Burning Man & The Wealthy Hobby Of Cosplaying Poverty
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- Опубліковано 9 лип 2024
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In this video, Chelsea dives into the dark world of Burning Man, and why it's not the anti-capitalist utopia Burners have long dreamed of it being.
Sources:
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www.rgj.com/story/life/arts/b...
www.saving.org/inflation/infl...
sfist.com/2022/01/25/burning-...
money.com/burning-man-how-muc...
sfist.com/2019/07/30/black-ro...
qz.com/1112285/burning-man-ce...
www.theguardian.com/culture/2...
burningman.org/about/10-princ...
www.sacbee.com/detour/article...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2...
www.nytimes.com/2014/08/21/fa...
www.salon.com/2015/08/27/why_...
www.sfgate.com/news/article/B...
jacobin.com/2015/08/burning-m...
djmag.com/news/burning-man-at...
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You could out how yucky it is calling these people Sherpas when Sherpas are minority ethnicity. Its not a job title.
Okay so the problem isn't that it turns into a capitalist hellscape the problem is some people come together make something beautiful some rich capitalists sees it and come steals it for themselves that's the problem they steal everything from poor people and the middle class so you can't escape it because the second the rich people see it they're going to want it for themselves
LOL, you have too much time on your hands, and too little common sense. Thanks for letting us know!
hey chelsea will you go to burning man with your husband if I pay for it
Is this a new series where Chelsea throws shade at rich a-holes? Because yes thank you I love it
I need that too
Yup. I'm in.
Yes please
She should start by throwing shade at herself.
@@ExiledStardust lol what?
"I never went camping. I grew up poor. I didn't need to practice being homeless." Dusty Slay
I went to BM a few times 20 years ago and it was a lot of fun. And it was starting to turn into a tech bro escape back then. I knew some old timers who would leave before the weekend burn because that's when all the partiers would arrive. When my friend told me it was the one place she felt like she could be her true self, I stopped wanting to go back. I didn't want to live my life fitting into capitalism and then pretend I was in Utopia for one week a year for thousands of dollars that could have been spent on traveling.
What a poignant comment!
I know a number of people who go out a week or two before the event starts to build the large scale plays art, that’s referred to as “Working Man” and much more like the event was a decade or more ago.
This comment resonates with me so much. I live on the other side of the world and never attended Burning Man, but seeing all the content online, and many of the people who attend, I got exactly the same feeling.. If you go there just to share your outrageous (but carefully planned) outfits on the 'gram, then yes, you are pretentious, not your true self.
"tech bro escape"? That is so funny! The two guys I knew who went to the European Burning man are actually techs!
@@MariasJournal__ Exactly. Paris Hilton was there.
Instead of Burning Man, we’ve started having a yearly “Brunching Man” - just dress up in ridiculous post-apocalyptic desert garb, eat pancakes and dance around to house music while getting sloshed on mimosas in a park. No need to travel to the middle of nowhere just to dig sand out of every crevice in your body.
Funny thing is all the passerby know exactly what we’re referencing since Burning Man is so thoroughly in the mainstream now 😂
As an non American who had heard of Burning Man but didn't understand what it was. I went from, that's cool I'd like to attend one day, to, I'm never going there, real quick.
Yeah you should just listen to someone who sits on a high horse and has never been 😂
Good. More tickets for us lmao
@@reporterin-ha942 absolutely. Would you forward an email address or is this thread the best place to reach you at?😁
@@jaylucas8352 Change of heart. Deleted my replies as they were childish and full of ego. Enjoy BM if you want. But I hate traffic, littering, and hypocrisy. If it upsets you that I don't want to go to a place because of those reasons that's a you problem. Have a good one ✌️
@@reporterin-ha942 I’m so upset I’m visibly shaking......now I actually need you to go next year I’ll even look into getting the hard to get tickets or travel discounts . The fact you don’t seem like you want to go is just driving me mental. Please , please come to the desert, I think you’ll like it.
I remember the University of Nevada Reno student paper about twenty years ago had an article--'light a $100 bill on fire while you stand naked in front of a sandblaster in your backyard" as an affordable equivalent lol
That’s missing one important aspect, you also need to move everything you need to live for a week into your backyard and set it all up in front of the sandblaster as well.
And I thought mosquitos in my region were rough. At least I could use bug spray when camping.
@@TeeganLee Lol
As a Californian who worked in liquor retail, there was never a shortage of asshat dudebros between Outside Lands and Burning Man snapping up all the PBR and Tecate, demanding a bulk discount, and arguing that we didn't keep 500 30-packs on hand for their needs. We got into the habit of very casually asking them what they needed it all for and if anything was mentioned about reselling beer or any other alcohol, they got thrown out.
There is plenty of alcohol that is given away for free at Burning Man, but none is sold or bartered for.
i take it as a sign when someone drinks PBR. 🤣
When I worked with a rather "radical" non-profit organization my boss was invited to the burning man to speak to (do traditional drugs for) venture capitalists in hopes of convincing them of dedicating some money to save the environment. He was trapped for 6 days in the desert with rich assholes and hid in a tent reading Dune and hating everyone.
Perfect story. Reading Dune bitter in your tent at Burning Man is a vibe.
@@wordupholmes I think he went through the first three books
So he went with unreasonable expectations and just gave up like a lil baby after a day?
What a joke...
@@suides4810 imagine not wanting to hang with tech bros
LOL
I’m part of burning man culture - I go to regional burns that are way smaller and, to my understanding, carry the same feel as the big burn had in the past. What I love about it is just getting together with my friends, seeing amazing big pieces of art, and being in a space that really revs up my creativity. And camping is fun too. That being said, I really have no real desire to go to the big burn. The regionals enough are a strain on finances in the usual way that going on a vacation would, but holy hell is Burning Man just a fucking nightmare to get to, and way too expensive. It’s kinda gross how rich people will just kinda drop in there on their planes when what I love about burns is that this is a festival built from the hands of everyone participating, not just an event put on and sponsored by Pepsi.
