Suicide at Burning Man
The SF Gate Culture Blog is reporting that a male participant at Burning Man has been found dead of an apparent suicide, hanging from poles inside a two-story-high tent. The name of the deceased has not been released. His friends say they thought he was doing an art piece, and the body was hanging, dead, for two hours before others realized what had happened. Link. (Thanks, Scott Beale).
Above: current conditions = total whiteout on the playa right now (via Burning Man webcam feed, thanks Rusty Hodge)
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I offer condolences to the family and friends. May the young warrior rest in peace.
No way in hell would I be at Burning Man. Seems like an unsanitary, unruly, disgusting mess.
If I were at Burning Man, I'd probably want to commit suicide too.
"The apparent suicide would be the festival's first in its 21 year history, Pirtle said."
Not true, a young man threw himself into a large campfire at Burning Man in 2001 and later died from the burns.
Wow, looks like Burning Man is having some problems this year. Although with how big it's growing, that's probably not unexpected.
You gotta be blasted to realize that your friend is hanging there dead for hours. I'm blasted.
reminds me a bit of that story where folks mistook another hanger for a Halloween decoration. I figure they didn't check because they didn't want to feel dumb if they fell for a gag, but how dumb do you feel when you find out you've been ignoring a corpse for a few hours?
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Burning Man jumped the shark quite a while ago.
I don't wanna sound rude, but that's so funny. He was hanging from a noose, and everyone just assumed it was performance art. I hope everyone can appreciate how hilarious that is, while at the same time it's completely tragic.
I'd like to take a quick poll. How many of the people here who are taking potshots at Burning Man have ever attended one?
Given the unusual demographics of Burning Man, I'm a little surprised that there aren't several suicides each year there.
Hey, didn't Paul Addis say in his manifesto, linked to earlier, "All other operatives have made the ultimate sacrifice by swallowing their L-pills to avoid being captured alive."
OK, the guy is nuts, but this is a reference to suicide, folks. I think someone's going to have a nice long chat with Mr. Addis about this.
Oh no, a friend of mine is there, I have to get in touch with her! Knowning the state of mind she's in she could be in some danger.
Much love to anyone who knew the guy. To those who mock: this really isn't funny but it must be nice to be so detached from the rest of us.
Are you going to publish a detailed study on the correlation between Burning Man burning hatred and attendance based on a web poll? Or are you implying that those who have never been should go first before they make fun of it? Because, gosh, there's just nothing on the wide ranging internet to tell you anything about what it's like. There's no way you could decide whether you wanted to go for the dearth of information. I mean, even like a webcam would go some ways to sharing the experience, but it's not as if there's one... out there... hm.
What happens when your readers aren't like you? You're discovering another facet or subset of your community of readers, and your instinct is to shame them when they're not walking on the same narrow line? That feels a bit retrograde. How about you avoid being a schoolmarm and instead stick to being a hub for wonderful things - and you so are - and ask yourself instead whether the comment medium helps you reach that goal?
I thought Burning Man was all about impermanent art, anyway.
I've been to Burning Man, I went three or four years ago. I had been reading about it for a while, first herad about it in 98, and was curious, and finally a friend dragged me there. It was fun, but definitely seemed like the original spirit was watered down if not lost entirely.
The last few days, a huge contingent of frat boys showed up, no doubt spurred on by legends of free loving hordes of naked ecstasy-addled young raver chicks to be had at will, to them just another huge rave and debaucherous party to attend without really being culturally part of. Frat boys dont care about that shit, they just want to get hammered and get with some drunk/stoned chicks. It was pretty disappointing to see them there, with their red cups, white hats on backwards and oakleys, like escapees of a girls gone wild video.
Burning Man would be awesome again if they just shut it down for a while and returned to their more humble and more low key origins after a few years, letting all the hype die down. Either that or they need to make participation more difficult, like some sort of mandatory interview, essay questions and art submissions along with the application in order to get a ticket. That would be the only way to do it in my opinion.
That is such a shame. If people would just pay attention to what activists for mental health care are doing. A cure for many psychological issues is possible in a short period of time, with the peoples attention.
http://algoxy.com/psych/thetreatment.html
Sad to suffer such a blemish on burning man after so many years of profound success at;
stopping war
justice for 9-11
assuring freedom, justice and liberty
ending election corruption
protecting the environment
ending pollution
ending poverty
I hope it doesn't deter people from investing the gasoline, money and time needed to continue their contributions to this great effort of humanity to unify for improvement of the human condition.
Seriously now, .......... my condolences to the family and friends of the deceased.
