WisCon vs. Burning Man

[pantryslut]

In one, hundreds of people from the Bay Area troop out to a hot desert spot, pitch tents and camp out for a week around a national holiday, partying and making art (and stuff).

In the other, hundreds of people from the Bay Area troop out to a hot Midwestern spot, take over a hotel for a week (give or take) around a national holiday, partying and discussing books (and stuff).

In other words, I just realized that WisCon is *my one-week vacation/pilgrimage. And that maybe my absolute disinterest in Burning Man has something to do with a vague feeling of "already did that this year, but with clean sheets and running water. You all go have fun without me, now."

Comments

[rysmiel.livejournal.com]

I can entirely sympathise with that; while Burning Man sounds very cool at many levels from all I hear, the desertness and the general Outsideness of it is really not my thing. Wish I were going to Wiscon.

[innerdoggie.livejournal.com]

Burning Man sounds interesting with all the do-it-yourself art and stuff, but I ain't going to a desert in August. No f-ing way.

I've thought about sending my dad. He likes hot weather.

[tyrannio.livejournal.com]

But it's a dry heat.

[rysmiel.livejournal.com]

Some of us far prefer humid heat.

[innerdoggie.livejournal.com]

I'll ask him if he likes dry heat. As for me, HA!

[divalano.livejournal.com]

there's really something to be said for clean sheets & running water. warm, running water & fluffy towels. hmm. and food without sand in it. genitals without sand there, too. and mattresses. and all number of things that mostly aren't in the out of doors, in the desert.

yes so far as camping goes, I am a princess. ta :)

[abostick59.livejournal.com]

Speaking as a BayArean Wiscon attendee for whom Wiscon is not optional, I imagine that there are people, particularly those who are local to Madison, who might be disturbed at the description of Wiscon as an occasion where "hundreds of people from the Bay Area ... take over a hotel for a week (give or take)...."

[pantryslut.livejournal.com]

And lots of people come from all over the country (world?) to attend Burning Man, too...

[kalmn.livejournal.com]

those of us who continue to live in fly over country feel compelled to point out that per richard, there are only "100 from California". so, yes, you're 10 percent. minnesotans are 15%, however.

(am trying to book a flight to montreal. am feeling very crabby about living in flyover country at the moment.)

[pantryslut.livejournal.com]

Stop ruining my joke with math. :P

[genderfur.livejournal.com]

Reminds me of being at the March on Washington in 1993. There was a point where Bean and I were standing around chatting with.... every leatherdyke we knew from the Bay Area. Which, yes, we laughed about.

[genderfur.livejournal.com]

2 things:

Many or most of the Burners only do the long weekend, not the whole week. (Which in no way invalidates any of your points.)

For a lot of people, Burning Man is about using a lot of drugs and showing a lot of skin. Would I be correct in assuming that WisCon doesn't have these factors? (Do I correctly remember that WisCon doesn't even do a costume contest?)

Bean did BM once. She wanted a change and a jolt. She enjoyed herself, but one of her comments afterward was along the lines of "*shrug* I've seen public art and straight guys in tutus before." Which is true for probly everyone reading this comment, but probly isn't true for many people who attend BM from outside the Bay Area.