We live in one of the closest towns to burning man and burners absolutely thrash the area.
I'm sorry. I've never been. But I can imagine what it might be like to recover from that nonsense every. single. year.
it's really pent up squares who don't know how to let go in "default world." they are special people who need their own private little sanctuary to do it. if your life is such crap that you need THAT much crazy hedonism just to get by every year, then man, there's something wrong with this picture! and i say this with compassion. the real work to heal the self and find true happiness, it's tough work! and it doesn't "cost" an admission ticket! how can ppl be so naive.
I've never been to the 'Big Burn' which is Burning Man, but the smaller regional events are fantastic. Same principles, a lot less pretentiousness, hypocrisy, and great art and people. Alllll kinds of people, and something there for everyone. I feel when you get a festival with over 80K people... it's just inevitably going to be a reflection of society in myriad ways. Imo, burners aren't a monolith, but the tech moguls might be.
Only educated comment on this thread. Im frustrated with how closeminded and judgemental TFD has become..first crypto, now burning man. Both things she obvs knows little about. It's giving pedestrian midwest suburban mom and im not here for it
@@nottheone582 Burning Man isn't everyone's cup of tea and I think that's fine. I'm not surprised the big burn has caused lots of problems for the county it occurs in, and I think it's okay to be upset about it.. it's definitely disappointing to read about. It leads many regional burns to move far away from that type of behavior, thankfully. 80K+ festies have social bubbles just like the world does. The main thing that disappointed me about this video was the really judgemental tone about knowing people who got married at BM and considering it super embarrassing/ commenting on a couple's failed relationship? That's some catty shit right there haha. But you do you, Chelsea!
@@nottheone582 I know dozens of artists who've had their work stolen, and lost money doing what you grifters said. None of you give a single shit about art.
The only ones who did well were ones who were big enough to leech off their audiences.
And that's just NFTs
Yes I 100% agree that smaller regional Burns manage to preserve they 12 principals without any of this tech-bro, plug-and-play camp nonsense, or they waste. I've been involved with Dragon Burn in China and we would scour the dirt for cigarette butts before we left to truly Leave No Trace. I'd recommend people giving a regional burn a chance they have been incredible experiences for me
@@aoifebrowne2302 Right! I've been to several burns where we were picking up trash on the property that didn't even come from us lol. I'm a big fan of the regional burns and will probably always prefer burns that cap at like 2K max. I hear LoveBurn in Miami is awesome, though! Would be willing to try it, and if I travel to China I'll keep Dragon Burn in mind!
I have been to burning man twice in 2019 and 2022 and I can honestly say it has been one of the best experiences of my life. It has fundamentally changed the way I perceive notions of community and generosity. I went to a 300 dollar per person camp where we had to build our own showers and evaporation systems. The conditions in the desert were TERRIBLE but the experience is worth it. Everytime I have come back with a revived sprit of generosity and a renewed faith in humanity. I highly recommend the experience. Also I am a latino woman and nobody ever asked what my ethnicity was for any census.
I went in 2019 and 2022 also! Definitely one of the most profound experiences I've had.
She wasn't talking about ethnicity, but race. You can be white and Latino.
@@cafeycroquetas what are you talking about
They don't ask you for your demographic info for the survey. You have to fill out the form yourself. It's online. So you saying, "no one ever asked me" is not how it works 😂 the better response from you would have been "I didn't fill out the survey" 😂
In this online survey I was only asked my zip code and I live in central Paris, France so I was probably counted as a white person based on that.@@sjferguson
World is full of things that are „for everyone“ but only those who can afford it can attend and Burning Man is not different.
Theoretically, we all can dine in a Dior restaurant in Paris, sleep in a Hilton hotel, attend Plácido Domingo concert…but only those of us who can afford it are really invited. This is the world we live in.
Good point, Sophia! I've been in very upscale boutiques and restaurants and definitely felt they tolerated me (and loved my money), but they knew I could never be a regular.
I was in NY in early august 2018... Around the west/east village there was a pop up shop with burning man "costumes" that was so expensive. The creative people who made the artistic fits were obviously amazing talented but it was a big insight to the aesthetic of the festival and how rich some attendess must be
The replication of a system you are allegedly trying to transcend is giving me full Animal Farm chills.
As an adult former 90s teenage runaway and past festival goer, I wonder how many unattended 15 year olds are being interfered with in those exclusive trailer circles. I think there could definitely be a way deeper dive into this topic.
Do you mean piiidofilia… :(
💯 the extra cringy side of "free"...
During my first weeks working at a local food co-op in Oregon during college, we got a ton of people making their way to Burning Man. They were mostly trust-fund hippies: rocking their $300 Free People dresses, crystal jewelry, no shoes, and a level of entitlement that left me disappointed, but not surprised.
I feel so bad for the people who must have been part of the og burning man crowd. Especially today, it is easy enough to critique the premise, but I still believe that these islands of escapism are valuable and important. Be they festivals, volunteer-driven summer camps and fan conventions, or community music scenes. I find they allow us the space to question what parts of society are actually important to us and why, but on a more basic level I have to imagine that a bunch of the people who were there early on found themselves part of a community and a project that was inevitably co-opted and mutated, which must have been really painful.
I have never been, but some of my friends were going to Burning Man in the 90's and back then it was like all artists, musicians, bike messengers, etc. It sounded fun (other than the heat and dust which I am not a fan of). It definitely got warped into something very different.