He WAS doing an art piece. He DID an art piece. They just don't get it [yet]. Art is supposed to make you think and wonder.
http://www.museumofbadart.org/
Better comments can be found here:
http://gawker.com/news/suicide-is-painless/-295344.php
Perhaps this was indeed a performance / installation piece? Art imitates life, afterall...
self-immolation would have been a much better way to go...
I went to Burning Man 10 years in a row and haven't been for the past 3, because I finally came to the conclusion that it's just not what it used to be. There are cops everywhere and a bunch of lame-o's running around in faux fur and cowboy hats, while waving their glowsticks around and listening to bad electronica.
The whole thing has become so frickin cliche. People think they are being so original and different, and yet they are all wearing the same dumb fake fur... Granted, there is some really cool art out there, but in my opinion, it's just not worth sucking in all that dust and being subjected to the awful no-pants wearing people.
But as far as the suicide, that is very tragic, yet unfortunately, pretty funny at the same time. I mean, that pretty much sums it all up- people thought he was art? Really? What a bunch of drugged out wankers!
Rock on Paul Addis! I'm glad the Man burned early! Burning Man sucks now! And I wouldn't be suprised if it's sponsored by Coke next year...
My Burning Man experience in 2003 was quite mellow. It's a great place to see massive art installations a mile and more away from where everyone is camping. There's more to the event than drugs and neo-hippie spiritual culture. Shoot, I even swam in a 4 foot pool out there. And swung down a naked zip line.
And I watched a strange event called "The Beaver Eating Contest" one night. That was unique, but not promiscuous. It wasn't like they were letting just anyone have at it. That was such a controlled environment in fact.
The year I went someone fell off the back of an art car and was run over by the trailer being pulled behind it. That was sad.
The suicide this year was probably something this person was looking forward to for awhile. They surely premeditated it. It really is quite the way to go. Being in a place where the environment is as some people wish it would always be. Maybe they died happy, and on their own terms.
i just popped my cherry at burning man and it was the most amazing week ever! One event no matter how tragic can't sum up what the burn is. I know what I what I saw and it was a true show of people coming together. Thank you to those who put it togther and sorry to the family who lost one of thier own.
s.
Commenter #11, what does jump the shark mean?
This was my third year @ Burning Man. This had to be the worst year. The weather sucked and ewveryone seemed so "grouped" together. Everyone had thier own clique. Just about everyone we encountered was rude. I don't know if I'll go next year. It's getting WAY too big.
I'm surprised at how negative all of these comments are. And most of them seem to come from close-minded people who haven't even been to Burning Man. I may have been at Burning Man, but like all of you, none of us were there to save him, or even judge how the people who found him felt after realizing what had occurred. People come and go in their tents all day long. It's not like they watched him do it as some spectacle. They found the body an hour later because, according to the police, they thought it was just a mannequin hanging in a dimly lit area, not just some guy dying for art. The news tends to put a twist on everything so the story sounds so fucked up that you'll believe it. It puts a bad wrap on the event as a whole, but remember, suicide happens in the real world too. It sucks but you can't blame others for not being able to prevent it. And for those of you who think Burning Man is all about being fucked up on drugs all the time and frat boys who come up for the weekend only, I pity you, because you're only seeing one side of it. The media tells the news like it is, but they forget to include the positive side of things as well.
There were 10 times more great things about Burning Man if you choose to be apart of it from the beginning, not just the weekend. There was a building of a community, seeing the art, running up to dance on an art car, the phone booth to talk to god, making friendships with everyone, hairwashing camp, riding bikes, being in parades, going topless, giving and receiving gifts, misters, mojitos, taking away every shitty thing about your commercialized comfortable boring existence and finding much more. You think it's all hedonistic????!!! what the fuck is so bad about relaxing under some misters in 100 degree weather, or riding down a giant slip'n'slide? What's so bad about being a kid again and not worrying about going to your 9 to 5 job for just one week out of the year. You give up so many of the comforts of home already, there's no TV, no cell phones, no air conditioning, no internet, no Starbucks. How is real life any less hedonistic. We take everything we have for granted. Maybe if you came out of your little safety bubble, you'd realize that people gave up a lot to go to Burning Man.
i was actually just considering killing myself at burning man. i wanted to be in "the man" when he burned. the logistics were somewhat complicated.
