What's the Connection Between Burning Man and Social Media?

I recently read in one of my preferred blogs, Social Media Rock Star, how Burning Man is now the place to be. It's the cutting edge. Maybe even the bleeding edge.

Cutting and bleeding edges. Two terms that take me back about ten years to a marketing meeting we had at MTV. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss future trends of the planet, hopefully to be detected and incorporated by MTV programming just before the rest of the world caught on.

The trends talked about in that meeting were spot on. We talked about India. People would start turning to the east, traveling there. Yoga would become mainstream. We discussed body art, not just elaborate tattoos but flesh art, where you literally cut or burn a design in your skin. Sounds implausible to many, I suppose, but when you look at magazines like Body Modification E-zine or notice that Yahoo! has an entire section on body modification, suddenly what once seemed over the top and off the edge comes a little closer to home.

But we never talked about Burning Man, even though it already had a rather long history by then. At that time, the few people who heard about Burning Man called it a place for hippies to dance naked in the dessert.

This article I read, How To Stay Near the Cutting Edge, tells us Larry and Sergy of Google fame played at Burning Man right before Google became huge.  Matador Network published an article on the Thirteen Coolest Art Installations at Burning Man. And there seems to be more and more of a buzz on social media sites -- Twitter, Friendfeed, Posterous and more. Everyone wants to drop everything this summer to spend a week dancing naked in the desert.

Does this mean Burning Man has gone mainstream? Well, that all depends if you believe Social Media is now mainstream. I'm not quite sure it is. Yes, it's in the news and all over TV. Ellen and Oprah twitter, you know.

But I think for many, these things are still in the realm of trend. Until social media is used exclusively in place of other more traditional forms of media, until using the phone or turning on the television is something we quietly accept that really only Grandpa still does, because he never quite cottoned to the idea of sending a video through his phone to be simultaneously posted on a profile at each of the 50+ social media sites, until then Social Media is the new kid on the block. And the new kid on the block still has a lot to prove.

So now, why do I want to go to Burning Man? I'm curious. No, I am beyond curious. What is this thing in the desert that seems to inspire such grand creativity in so many people? What is this festival of naked hippies that so many cite as a life changing experience? 

They say you simply can't imagine what it's like until you experience it for yourself. I picture standing on the playa, a flat plane of dessert in Nevada, as the top of my head bursts open and all colors, stars and energy will flow forth. And then, then I will understand.

Yeah, something like that.

(Photos courtsey of Hartingale and PurrpleHeyse's Flickrstreams)

Comments

[Brett Borders]

Leigh,

Awesome post!

I call Burning Man the "intergalactic activation station" - it's truly one of the most awesome, game-changing experiences I have ever had.

I don't think Burning Man is anywhere near mainstream, and it won't be for a long time. Commerce is not allowed (no selling, vending) so it's not commercial... and it's is a remote, rugged location that prevents casual people from showing up to spectate.

What's so awesome is that... it's a whole nother world. The ending of you blog post is really accurate! Especially if you walk around into the middle of the playa at night time... and close your eyes... spin around .. and open them... you will no longer be on planet earth! You don't know left from right.. up fron down... earth from space... just glowing light and UFOs and neon all around. Your head just can't make sense at the sheer incredible-ness of it.

You can keep going for days and night and not get lost, no get bored.

It's not really a "hippie" event although it is extremely hedonistic... it's more freaky, geeky urban artists and tech people... jet setters... drug chemists... super models, etc.

Go for it, it'll be fun!

I am trying to plan a trip to Chile next year for a solar eclipse.. that will be just as spectacular in a different way.

[Michael]

I haven't been, but Burning Man has been going on seemingly forever. I remember it as the cover story on some magazine in the mid 1990's, also a few of our MTV coworkers were participants. I had an MTV boss who used to go regularly.

When I read your headline, I thought there's about a zillion miles in between building spectacular physical art in the desert while camping under the stars, and tweeting.

[Leigh Shulman]

Brett,

I'm sold. Now even more excited to go.

I'm curious to know where in Chile you're going. San Pedro de Atacama (the closest Chilean town to where we are) would be an amazing place to view an eclipse. Perhaps even similar to Burning Man in some ways.

The image in this blog entry is exactly what I had pictured. I was amazed when I found it on Flickr. Although I'm sure the actual experience will be even better.

[Leigh Shulman]

Did I convince you otherwise re: the connection between the two? And did I also work with this MTV burner boss?

(For those who don't know, Michael was my boss at MTV.)

[Alanna]

Ah you've got BM on the brain! It won't disappoint...are you planning to take Lila? A lot of people do take kids but I wouldn't want to. It's harsh out there, and can be pretty uncomfortable especially in the duststorms!

I am totally convinced that your head WILL burst open and colors will spew forth. It will be great.

[Michael]

Leigh, the burning man Man was post-you, but in the interest of privacy I'll leave it there. In the interest of honoring you, however, you were far more cool. In the finest sense of the word.

Time flies. All the best to you and yours.

MA

[Leigh Shulman]

I most definitely have it on the brain. Any chance you and your gypsy self will be there too?

[Andy Hayes]

After checking out those crazy sculptures over at Matador, I'm totally up for going! Don't forget the sun cream.

[Leigh Shulman]

So far sun cream and snack bars are the only thing on my To Do list for Burning Man. And no feather boas, as the website instructs.

[Lisa B]

I recommend bringing ibuprofen.

[JoAnna]

Will you be going to Burning Man? Alanna and I will both be there through the Roads Scholarship. Would love to meet you in person if you are.

I'm really excited and find myself overthinking everything - what should I wear, should I bring stuff to trade, etc. - though I know it's a space where you can do and be anything and stuff just happens. I would love to write and tweet from there but am not sure what connectivity is like.

[tomz]

his only shows the impact MTV has to today's generation. better get those hippie couture from the yuma self storage. we are going nostalgic.