I am friends with many people who attended Burning Man in the mid to late 00s and they all pretty much hate it now. They still go to regional burns though
feel bad about yourself. lots of og are still involved. running the third largest city in nevada for a week is super fun regardless of the idiots that visit us
that's crazy how much it has changed over all these decades! Not surprised tho
The "OG Burning man community" was still based in yt privilege, hubris, and gross wealth inequality. Nothing different from that and any other rich country club. No thanks.
Is it really a Tuesday without Chelsea ranting about a topic I never thought about?
and that we didn't know we needed?
".... One of 'em has already separated."
Hysterically smashes Like button.
I cringed at the potential karma when she made the snarky statement.
I remember hearing about Burning Man when I was in my late teens thinking it sounded like the most fun thing in the world.
I'm now 30 and you couldn't pay me to go.
You could do worse. Try going to a Nickelback concert.
Same, but I think it may have been awesome back then. You know, when it was new, less expensive and the tech bros hadn't heard about it yet...?
I’m so sorry 😢 for you
@@Masami_Salami going to Nickelback woukd be way less cringe
Yeah, 20 year old me would think that would be a cool “experience” 30 year old me would be deeply embarrassed to admit I did something like this, but it isn’t like either of us could afford itv
Pushing an $80 a month subscription for clothing we definitely don’t need more of?
If someone is already spending $100+ a month on actually buying new clothes and contributing to global waste, then this is a saving and better for the environment. Also, allows people to figure out what they like without filling up their closet.
It’s not something that I would value personally but there are definitely those who would 👗💕
@@ThePepsiMinimum do people really buy new clothes every month?
Go to the thrift store!
@@katella girl, yes lol.
@@katella Absolutely yes. Shopping gives the similar dopamine hits to gambling but with an added bonus of a physical item to show for it. And $100 per month isn’t even /that/ much when you consider how easy it is to spend hundreds in a few hours if you wanted to.
I only went to Burningman once back in 2001 when it was still possible to sneak in the back and go with a few hundred buck of supplies. I hated it but I can’t totally condemn the event because I know A LOT of people that can only get funding for their art if they take it to Burningman or can only make ends meet if they market their hand sewn clothing as Burningman costumes.
Those people can still make money from their art now that it cost so much more to attend the festival?
@@Melissa0774 the org distributes millions in grant funding. A huge portion of their budget goes directly to artists.
@@Melissa0774 there are plenty of grants. My camp received a grant to build a beautiful piece on the playa
YES. I’m from Utah and the way people treat the desert is infuriating.
Burning man can be all about community resilience, building together, and exploring values outside of the context of daily life. For many of us it’s an important place for growth and reflection. It’s a city of 80,000 people- there are many experiences possible! While it’s not without environmental and cultural issues worth interrogating, it can also be deeper and more meaningful than the sensationalism portrayed in the media.
Well said!
In 2003 I was at Burning man.
A group of friends that where artist invited me. Back then it only cost around 150 and for me that was a lot of money, but I was young and all my friends where going.
It’s obviously very different that was it was, but that’s very much of how everything has change everywhere.
Traveling has changed too, specially to small beach towns in Central America or Asia.
For example Tulum has changed so much from what it was.
I’m Mexican and our country has changes so much, specially the touristic places.
I have so much love for Tulum. I never stayed at a resort there, I stayed in a house and an eco-retreat and I went twice in the early 2000s. I've seen images of it more recently and it was barely recognizable compared to how I remembered it. I also traveled to Palenque at that time and enjoyed the country side, and the pyramids still being uncovered by archaeologists outside of the main tourist destination areas.
Gvv
All the burners I know personally work, like, server jobs and live mostly on tips....
I’ve been a few times, the trash that is amounted there haunts me. I feel like the company just needs to deal with the trash situation, this is why we have infrastructure for cities and burning man is a city. It’s just become too big and monstrous and money is making it toxic. The people that go to the burn make it what it is which is probably why it’s becoming what it is. Thanks for touching on this topic!
There are volunteers who clean up the event afterwards.
@@AnitaB79 That doesn't mean the absolute waste never happened. Thousands of bikes that were ridden for 9 days, many of which were trashed so they couldn't even be donated, as an example.
@@tarody3953 Those bikes are taken care of as well. It may take months and multiple avenues depending on the condition of the bike, but they are not on playa and they are not being ignore. I agree, though, fuck the people who leave entire camps worth of stuff behind....or like, a whole airplane.... #neverforget747
I had a teacher who talked about burning man, white, middle aged, upper middle class background, thought shakespeare was god's gift to literature. Most students in my school, including myself, were working class Native kids, and he didn't understand at all. One time he tried to reward me with cash for the coffee stand when i was one of the only kids who got the homework done and it left a bad taste in my mouth. Like dude, they were probably having to cook for their siblings or cousins or rationing electricity so they could afford heating fuel or picking up shifts at their job. Just because i didn't have those going on didn't make me better
Come to think of it we also had a white upper middle class teacher who had us study a unit about the current state of human trafficking so we could see how "good" we had it because a bunch of us were failing the class. Not sure what her deal was. I figure if you signed up to teach kids that came with the understanding that you were giving them opportunities for better futures, and better futures would hint at sub-par presents
That's horrific. I'm sorry that you and your classmates were treated that way.
Bougie Man would have been truth in advertising.
Yes! One of my siblings quit her job because they wouldn't allow her the 9 consecutive days off for Burning Man. Plus there are local Burner events in many states, with fraction of the cost and without the sand storms and cast system.
Good for your sibling. Why would you advocate for corporate slavery lol
9 consecutive days off seems very reasonable. That is normal holiday. So good for your sibling that they quit.
