Having been there myself, I would agree that the claims made for Burning Man by its boosters tend to be greatly exaggerated, but one of them in particular is not – you do not get any real sense of the experience just by looking at the photos. You get a little more of a taste of it, perhaps, by watching the films, but even then, much of the experience of being there simply doesn’t carry over onto the screen and much of what takes place isn’t even portrayed. In some cases, this is for legal reasons which we need not dwell on, and in others because what is taking place is a kind of comfortable personal interaction that would not remain comfortable or natural with cameras pointing at the participants. Interaction which takes place in real time over a week, engaging all five senses – and good luck to anybody attempting to make a film that does that.

What we’re left with is the assertion that “just because I haven’t seen something or encountered a description if it, that doesn’t mean that I don’t know what it is like”; In fact, it sort of does. I can understand not wanting to spend the sums required to go to Burning Man itself, but there are smaller events called “burns” run and attended by many of the same people, where you could gain firsthand experience of the subculture. Bring an open mind, and you may have an interesting experience.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/12/fashion/12Burners.html

“Is anyone here actually an anthropologist?”

I would really like to get into this topic in the future. In my experiences with psytrance festivals in Morocco (I’ve attended two in the past 4 years–does that count?), I’ve really been impressed that this international psytrance community keeps long-term, multigenerational community ties. So whether or not they can be reduced to a “countercultural” ideological grouping, it’s pretty clear that they do form some sort of online and realspace community.

Now, determining whether or not Burning Man’s attempt to defeat capitalism through barter will succeed is not my major interest. Just the fact that such communities exist and work, however temporarily (Paris Commune, Barcelona?), is a huge burst of hope and a shot of anti-despair, OK? No matter how reactionary, carnivals are still fun, and fun still matters and is necessary, IMHO.

But doesn’t hearsay suck
when you can collect your own data?
Nineveh is just 100 m. north of Reno.
Lots of anthropos and other beings there, in situ.

Isn’t anthropology the discipline that first challenged
the ruse of scientific objectivity in human studies?

Labor Day week, next year.
Prepare like a boy scout,
stay present and open,
and you’ll have a lot to write about.

Maniaku’s comment is cute, but it also underlines why blogs have almost nothing to do with academic work. God forbid that anthropologists base statements on participant observation or other forms of research.

In my opinion, to see this blog as ‘academic work’ is kind of the wrong way to frame it. Therefore, whether the question as to whether an ‘academic work’ can take place on a blog is kind of irrelevant (and I think it is, more than anything, a matter of the political and institutional structure(s) that surround ‘academic work’ ).

Also, please don’t misread me in saying that research is irrelevant. If people who have experience can offer a convincing or credible counter-opinion then that is great*. Nor am I necessarily endorsing Rex’s opinion, I just think it is an interesting topic and he should, you know, be able to write about something outside his direct speciality sometimes. In fact, I might go so far as to say that hyperspecialization in actual ‘academic work’ can be problematic, and a semi-open forum, like a blog, is a relief.

*Note–I would not consider a post like Stuebing’s to be an example–how could you? It contains neither evidence nor argument–just an appeal to authority and a dismissive tone.