display or if the people displaying the technology paid to come out like most of the rest of us and just shared their stuff, yeah, I'd probably feel better about it. But this isn't sharing.

Um, actually that's exactly the case. This stuff will be aesthetically, creatively displayed, sometimes either made into art or used to power art, and these folks are coming out at their own expense.

[Fat SAM]

It's not sharing. It's advertising on the Playa to a demographics person's dream. I'm not protesting advertising on the E-playa. Nor am I protesting advertising or purchasing in the real world. And I'm not protesting people spending money to get to the playa. That would be senseless.

It's not sharing, ActionGirl,, and it's not altruism. If it was strictly in the spirit of helping the world be a better place, it wouldn't be about turning a buck. And they're not doing it at their own expense. They're connected to city power and their tickets are free.

If you don't like it, don't be a part of it.

[Ugly Dougly]

All I need are a thousand like minded people.....

Don't we all? I got some yardwork I need done for instance...

[Fat SAM]

Word. You should charge them $250 to come help and then advertise a new, more efficient lawnmower to them that runs on sunshine and farts. Sell them coffee and ice for the heat of the day. Then afterwards, burn some shit down in the yard and call it good.

[Bob]

So you don't consider it off-topic to rudely suggest what another artist does with her/his art project? How retarded is that?

It's not your art project. Shut the fuck up and don't interfere with other people's immediate experience!

[Token]

So you don't consider it off-topic to rudely suggest what another artist does with her/his art project? How retarded is that?

It's not your art project. Shut the fuck up and don't interfere with other people's immediate experience!

Fuck, if Marion didn't open her mouth to the press and declare 40000 of us as the "value proposition" and "the buying power behind the brand", sure I'd agree, but she did, and that makes me and 40000 other folks, including you Bob, the immediate experience for every artist in that pavilion.

That knife now cuts both ways.

[Bob]

The only retarded aspect of this whole scenario, besides the protest, is Larry having a tech fair at which you, the people who paid good money for the privilege, will be denied information (brands, sources, etc.) about the technology. What the fuck good is technology you can't readily adopt? How retarded is that?

But Marian's business aspirations should be no surprise. She runs a business, after all.