In terms of the cost, yes, you will spend $1000+ for tickets, food, and supplies, but once you are there, you typically don’t spend a dime (except maybe got ice and coffee). The cost is in line with many other week-long vacations you may take.
Who in hell spends 1000 dollars for 1 weeks holiday 😂
A full week long stay at a average hotel or even Airbnb can be close to or a little over $1000 (at least in the U.S.) and that's just lodging, don't get me started on average airfares domestically or internationally. Travel in general is just more expensive.
@ Cats Cats many Americans only get 1-2 weeks of vacation time a year. $1000 for the week sounds about right- we’ve stayed in resorts, or split the week between camping and a hotel and that’s about the number for lodging alone.
Well, all I can say is I feel bad for Americans. A full week’s holiday in Europe can be done ultra budget for a couple of hundred euros.
oh, so it's like an all-inclusive resort LOL?
I’m an artist who grew up “poor white trash” but was able to slip into Burning Man to help build. I laugh at how much Ego worship there is and trash left behind.
But the artist and child in me was amazed at what is created.
The Man is just that, a symbol of White Privilege. Rich or middle class white people go out and celebrate their privilege. Hopefully as they Burn down the massive “the man”, they also burn their ego a bit & return to the world a bit more conscious and grateful…
But humans don’t really work like that soooo
If only it could evolve into "Self-immolation Fest"... I would pay top dollar to watch billionaires dousing themselves in gasoline, and then lighting themselves on fire in the name of he who "reaps what he sews" and through "hard work and dedication", for it is "HE... the man with the most bacon who prevails and is immortal"
You then see these billionaires on the ground doing the "STOP!!! DROP!!! AND ROLL!!!" boogie in a state of regret faster than you can say "was it worth all that?" now THAT is what I call entertainment
@@chuckshartz2722 George Carlin, is that you? lol
@@quantum_shhhhart I know things you never SEE!!!! Like someone taking a SHIT... while running at full SPEED!!!
Burning planet
@@quantum_shhhhart you must have missed my "taking a shit while running at full speed" response... that's George Carlin, and if you watch CKY 2, they play that clip of George Carlin doing that act... you then see Chris Rabb wearing only a jock strap, a pair of white sneakers, a white cloth 80s aerobics style headband, and mirrored aviator glasses...
Rabb himself then takes off jogging, then suddenly... you see a volcanic eruption of the brownest runniest diarrhea EXPLODE from his ass, much of it staining his nice white jock strap 😄😄😄 all of it captured to the sound of the song Rock Lobster by the B 52s being played... it's funny as FUCK
At the end, he claims to have taken 18 laxatives prior to doing that stunt.... but there is no fucking way he took that many!!! Because had he, or anyone else, did something that stupid... he would either be hunched over balled up like a fetus thinking he's shitting his guts out... or he would be DEAD. Laxatives are nothing to play around with
While I wouldn't mind attending a festival *somewhat like* BM's ideal, Burning Man itself strikes me as "Mad Max for trust-fund kids." Hard pass.
Lightning in a Bottle is really great
There are a lot of regional burns that have the same principles and are much smaller and more intimate, they’re great. Highly recommend
@@katherinec4360 I still found those insular and pretentious, but maybe it was the location.
Rainbow family gathering might be up your alley. I don’t THINK it’s changed too much since my buddy was going every year. For one thing, it’s free and money itself was “outlawed”. You’d have to look into it yourself(I know the National gathering is always in a National park) and there are also lots of regional gatherings that I understand can be hit or miss.
@@MrDirtydaves Nope, I'm not a festival/rainbow event kind of person anymore. Maybe when I was in my teens or twenties. That's more up my sister's ally.
I like how the Silicon Valley quip is very specifically about Erlich taking shrooms and having a vision quest in a gas station bathroom
I literally just sent that clip to a friend and had to triple check what video I was on just now...wild ✌️❤️😅
Oh, don't forget the Russfest!
I think it is just a matter of time till we see ginormous Elon Musk Burning Man hologram you can see from plane.
I really enjoy TFD and I stan Chelsea in general, but this criticism would carry more weight accompanied with an actual experience. As someone who hasn't been to Burning Man, Chelsea's general level-headedness would make for interesting commentary, and it would strengthen her positions.
Also, it might allow for more nuance, since I'm seeing from some of the other commenters that this does not represent their experiences at Burning Man. Overall, very interesting topic.
I have a friend who asked a several years ago whether I'd like to join her to go to Burning Man. Or rather her partner (at the time) had friends who were going to Burning Man. (Side note, they're both Asians, and my friend's ex-partner work in tech). It sounded exactly what Chelsea described in the video, a bunch of rich tech people glamping in an expensive trailer and taking drugs for a week. My friend didn't really want to go either, because she found her (former) partner's friends to be rich snobby people. I declined because I don't want to be stuck with such people for that long especially while they're taking drugs, don't remember if my friend ended up going either.
You realize the vast majority don’t fall within that stereotype right? This whole comment section is sadly misinformed. Judging an event none of you have ever been to
I used to be interested in burning man years ago before I heard all the truth about it- the cultural appropriation, the expense, the ecological impact, etc. But the the thing that no one's talking about is the self reliance. For a counter cultural event, it should be about community care. Self reliance is capitalism!! Don't be fooled!!
As a former local burner, this, 100%.
In America it is called communism.
@@jessherselfable the fuck you talking about? Former burner, and you’re advocating for someone to take care of you?
Wow, I never thought about that... Excellent point!
I know the tenent is radical self-reliance, but what I got from going this year for the first time was it's actually community reliance because you could literally show up there with nothing at all and you'd be okay.
