Theres an elitist thread that runs through some discussions of Burning Man that I absolutely despise. The original post here isnt a strong example of that (though its in there), but a lot of comments are. Someone suggested that given Burning Mans exposure here, we ought to start requiring references before people are allowed to buy a ticket, or require them to attend a number of regional events first (so that we can avoid tourists). The poster said just like the Rangers do. I wrote a reply: You don’t need either references or a regional resume to Ranger (nor should you). All you need is some experience with the event (so you know what to expect) and a desire to help the community. There’s something of a vetting process (training, both off-playa and on-playa) to make sure you’re serious and responsible, but that’s about it. Anyone is welcome to Ranger. Radical inclusion. I understand your concern–and the concerns expressed by the OP–about virgins not understanding the principles, coming as tourists, &c.–but I don’t think the answer is requiring endorsement from an existing Burner, nor do I think that we should require attendance at regional events. There are two big reasons for that. First, attending regional burns is not always an option for everyone. Whether you live in an area that isn’t home to a near-by regional, spend all your annual vacation on Burning Man itself, can’t afford a second extended camping trip every year, or simply aren’t _interested_ in attending smaller off-playa events, many people who would love Burning Man and make great community members would be excluded by that kind of requirement. I’ve been attending Burning Man for 10 years, I’m a Ranger, and I’ve never been to a regional burn. That’s something I’d like to change, but right now it’s just not an option (for a combination of the reasons I listed above). Second, I think turning Burning Man into an (even more) exclusive “country club” kind of group goes strongly against many of the 10 Principles. We want to be inclusive. We want to be participatory. We want to welcome anyone and everyone who wants to be a part of the community with open, dusty arms. We were all Virgins once, and many of us attended Burning Man for the first time on a whim. Many of us were surprised by what we found. BRC is never what you expect, no matter how many times you attend–that’s part of what makes it so wonderful. A lot of people will undoubtedly attend the event based on The Simpsons’ portrayal of it. Some of them will be pleasantly surprised at what they find; others won’t be. Some will come back; others won’t. Some will be immediate participants; others will need some coaxing and help. All of these are OK. Decreasing the numbers of tourists isn’t about weeding people out before the get through the gate. It’s about giving people who might otherwise be tourists more opportunities to be participants, and helping them find a place in our community. It’s about sharing the experience with them, showing them what Burning Man means to us, and encouraging them to help craft the experience for both themselves and everyone else. I haven’t seen The Simpsons episode yet, but I’m delighted that the mainstream default world is being exposed to Burning Man, even if it isn’t a perfect representation of BRC (what the hell would that even look like?). The more the merrier. burners.me/2014/11/16/blazed-and-confused-the-simpsons-aftermath/
Posted on: Mon, 17 Nov 2014 21:55:25 +0000
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