This is in reply to comment #29
I would have to agree with you on the subject! Burning Man is an amazing cultural phenomenon! There are people from around the world that come there! People were very giving and trading gifts was probably one of my favorite Burnging Man pastimes! I was on the Purple Palace dancing my ass off as we pulled up to the Man on the night of the eclipse...we saw the arson happen first hand...Supposedly, many people try and burn the man early but none have succeded until this year! Also, I must have hugged 1,000 people the whole week...the energy in our camp as well as those around us was amazing...Also, I think Burning Man is much more than a huge party...it's a cultural yearning free from commercialized opression where an open barter society can actually thrive for one week...Yes, Burning man has grown substantially but it has also brought out massive creativity and long lasting friendships that live on for the rest of our lives! I pity those who are so closed minded about Burning Man...even those who have gone for years...they must be the type who just want to get fucked up and not participate in the creativity of the event! Also, I can remember going to center camp at 4:00 am then settling in to a game of hacky sack with a 4 ft diameter rubber ball with people I didn't even know...Everyone was super happy...I don't think I ever saw one person with a frown the whole week...
So, I end my comment by saying this..."It's not about the man, it's not about the drugs, it's not about the suicide....
It's about YOU and your soul...Opening up to something so massive that you will be changed forever!"
"jumping the shark' as a friend just informed me is a reference to fonzy from happy days jumping over a shark with his motorcycle. it is an expression to something that was once cool and interesting but now past its time.
As an attendee since '96 I think I have a pretty good finger on the pulse of the event. I think this years theme summed it up perfectly: A bunch of greenhorns. I never imagined I would see so many first timers...it must have approached 50% of the population or more. This year was mostly virgins imitating what they have seen and heard from friends and the internet, so poster #24 isn't so very far off...if a little generalizing about it.
The old burners were still there. The old spirit was there. But it wasn't in the costumes or the art cars and the like...it was in the nondescript old folks sitting quietly in the shade watching the youngsters turn radical self expression into a fashion show. And ironically thousands of virgins pointing at the old schoolers and talking about how they don't "Get it" because they're not flourescent enough. Complaining about how people are so negative this year and not lovey-dovey as they should be. Bit of a news flash here: That is not new. Do a youtube search for Helco. You will see that BMan didn't start from a bunch of touchy-feely vegans sharing tofu dogs in plush zebra striped hats. It came from a bunch of pissed of redneck radicals seeking diversity, rather than this new "Identity through fashion and culture" fad that has become the stereotypical face of Burning Man.
Truth be told the man who hung himself probably took more of the burning man spirit to his grave than those who condemn him will ever experience.
i know JERM the guy who committed suicide!!!! he was my friend! It had nothing to do with burning man, he was already in an unstable frame of mental health, he was a kind young man who didn't have enough attention from the world, and didn't really know how to fit into it. he was smart in his own way, but definately not conventional. He din't finish a lot of school, have a good relationship with his father, or have very much self confidence or support. He had one thing in his life that he loved more than anything, but his immaturity lead him to loose it, and he never got over it. IT WAS NOT BURNING MAN"S FAULT! This could have happened to anyone. But we need to have great compassion for those who this affects, because it affects a lot of people in a very powerful way, that is truly over whelming. Please pray for the salvation of his soul, and may god have mercy and understand the desperation and sadness he felt inside of his being, and how hard it was for him to move through the world every day carrying that pain around and not knowing really how to communicate himself or move through it. I hope that no one takes fault in this and knows that its a tragic event that shouldn't have ever happened, and its hard to imagine how the people who are close to this can ever be the same again. i am sorry jerm that I couldn't be there for you, and I didn't realize Tuesday morning before you did it how sad you were, or how lost or lonley you were. we will miss you and we are very sad you are now gone.
I have to say that most of you all have no idea what you're talking about. As one of the first 5 people on the scene, I can tell you that this was no "friend" of ours. We still don't know who it was. So to say that a bunch of friends were hanging out while he was dieing is ridiculous. If any of you had actually came to our camp, you would understand the structure of the tent and the lighting conditions did not allow for the person in the tent with the body to actually see it while there. When they did see it, they called for help. The official report unfortunately assumed that we knew this person and would all be like, "hey joe, what's ya doing up there? Oh keeping quiet? No problem, see ya later!" Insane. We are all real people and can only react to what we understand. If you don't understand, please don't react.
E is for (E)ffort, not (E)cstasy:
------------------------------
by Nick Kothari NYC (first time burner)
reach me at: nmk2107(at)columbia(dot)edu
I want to help. All the old Burners who know how to preserve the vibe should stick to it, come back next year, and organize how to find one another and influence others - set up your own parties, make an example for the people who want to find something more at burning man. People are coming to learn something, and they need a little push.