Girl how did you just say "it's giving peasant" about your shirt in a video about cosplaying poverty 😂😂😂
peasant top is a name for a type of shirt that’s renaissance-inspired style
I don't think peasant is an insulting word.... I think 'not royal' when I think peasant
@@julm7744 lmao
@@julm7744 And who is "peasant" offensive to? We are all peasants - I'm not from USA - compared to most in US, I fall in that category. Depending on where you are born, this could or could not offend you. For me, it doesn't.
@@julm7744 …I’ve never heard peasant used to refer to modern day people with less wealth. She was clearly referring to the style of top which is categorized as a peasant blouse. That’s the real, industry term. You’re weird.
My friend went to the 3rd Burning Man. It was under $100 a ticket then. She took a ton of water with her and got a ton of drugs as a trade. But then the owners of Burning Man started to fight over the rights and the original Burning Man community lost faith.
It’s the worst idea to me. People get their feet BURNED from the salt in the sand. It’s ridiculously hostile out there. And you can see the folks leaving Burning Man by the vans covered in dust leaving Nevada.
Burning Man started as a bunch of friends gathering on a beach basically participating in performance art. It grew to be a place where money is no good and self expression, generosity and environmental stewardship were core values.
Now it's grown to also have walled off encampments of the super rich jerking each other off.
You can still find some of the original ethos there. You're maybe more likely to find it in the many smaller regional burns that happen all over the planet, farther away from Silicon Valley.
It really is a magical experience to spend a week in a place where you don't need a wallet and everybody is supposedly on a mission of generosity and self expression. I hope we don't just let the wealthy ruin that too.
It's weird to hear a commentator I deeply respect be so dismissive of the event I re-arrange my life to attend because there is absolutely nothing like it.
I am very aware of the issues and people she describe, but it's simply not the experience of most attendants.
Rich assholes ruin everything in the end. But I don't know them. I only knitter my friends.
Exactly, I'm in the same boat
Especially since she hasn't actually attended the event. She seems to be basing her opinion solely off of the fact that she thinks her "friends" who attend are assholes.
Shhhh
Just watched an interview where paris hilton said she loves the burning man 😂
omg please share that 😂😂😂
@@hypatiakovalevskayasklodow9195 here is the link. The question is around 2:09 mark
m.ua-cam.com/video/X9qFAZl2xmA/v-deo.html
Liked and commented on the video before it even began because I'm already align with the premise. I lived in San Francisco from many years which has a massive Burner community. While I personally know many people who've expressed finding great value in the emphasis on community that Burning Man has during and outside of the event itself, the amount of overlap between the Burner & young tech/software engineer demographic never sat well with me. Tech (at least in the Bay Area) is a Peter Pan syndrome factory - churning out a young workforce with WAY MORE disposable income than a sub-25 year old person should ever have when their brains haven't even fully developed, who have the means to manufacture a very insulated, homogenous world around them (i.e. predominantly white male) that is that is Tom Hanks 'Big' level child-like but with drugs and a high financial barrier of entry. It's what has created the hugely problematic tech bubble in the Bay Area with Burning Man being one of the most identifiable outward expressions of it.
You described that crowd so perfectly.
It all started when a guy freaked out after being dumped. Burning Man was a distraction from a broken heart. Now it's existed long enough to become a monster.
see my comment just added to the main thread.
Rich people at Burning Man are the worst. I was hired onto a kitchen crew for a caterer who was himself hired by a camp of tech bros & they were the rudest, whiniest, most insufferable people on earth. They straight spoke to us like we were trash lol like it was almost unreal. I did this 3 years in a row because not only were we paid well by the caterer for our work, he also paid for our tickets & provided everything we’d need for the week. Him & the kitchen staff are the only thing that made the experience enjoyable lol.
And for anyone getting ready to type out that comment, yes I’m aware that Burning Man operates on a bartering system BUT camps get around that by accepting money prior to the event in exchange for meal tokens which is what you give us to show proof of purchase.
BM does NOT operate on a bartering system, and the org has taken serious steps to curtail the plug and play camps which real burners hate with a passion.
@@allblooz thank you. This comment section is so wildly misinformed lmao I’m cringing
It's not bartering it's a gift economy
There's got to be a doctoral thesis in sociology or anthropology that uses Burning Man as a case study of how systems of power and disparity co-opt stuff like this and just end up reproducing the systems in miniature.
After this video, I'm searching for the South Park clip of Cartman and Cthulhu destroying Burning Man. Nouveau Rich is nothing to an Old God.
As a burner, this one kinda rubbed me the wrong way. I went to Burning Man in 2019 and this year, and plan to continue going, both times on a salary of less than $40k. Burning Man is not cheap, but if it's something you want to be a part of, you can work hard to budget for it. BM also has applications for "low income" tickets, which still cost a few hundred dollars, but it's something. BM is not any more privileged than any other big festival. And the idea that BM is just about partying and drugs is such a negative stereotype. BM is all about getting involved, volunteering, and being part of the community. Those who come with nothing to contribute to the city are derogatorily called "sparkle ponies." BM is about work hard, play hard. As for racial diversity, it is a problem that BM is actively working make better. Look into the R.I.D.E. initiative. Cultural appropriation - yes it will always be a problem but the vast majority of Burners are aware of it and work against it. The camps charging 10s of thousands of dollars in camp dues - known in the BM community as "plug and play camps" are very much looked down upon by the community and the BM org works hard to make sure these camps do not get placement because it goes against radical inclusion. I have had some of the best and most profound moments at Burning Man, made incredible friends and connections, and learned what true radical self reliance is. BM is definitely not for everyone, and obviously the more money you have the easier it is to go, but don't knock it until you fully understand what the Burning Man community is about.
