Social media seems to be laughing its ass off about this tragedy, is it because the folks at burning man are perceived as frivolous hippies or something? Everyone I’ve ever met who was a regular burning man attendee has been a solid human being with strong morals, personally and financially responsible, a career. Upstanding members of society for sure. I guess all some people know is the sensationalized drugs and sex. A person died. This is a tragedy for an event that brings positivity into the world. Kind of annoyed.
Burning Man ‘promotes’ anti-consumerism and communal effort, however attending requires significant financial resources and costs that can and do exclude (most) people, it’s living hyprocracy, and an excellent example of capitalism corrupting grass roots ideals. honestly is an absolute joke of a festival.
mrsemi@lemmy.world 1 year ago
deweydecibel@lemmy.world 1 year ago
It’s also because Burning Man, at least in the last decade or more, just turned into another affluent, rich white people and influencer event. Whatever it was to start, it’s effectively glamping now.
Sure, there are definitely some genuinely good people there, lower middle class, saved up and took their only vacation time they get all year to spend a few days there, and it sucks this happened to them.
But the majority of them? They spent a lot of money, money most people don’t have the luxury of getting to spend, on a pointless self-indulgent festival in the fucking desert, and this time it’s come back to bite them. My sympathy is extremely limited.
They’ll get out, dry off, and go back to their easy lives.
It’s kind of like the Fyre Festival. Those people got fucked over hard, but those people were also not the kind I particularly pitty.
donuts@kbin.social 1 year ago
I'm pretty sure it's been that way for at least 20 years...
The only people I've personally known to go to Burning Man was a rich kid in high school who went with his dad who was a marketing high-up at a very big tech company. Always came back talking about trying drugs and seeing some crazy shit, but then on Tuesday it's right back to full days of pointless meetings I guess. I've never been and I frankly don't ever care to, but that alone gave me the feeling that Burning Man is where tech suits go to play hippie for the weekend, and that always felt lame as fuck.
TwystedKynd@lemmy.world 1 year ago
I went a couple of times years ago when it was just starting to turn into what you describe. Had a great time, but it quickly priced me out. Now, it sounds like an influencer-laden hellscape. The addition of premium plug and play sites was nail in the coffin.
bionicjoey@lemmy.ca 1 year ago
Blame sensationalist media on this one, but it’s a misconception. Very few victims spent a lot of money on Fyre Festival. Most got tickets which were purported to be “all inclusive” for >$1500 USD. A handful of tickets sold for the $12K price which ended up in the headlines, but the standard price was a fraction of that. There’s a good summary of this discrepancy here: youtu.be/UBPg5ftCMv8
SuckMyWang@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Wouldn’t every event or festival be an exercise in waste and excess? May be e we should just stay at home forever and work
scytale@lemm.ee 1 year ago
I’ve heard smaller, local burns are better experiences now and are less wasteful. Just like most things, the original intent of an event gets lost when it becomes bigger and commercialized.
atempuser23@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Yes.
People always judge personal waste as something they don’t enjoy. It’s fun to hate on people who enjoy things.
I have never went but the people I know who go have been going so long that their kids are bringing their kids. It sounds like a great community event where most of the point is to meet the people who go there.
The desert is usually a good place to host a mass event since it is a flat large area. By definition rain is rare in a desert.
LapGoat@pawb.social 1 year ago
small local burns are more true to form in that endeavor. people clean up after themselves and are generally respectful.
some bad actors, but it’s a nice disconnect from technology.
I like to go and host a alternate dimension themed arcade with silly obscure games.
DLSchichtl@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Hilariously, this exact thing happened to Alchemy in Georgia in 2015. The year of Alchemud. Got us kicked out of the county for a bit. Had Alchemy in Wakanda one year, but far too many fire ants.
MrSpArkle@lemmy.ca 1 year ago
Ooh, what games? Where?
PrettyBlackDress@lemdit.com 1 year ago
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