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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Five ways the Republican National Convention is like Burning Man | Five ways the Republican National Convention is like Burning Man |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| Peanut butter and jelly, macaroni and cheese, Burning Man and the Republican National Convention? The latter pair does not go together quite like the others but they are more alike than you may think – and its not just their mutual love of nudity. | Peanut butter and jelly, macaroni and cheese, Burning Man and the Republican National Convention? The latter pair does not go together quite like the others but they are more alike than you may think – and its not just their mutual love of nudity. |
| Burning Man is the yearly event in which people flock to the northern Nevada desert as part of a large-scale social experiment to create a sustainable community called Black Rock City. It is also known for hippies, a giant burning effigy and people dressed like this: | Burning Man is the yearly event in which people flock to the northern Nevada desert as part of a large-scale social experiment to create a sustainable community called Black Rock City. It is also known for hippies, a giant burning effigy and people dressed like this: |
| The Republican national convention is the quadrennial event where delegates and politicians convene to officially nominate the GOP presidential candidate. These days the presumptive party candidate is determined during the primaries, so at this point, the convention is really just an excuse to throw a big party with people who feel the same way about same-sex marriage. | The Republican national convention is the quadrennial event where delegates and politicians convene to officially nominate the GOP presidential candidate. These days the presumptive party candidate is determined during the primaries, so at this point, the convention is really just an excuse to throw a big party with people who feel the same way about same-sex marriage. |
| This year, the two seemingly disparate events began on 27 August posing a challenge to a minute – perhaps non-existent – group who want to attend both events. Perhaps Grover "Flat Tax" Norquist tweeted it best: | This year, the two seemingly disparate events began on 27 August posing a challenge to a minute – perhaps non-existent – group who want to attend both events. Perhaps Grover "Flat Tax" Norquist tweeted it best: |
| Which idiot put the GOP convention the same time as "Burning Man" in Nevada? Is there time to change this? | Which idiot put the GOP convention the same time as "Burning Man" in Nevada? Is there time to change this? |
| People hate both of them | People hate both of them |
| A stereotypical Burning Man participant – officially called a "burner" – is high, an artist and vegan. That stereotype routinely goes to bars and tells women his life changed at Burning Man when he walked out into the open desert and "only saw horizons". Though it may only represent a minority of participants, this stereotype is the epicenter of all Burning Man-related hatred. | A stereotypical Burning Man participant – officially called a "burner" – is high, an artist and vegan. That stereotype routinely goes to bars and tells women his life changed at Burning Man when he walked out into the open desert and "only saw horizons". Though it may only represent a minority of participants, this stereotype is the epicenter of all Burning Man-related hatred. |
| Down in Florida, the Republican National Convention offers a hate-worthy stew of some of the most wealthy and most despised people in the US – politicians, lobbyists and TV news anchors. | Down in Florida, the Republican National Convention offers a hate-worthy stew of some of the most wealthy and most despised people in the US – politicians, lobbyists and TV news anchors. |
| People love both of them | People love both of them |
| For all the acrimonious hostility directed at these popular events, they continue to attract a fervent group of supporters because of the love – and money – they attract. | For all the acrimonious hostility directed at these popular events, they continue to attract a fervent group of supporters because of the love – and money – they attract. |
| More than 48,000 people across the globe aren't traveling to a remote desert in Nevada for its relaxing amenities and charming weather. Burning Man has kept people coming since 1986 with its professed non-judgmental atmosphere, art installations and dance parties. | More than 48,000 people across the globe aren't traveling to a remote desert in Nevada for its relaxing amenities and charming weather. Burning Man has kept people coming since 1986 with its professed non-judgmental atmosphere, art installations and dance parties. |
| Just as Burning Man offers hippie-types a place to create temporary utopia, the RNC attempts to offer a Republican Party utopia, where politi-nerds debate fiscal reform and diplomatic operations with an enthusiasm that would alarm the average American. | Just as Burning Man offers hippie-types a place to create temporary utopia, the RNC attempts to offer a Republican Party utopia, where politi-nerds debate fiscal reform and diplomatic operations with an enthusiasm that would alarm the average American. |
| The RNC participant is known for showing their passionate love for the event and their party through elaborate costuming that would make any burner proud. | The RNC participant is known for showing their passionate love for the event and their party through elaborate costuming that would make any burner proud. |
| Women | Women |
| The theme for this year's Burning Man is Fertility 2.0, described by organizers as follows: | The theme for this year's Burning Man is Fertility 2.0, described by organizers as follows: |
| Black Rock City is a kind of Petri dish. Theme camps cling in fertile clusters to its latticework of streets, artworks tumble out of it, like pollen on the air. These nodes of interaction mutate, grow and reproduce their kind. Burning Man communities have now escaped this capsule world: our culture in a Petri dish has effloresced – it spreads across five continents. This year's art theme contemplates the tendency of any being or living system to create abundant life. | Black Rock City is a kind of Petri dish. Theme camps cling in fertile clusters to its latticework of streets, artworks tumble out of it, like pollen on the air. These nodes of interaction mutate, grow and reproduce their kind. Burning Man communities have now escaped this capsule world: our culture in a Petri dish has effloresced – it spreads across five continents. This year's art theme contemplates the tendency of any being or living system to create abundant life. |
| Down in Florida, the stinging undercurrent of fertility runs through each weighted political statement and speech as campaigners must determine how best to present their slightly unpopular positions on what women should be allowed to do with their lady-parts. | Down in Florida, the stinging undercurrent of fertility runs through each weighted political statement and speech as campaigners must determine how best to present their slightly unpopular positions on what women should be allowed to do with their lady-parts. |
| Technology | Technology |
| Though Burning Man is a space for participants to live "off the grid", it has incorporated a live stream of Black Rock City. | Though Burning Man is a space for participants to live "off the grid", it has incorporated a live stream of Black Rock City. |
| To watch the Burning Man live stream, you must have a functioning mute button or an acquired patience for trippy electronic music. It looks like this: | To watch the Burning Man live stream, you must have a functioning mute button or an acquired patience for trippy electronic music. It looks like this: |
| As part of the RNC's "convention without walls" online coverage, they also provide a live stream. Though on Wednesday afternoon, it looked like this: | As part of the RNC's "convention without walls" online coverage, they also provide a live stream. Though on Wednesday afternoon, it looked like this: |
| For the times when the RNC doesn't have a showered, flag-pin-wearing speaker on stage, the RNC also curates their favorite social media posts about the convention. | For the times when the RNC doesn't have a showered, flag-pin-wearing speaker on stage, the RNC also curates their favorite social media posts about the convention. |
| Community | Community |
| In the open desert of Nevada, the prevailing goal is to create community. Even if body-paints and hallucinogenics aren't your thing, you should be able to get the heartwarming feeling of connectivity somewhere at Burning Man, like the wind playground or robot dance party. | In the open desert of Nevada, the prevailing goal is to create community. Even if body-paints and hallucinogenics aren't your thing, you should be able to get the heartwarming feeling of connectivity somewhere at Burning Man, like the wind playground or robot dance party. |
| In its idealized form, the convention is meant to create a political community by electing the leader who best represents its party by standing-up for the party's ideals and working to create a better United States. And some day, that might actually happen. | In its idealized form, the convention is meant to create a political community by electing the leader who best represents its party by standing-up for the party's ideals and working to create a better United States. And some day, that might actually happen. |
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