Glad somone said something. I usually love TFD content, but this video is painfully condescending and grossly under researched. Sad to hear someone I respected choose to only zero in on issues that the vast manjority of people at burning man try to combat, including the ORG.
As a festival goer with no desire to attend burning man, it also came across as a bit condescending. I do agree with 99% of what was said otherwise. Especially in regard to wealthy individuals using it as a playground, the cost being potentially prohibitive to BIPOC and anyone else who earns less, and the carbon footprint it leaves. An issue this also brings to question is how harmful the production of certain drugs are, and how attending festivals will always be harmful to the environment. Still, I enjoyed the content, so thank you!
Thank you! I'm so sick of people who "know a few burners" parroting the same negative stereotypes as if that is even the majority experience. People doing this has had such a negative affect on the community. It's like everyone is so sick of getting shit on about tech bros and sparkle ponies that we have been going after each other in an attempt to weed them out. I hear too many stories from fellow builders about being heckled and treated like a sparkle pony for being "too clean". My husband looks like he could be a tech bro and has been treated like an unwelcome nuisance until he proves otherwise.
thanks for this, well said! I never been but I appreciate the burning man principles. as a fan of TFD and a person who loves camping gatherings, you read my mind
I think all these " burners" take the whole thing a little too seriously. The desert shouldn't cost that much money, the CEO of BM is an asshole to the employees and the place is a shithole. The art is cool though.
Whatever opinion anyone has about Grimes' communist photoshoot in $6K+ worth of head-to-toe Demobaza, I've seen a half dozen alt and fast fashion brands really push that bedraggled Mad Max aesthetic... but in petroleum PVC and polyester which seems even more ghoulish somehow.
How do you know hers wasn't PVC petro?
@@MinkytheMinkY Demobaza's a luxe brand that has some nylon in it, but it's mainly wool, cotton, alpaca, rubberized canvas, leather, etc, and the $$$ price tags reflect that.
I haven’t been to burning man, but I can say that electronic and house music scene is one of the most accepting and welcoming communities I have ever been a part of.
I was always skeptical of it and I understand why others are as well but I have found it recently in life and have been so surprised by the freedom, acceptance and community I have found. I see and understand the issues with burning man and agree they are major issues. I just wish this wasn’t spoken about in such a judgmental way. How can you talk about inclusivity while being so dismissive?
100% agree. The community arnd electronic music is life changing. The music itself is mind expanding. Substances used alongside both can also be transformative.
Burning Man is not a good reflection of these values (anymore). Its basically 80k ppl who look and act the same. Its kind of a cult. Ive been many times and its actually very disturbing. Burning Man does not equal electronic music.
"Free Pepper" just made me snort laugh
I live in one of the towns near Burning Man. Everything is crowded and they can be quite rude and entitled (I know not everyone but this is my experience). Most of us dread when Burning Man time comes around
Yes, I didn’t expect this. But would I listen to Chelsea talk about anything? Also yes
Same
I'm here because I generally do not get Burning Man and I know multiple people who go each year, but they also love drugs so I really think that's the point and almost all of them have been upper middle class so everything she's saying makes sense. Luckily I haven't met anyone who's been married at it.
Agree 🤌
Absolutely 💯
@@kgal1298 do you enjoy being ignorant?
I’m glad someone is FINALLY talking about this! When I lived in San Diego, I saw this firsthand and when I piped up about it people just told me to stop being a “downer”. 🙄
As someone who has gone to BM - honestly you are spot on.
The man might be giving us a *yikes* but he knows who his customers are (and also knows what they are willing to pay for.
I had never really felt the drive to go to Coachella or Burning Man despite the fact that both my parents are 1960’s babies who self identify as Dead Heads. I went to Bonaroo with them once and that was enough. I only want to go to concerts that are one day events, as it’s too exhausting to camp at something like this. I’m much more likely to shell out for comic con or PAX east if I had that kind of disposable income. To be fair, my fiancé and I are definitely under the American income average, so maybe that’s why it has such a low appeal
I used to really enjoy watching all of the TFD content, but now, if I see that Chelsea is the host, I skip it.
As an avid, and lifelong member of the cosplay/renn/LARP/fantasy community, it's not welcoming to hear
"I know multiple couples who've been married at Burning Man it's the worst fact about me I don't like it any more than you do it constantly makes me question every choice I've made in this life"
It's grossly offensive that she is throwing shame at just *knowing* folks who have been married at Burning Man.
Chelsea throws quiet a bit of privilege at others, and it is extremely off putting and certainly doesn't make me want to support the rest of TFD that I really like (most of the animated content) if it also support her.
Please do comic-on or any other geek oriented convention, is so amazing how this are just cash grabs, we won't let you leave with a cent events masked as dream come true experiences
I am introverted. A gathering this size I’d hide in my car the whole time. I can’t stand a big crowd. Even the thought of it drains my energy.
"Everyone is expected to participate." That has been less so year after year, which is the problem oldies have with it. My second year, I painted a section of the mural wall around center camp. The following year, all the sections were reserved for artists being paid (or paying?) to put art there.
I'm waiting for Burning Man crypto and NFTs tbh
Decommodification is a main principle of BM, so no, that will never happen fortunately
@@biconsciousb3621 How about monetizing the decommodification? I see a market opportunity here!
Kinda sad how I know one of the few non white couples who attend burning man every year, my friends are an interracial couple who love it. If burning man were smart they would ban elite attendees from throwing their money around and ruining the event for everyone. They can go but they'd have to rough it like everyone else.
The problem with capitalism is its tendency to make everything $ focused. Not every human experience and form of cultural expression needs to be monetized and profited from. Also, I dont know if they still do this, but a few years ago burning man used to offer free tickets to "low income" guests ( those making an average salary) and financing options. If that doesn't tell you enough about the event, I don't know what will!
