Rich Pricks

Rich Pricks Ruined Burning Man (Again)

Sam Biddle

OK, this headline is misleading because it implies Burning Man was ever not lame, but for old-timers who cherish the annual pyrotechnic MDMA and BO festival, the end has been nigh. Now the New York Times is here with more bad news.

It's a familiar report. Burning Man used to be about "authentic" obnoxiousness (bad music, bad art, unattractive naked people) and now it's bogged down by "corporate" obnoxiousness (CEOs, startup dudes, cushy air-conditioned RVs).

The playa culture wars are more tense than ever, according to Nick Bilton of the Times:

"Now, we have the craziest chefs in the world and people who build yurts for us that have beds and air-conditioning." He added with a sense of amazement, "Yes, air-conditioning in the middle of the desert!"...A few people, mostly female models flown in from New York, get to go free, but when all is told, the weekend accommodations will collectively cost the partygoers over $2 million.

Two million bucks! For a fraction of that amount of money, you could throw an even better party that isn't in the middle of the desert, and also won't spoil the time for the usual gang of sunburned Gen-Xers. But for those with Silicon Valley money, a private party is never as much fun as one that can be seen by a crowd—and what is Burning Man if not a sprawling, arid social network, the Path of glamping?