Burning Man Fiasco Becomes The Main Character On Social Media

BYBen Mock2.1K Views
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Camps are set on a muddy desert plain on September 2, 2023, after heavy rains turned the annual Burning Man festival site in Nevada's Black Rock desert into a mud pit. Tens of thousands of drenched festivalgoers were stranded on September 3, 2023, in deep, sticky mud in the Nevada desert after torrential rain turned the annual Burning Man gathering into a quagmire. All events at the counterculture festival, which drew some 70,000 people, were canceled after rain tore down structures for dance parties, art installations and other eclectic entertainment. (Photo by Julie JAMMOT / AFP) (Photo by JULIE JAMMOT/AFP via Getty Images)
There's no love on Twitter for those stuck in the Nevada desert

Burning Man has ended chaotically. The counterculture festival that has become a refuge for the rich and elite has been beset by a litany of issues during the 2023 running. Heavy rainfall has turned the festival ground in the Nevada desert into a sea of mud and grime. Meanwhile, reports have surfaced that the festival is about to become a breeding ground for an ebola outbreak. If that wasn't enough, police are reportedly investigating a death at the festival.

This chaos has resulted in the Bureau of Land Management, which oversees the Black Rock Desert, essentially locking down the festival. Attendees have been instructed to shelter in place until the roads can be reopened. Meanwhile, the vehicle gates have been shuttered and the the festival-ending effigy burn canceled. However, several high-profile guests have hiked the five miles to the closest town, Gerlach. Earlier in the week, climate activists held up entrance to the festival for hours after blocking the main road into the festival site. They were eventually removed by the county sheriff and tribal rangers. The images later went viral after it was shown that several law enforcement officers drew weapons on the protestors.

Read More: DJ Flume performs oral sex on stage at Burning Man

Social Media Has No Sympathy For Burning Man

Over the years, Burning Man has developed a unique reputation. What was once a true counterculture festival is now seen as an event only for the ultra-rich. Furthermore, its attendees have developed their own reputation for being absolutely unbearable. As a result of this, those who are stranded in the Nevada desert will find little sympathy online.

"I cannot unsee this image of Neal Katyal, the Supreme Court attorney who among other things successfully defended a company’s use of overseas child slave labor, at Burning Man," one user wrote in response to an image of Katyal dressed like a child predator in a 90s PSA. "Being trapped at Burning Man seems almost as bad as being trapped in a conversation with someone who went to Burning Man," added stand-up comedian Sam Morril. The disaster that is Burning Man 2023 continues to be a developing story and we'll have any updates as they emerge.

Best Reactions To Burning Man

Read More: Diplo and Chris Rock escape Burning Man in fan's pick-up truck

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About The Author
Ben Mock
Benjamin Mock (they/them) is a sports and culture writer working out of Philadelphia. Previously writing for the likes of Fixture, Dexerto, Fragster, and Jaxon, Ben has dedicated themselves to engaging and accessible articles about sports, esports, and internet culture. With a love for the weirder stories, you never quite know what to expect from their work.
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