The fact that you actually call anyone else pretentious while actively being the absolute embodiment-is hilarious.
(cough) hipster glasses (cough)
Burning Man makes me pretty sad. I grew up around a lot of old hippies so I've known about Burning Man for a long time and have known a lot of people who used to go. It makes me so sad to see what's happened to it. I know, looking back, the hippy community wasn't the most diverse and did have some cultural appropriation problems. But... there were some good ideas there. Leave no trace was taken really seriously. The fact that its legacy is an annual ecological disaster for the amusement of the tech millionaires and billionaires is just heartbreaking to me.
I heartbroken over the_____$$$__ price. And the amount of TRASH
I used to work at a hostel, and we'd have so many of these people book a room for the weekend after BM. They would wash off all the grime, use our laundry and just trash our space so they wouldn't take that grime home with them. It's so freaking rude and I lathed that time of year every year.
Burning Man is a beautiful community and your experience there is what you make of it. Basically the same as in everyday life. The people I’ve met there throughout the years are some of the most unique and giving souls I’ve ever met, and do a lot for both the Burning Man community and for their own communities all over the world.
I am by no means wealthy, or even middle class. I make an effort to go for the beautiful people I meet, the incredible art, and a love for human ingenuity and the desert.
There are rich assholes all over society 🤷🏻♀️ people who leave trash in every corner of the world, environmental issues and inclusivity are issues everywhere as well. As a community, Burning Man actively speaks on and works to solve these issues year round. I’ve yet to find a more open and non judgmental place than I have at the burn.
That being said, I listened to your video because I was curious about what you might offer in terms of perspective.
I encourage both yourself and your viewers to do the same and try to more fully understand what Burning man is at its core. Not just the surface level, attention seeking posts on social media. All are welcome ☀️
I would love to go to Burning Man someday. The cost is expensive but I would compare it to a European backpacking trip for a month which I've know many people who have done that. The majority of people in the rave/EDM community are white and Asian at least in the midwest & Texas where I have lived the past 3 years. I would love to see more diversity. Just because it isn't diverse, doesn't mean it isn't welcome.
The great thing about Chelsea is she “made it” and now that she’s there she hasn’t forgotten her roots and is at the bat for those of us on out journey
hahaha, I love how my hometown paper was mentioned, lol, and as someone that grew up in NorCal (though currently and immigrant to France), I new sooooooo many people that went to Burning Man from an early age, I'm talking I knew 12 year olds that went, this was 1994, so, um, yeah, lol, the whole thing weirded me out, now I'm no Molly Mormon, I did my fair share of house and desert raves in the 90's, Burning Man and Burners themselves severely weirded me out, lol, though I was constantly around them, like they seemed like they were so enlightened but there was something in their personality that felt like they were gullible too
Do you get flashbacks hearing a song by Orbital?
Half of me is enamored at the idea
The other half, the idea of being surrounded by gentrification types 9 days in the desert with no showers sounds like someone came up with the perfect hell for me
#FreePepper!! 🐶
Animals are strictly forbidden at BM so either that guys snuck them in against the rules or the dog has not actually ever been.
@@biconsciousb3621 that was my first thought
I used to want to go to Burning Man so badly (I live on the east coast so it’s not as common as California people going) but now that I know more about it I didn’t really want to go. I saw a tiktok a white woman who went this year wearing a bindi (which would be cultural appropriation as well) and commented on her video that it was MOOP (Matter Out Of Place aka litter on the playa) and she rudely responded to me😂 like sure Jan, that piece of plastic attached to your forehead with light adhesive definitely stayed on during the dust storms
Bindis arent CA btw
@@astridrachel7762 yes they are.
Just like witches stopped existing when they stopped burning them, those who make this cultural appropriation nonsense up will stop believing it exists when they stop citing it.
I saw an Indian woman wearing trousers working at a Domino's here in London, that must mean that the balance in universe is restored? :-)
@@NHarts3 No, they aren't, because this cultural appropriation bollocks should be confined to twitter until it finally disappears forever :-)
@@astridrachel7762 - Said the person with a clearly causacian name, who has no business making that call.
finding out that rich people go and then have people serve them the whole time is bonkers. what's the point of going, then?
This was a fanTASTIC video. Great topic, totally left-field, very revealing.
We have the same kind of festival here near St.Petersburg Russia. But our costs little and the city is build with respect to the nature. It is much smaller of course. However we do have the same prblem with cultural appropriation.
Absolutely loved the title... that turn of a phrase "cosplaying poverty" was so spot on... and applies to other things besides "burning man" as well... fantastic.
Someone needed to say it.
Thank You Chelsea!
My favorite time in San Francisco is the week all burners leave for the desert. Feels like the city can breath and take a moment to relax. Traffic isn't as bad, you can get a table at your favorite restaurant or brunch place without much fuss and there seems to be fewer insufferable, entitled techies around. That's MY burn! What does it say about you as a group of people when a city is actually better and nicer when you're gone?
Unfortunately I can't argue with a single thing you've said. My first year at Burning Man (2013) - which was F*ckin' Awesome - I was immediately faced with some fancy pants upper middle class peeps an' "sparkle ponies". After the event, a veteran burner wrote an article on the website titled: "Burning Man - The Trust Fund Safari", an' I didn't even have to read the article t'know exactly what they were talking about. It's been an issue for the longest time, an' while many of us an' my friends who've attended were middle class with humble beginnings (who aren't always able to attend the Burn b'cause y'know they have bills to pay), a bit too many we'd say were just rich party goers looking t'get that instagram photo-op in the desert. The two years in a row I was able to afford t'go (2013, 2014), plug-n-play camps (camps that more so accommodate people who just wanna show up, drug up and sprint onto the playa) an' lazy sparkle ponies who can't rough it in the desert were becoming more and more prevalent. I think the biggest mistake Burning Man Org made was trying to accommodate those wealthy party goers. Pretty much everyone in my camp were noting an' even complaining how they've noticed with each passing year people were becoming more lazy with cleaning up after themselves, leave-no-trace, and bringing all the things they were told not to bring to the desert. Many of us also started reminiscing about our times in regional burns (smaller, less expensive, state local Burning Man sanctioned events). *sigh* "Nothing gold can stay."