So Burning Man has changed in 10 years? things change, dude.. You have to assess the problem and change your tactics for keeping the vibe. When the Roman Empire became to big, it subdivided its rule and then fell apart... The lesson here is not to be exclusive elite with your own scene at burning man, you need to come up with an inclusive project... A phenomena ... a game that proliferates exponentially, a gift that makes 10 new friends, an invite to a sunrise potluck breakfast in the middle of the desert..... scale can be used to your advantage.... get a marching parade skit going that captures burners on the playa... the parade can take people off the playa on a friday night and usher them to a camp party in less "rave" areas..
Put some Effort into Burning Man -
See you next year
I just arrived home after driving 2200 miles from the event. The only other time I had been in BRC was 2003. Those of you who went can easily ignore the comments made in this forum by people who have never gone. They can't understand how the event works, hell, by what I'm reading they probably couldn't tear themselves away from their everyday surroundings and blogging from their asses like I'm reading here.
By attending two BMs four years apart, I can't assess if the event is "going downhill". I had the same experience both times- meeting genuine people from all walks of life, all regions of the world, all ages and races and sexuality and professions and education levels and I loved every minute of it. I was there from day one and had a great time with everyone from my temporary city block. I enjoyed the effort talented artists went through to haul their work to such a barren place and set it up for all to enjoy, without any expectations from us. True, I saw a few things there I didn't like, but with 47k people there of course that will happen. Unlike "the real world", it's rare and easily ignored.
Some douchebag arsonist torched the man. I don't associate that with a flaw with the operations of Burning Man, I see it as an individual who endangered the lives of an unknown number of people who would normally be kept hundreds of yards away for the scheduled burn.
And the comments about the suicide. I hope you never have someone in your life that doesn't reach out to you and does the same thing. And if he or she does, I hope someone can shield you from reading and hearing such ignorant comments associating your loss with the location of the act and assuming they know why your loved one did it.
Since I've been to Burning Man, I know the wide variety of temporary housing structures that rise from the playa. I can easily understand why he wasn't seen right away. And I can understand why when he was seen that it could have been mistaken for an artistic statement. Everything and everyone there is a statement in one fashion or another because it all starts as a blank slate. Literally.
Post your stupid comments. But stay away from future Burning Man events. Stay in your comfortable home and blog your uneducated thoughts. Make sure you save some time for bitching about all the other things in life you are too ignorant to understand.
To #37:
I understand you comments and agree with your general sentiment. As a third year burner I too hold a distain for ignorance. However, I realize that the majority of negative comments from those that are not burners or have never been to burning man stem from fear. Fear of the event, fear of self, fear of letting go.
The truth lies in the root of exclusion, us against them. If I am not a burner or have not been to burning man then those that are burners or burning man attendees are different from me and I am excluded from their knowledge, their stories and their love and understanding of the world.
It is possible to attend burning man and not be a burner. A burner here being defined as someone who opens one's mind to embrace an environment that might be overwhelming and foreign for the sake of growing both self and worldly understanding.
I believe in the true spirit of burning man. One that asks me to put down my guard and raise up my chin to invite those that fear the unknown to embrace the unknown. Come to burning man, but come as a burner. Come with an open mind and open heart. These are the invitations that we should be extending and we should not to err with exclusion.
Jerm - we love you and miss you. May God heal your pained soul for all eternity. Thank you to all who have expressed compassion for Jerm, family and friends.
i knew the victim, his name was germaine dupree, 'germ' as we called him. he told me he was going to burning man and i wished him well. nice guy, wouldn't have pegged him as unstable. very sad news
To those saying "blah blah blah Burning Man sucks"....
...your mom jumped the shark. And now we have half-informed simians leaving comments on how much something sucks who might appear more at home flinging their feces at each other.
Stupidity is not an art form. So stop practicing your art, you shaved chimps.
I knew the young man known as "GERM" through one of my children. I had met him several times and he had visited in our home. He was polite, friendly, and kind. I believe he is now at peace with whatever it was that created so much pain for him that he could not share it with his family or friends. I did not know his family. I know many of his friends. They loved him unconditionally and I believe he knew that. I pray now that each of you who knew and loved him so much will somehow find peace in his decision to end his life and not look at what you could have or should have done. You did what you should have...you loved him and you let him know it. To those who think this tragedy is "FUNNY" in some twisted way...you are all pathetic. Would it be "FUNNY" if it were your best friend or brother? "GERM"...be at peace.
On the morning of Thursday, August 30th a young man from Colorado chose to end his life in the rafters of a public tent at Comfort & Joy.
Though he was unknown to us, in the wake of his passing we're learning from those who knew him that he was creative, kind, unconventional and smart, and that he was regarded with affection by many.
His final act, committed in solitude, has one lasting effect as it brings us together to mark his passing. To all who have offered our camp their sympathy and support during this time, thank you. To all who knew him, please accept our sincere condolences.