Love Chelsea personality she’s such a great host! Learning about financial things feels like talking to a really smart friend with her very grateful
Virtue signaling, ego, and money are the three children of power. They ruin whatever they touch. This is not a problem exclusive to burning man.
We’re very inclusive of those who can get past the toll gate is an extremely common subtext.
The marriages of those couples at Burning Man is not about you. You have no reason to be ashamed or proud of it. They got married where and how they wanted to get married, and it is none of your business. Keep your ego out of it.
Love the topic
I go to burning man, I am lower middle class, old, and think it's pretty great. We hate the billionaires who screw it up and mostly ignore them to do our own thing. And we do clean up our camp and take everything back with us. I play in the classical orchestra there.
I went to burning man in 2020 and it was mostly full of these types. I vibe heavily with genuine burners. but burning man is in no way at all inclusive anymore. period. it’s sad.
@@ttangg55 Burning Man didn’t happen in 2020.
@@TeeganLee yeah, you're right, I haven't experienced an official burn. I should try that! but the long-time burners I met on the playa in 2020 expressed that they felt like it was a truest burn in a long time. and I had an amazing experience and I would recommend anyone to go to burning man at least once in their life. but the idea that burning man in *inclusive* is still incredibly laughable to me.
@@ttangg55 if you’re local-ish 4th of July weekend is a popular time to camp out there. It’s called “4th of Juplaya” but is not an organized event at all, just a bunch of folks all camping separately, but lots of them are burners and there’s a fair amount of burneryness.
The last burning man I went to was on a beach... that should tell you how long ago that was. Personally I was always suspicious of the leadership that formed when they wanted to move it to the desert. Lots of people were conned IMHO to get this venture going and enrich those that took what was a basic decentralized flash-mob-with camping thing. There was friends who go every year to set up, many taking vacation from much higher paying jobs and their only reward is attending and people treated like servants by the cabal that are paid.
I had no idea. Very not tempting. Thanks for this compelling video.
🎉😅 You Rock Chelsea. I don't have time to go into detail. None the less you rock❤
OMG, what an AMAZING topic to cover! I love what you’ve been posting about lately, like the disability and “welfare” discussions. Thank you! This is financial information for reality!
I'll never understand why anyone subject themselves to living like this in the hot ass desert with no adequate food, showers and restrooms for one day let alone for a whole entire week.
Right. One day ok, one week without a hot shower. Hell naw
I did not get the "cosplaying poor" part. How exactly do the rich people (or anyone) cosplay poor at Burning Man?
What we have here is someone making a snarky video about something she knows nothing about.
Thank you! I'm an artist in Ohio and I had been hearing about BM, since the 1990s. I always wondered if I would ever be able to participate, by building and displaying a sculpture or even a groovy Art car. I have kept current on the event by watching all the videos people have posted to You Tube. Their videos always leave out the reality of it. I was pleased there are some who attend on a shoe-string budget. Nothing can accurately describe the fortunes that need to spent, to do it up BIG. It is clearly better to be living out west to begin with. I am friends with a couple here in my mid-western town, in Ohio, who have attended at least twice. I think they went in 1999, and again in 2003 or 05. They are also artists like myself,....one teaches art at our local university, I forget what the other partner does for a living, but they are definitely an artsy couple. I'm glad in my adopted town in the middle of Ohio, I had been a yearly member of a summertime, 3 day, music, arts and crafts festival. This group, on their own were successful, in creating an event that has been going on since 1972. 95% of the helpers are non-paid community members, the music is free, in fact the whole 3 day event is free. We shun corporate businesses, and all the vendors are also community members. They sell their foods, & drinks as they see fit. Most have stand alone diners, throughout our city. Every artist who rents a 10 foot square space, must bring their own pop-up, vendor tent. Besides a very low rental fee, each vendor has to donate a percentage of the daily income, to help fund the event. The only paid workers are the security, electricians who set up the lighting , and power cords. Possibly the medical/first aid tent. We the participants, clean the park grounds, after the event and leave no trace of our, having had a 3 day live music festival. The festival sells beer, and all the money goes to essentials of running a free festival, any extra money is donated to different social causes, and public helping groups. In 1972 there were only a couple hundred people who attended,...now in 2022,....we draw in about 20 to 30 thousand people per day. We hold the event in a very beautiful public park in our city, within a large expanse of land that is wooded, that has walk paths,....a water display fountain, rolling hills of grass & It is close to everything and there is cheap public transportation and many people just walk to the event as it is close to many neighborhoods and a large college campus.
I used to live in that area and the piles of discarded bicycles alone was 2 stories high, dumpsters overflowing at the gas stations…nice.
I wouldn't ever go but I let rich people do their thing and hope they leave the things I like alone.
great video as always !!
Artists and activists often improve communities until eventually they can’t afford to live there anymore. The Days of Anna Madrigal by Armistead Maupin (2014) makes Burning Man sound pretty good (LGBTQ2S+) but refers to the encroachment of overly wealthy people who were not respecting the ethos. Not grassroots, not affordable, not eco-friendly, not inclusive.
Lol I'm laughing at the title because I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT ABOUT BURNING MAN
Omg I need to watch this.