It is estimated that there was an one hour interval between the last visit to the tent by a camp member, and the discovery of the body by a second camp member. It is believed that the tent was unoccupied during this time, and that there were no witnesses to the suicide.
One other individual, not associated in any way with the camp, was in the tent at the time the body was discovered. Emergency personnel were immediately contacted by camp members. Authorities responded within minutes and closed the scene upon arrival.
The Black Rock City Rangers, Sheriffs and other law enforcement officials who assisted us with this incident were very professional, supportive, and helpful to us at a difficult time. We are grateful for their services. We are also thankful for the warm and organized support we have received from the grief counselors from the Black Rock City Mental Health Team. They helped us openly discuss what had happened and come to a shared understanding of the morning's events.
Much of our camp was quarantined while the coroners did their jobs and we canceled that day's events (a yoga class, a queer discussion group, glitter body painting and a watercolor painting workshop).
As a camp, we decided to make a contribution to David Best's Temple of Forgiveness, where people can mourn, remember, write messages and leave items to be ceremonially burned on Sunday night. We felt the rope the young man used represented the terrible violence he committed upon himself and the people around him. By sending the rope up in flames, we hoped to allow some of that pain to disperse. None of us believe that this young man wanted to trouble us with his actions.
The members of Comfort & Joy extend their deepest sympathy to all who knew this young man. Our hearts go out to his family, friends, and special people in his life. Although we will never know or understand him the way you did, he indeed touched us as well, made us grow, and hopefully become better individuals. May the rest of his journey be peaceful and lead him to the joy we all seek in our lives.
We look forward to continuing our mission of creating positive, warm and supportive queer community both in Black Rock City and the Bay Area.
With love and respect,
The Comfort & Joy Family
http://www.playajoy.org
Went last year. Went this year. Left early this year. Seemed even more polluted and diluted in spirit. We'd had enough. Last time. Love to the man's family and friends.
Forget the man, I'm the one who was burned.
That's been my motto since I left this year. My fifth and final year at Burningman. My (ex)boyfriend and I worked at the center cafe for 4 years and working together to build a camp with friends. We believed in what the original spirit of community and art stood for.
This year was wierd.
I felt a general lack of respect in the air the minute I arrived. The respect for the land has been plumetting for years. But there was lack of respect for each other, for your neighbors, for the people that devote their time and lifes to build and work the event. Someone actually told me that they tried to get onto an art car but they were chosing the "hotest" people to get on. Did Burningman turn into a LA nightclub????????
Then the most disrespectful thing happened of all. My (ex) boyfriend of 5 years cheated on me and decided that he was leaving me for the person he met there. Cliche, please.
Much like this suicide, people run away to this fantasy land to escape the problems in their real life. Stable people can handle it, unstable people can't and they make choices that can be destructive to their life. I never wanted to say a bad thing about Burningman, but it's out of control. And I don't know if it can be saved.
I think a lot of people felt "burned" this year. Good luck to all of you
Jerm was a great person who meant a lot to many people. There is nothing at all funny about it. Try to show some repect and understand that our friends and his family are completely devistated.
To Whit: There is much more to burning man than you know even if you go and 'participate' - much more than is being said. It is very complicated and if I say certain things this message will raise flags and be removed from the internet (the allegations involve many of the original builders of the internet). I will just say that it involves malicious groups of people who are willing to experiment on other people who are socially vulnerable in one way or another (i.e. drug users and other social outsiders).
It is about the mind and it is about control. It is about the legitimization of technology that is very powerful and profitable, but won't be accepted by society unless they first change what society is willing to accept and feel it 'needs'. It is a treason involving the military industrial complex and their employees that largely reside in the bay area, seattle, silicon valley, but are also distributed across the western world. Unfortunately for their victims they are very good at keeping secrets. However, I know that it is about to be made public on a global scale that will change the way everyone looks at what they were "contributing" to. I'm not just talking about burning man but it is one good example. Burning man isn't about free expression and liberation. It's about one more group of people with utopian promises and a lot of socio political power learning how to more effectively control everyone else's mind through the psychology of pain and desire. They are experimenting on those people at Burning man (trying to learn how to burn their free choice out of them through manipulation of their mind while promising enlightenment or consciousness enhancement), and it is amazing that more aren't committing suicide. What they are doing is reminiscent of the experiments the Nazi's did to the Jews, and was probably first discovered from such experiments.
I am amazed at the strength of those who are holding on to life despite the tortures they are experiencing. If you are one of them and reading this, please hold on for just a little while longer. You have a wonderful and brilliant light that has survived so much and the world needs your light now more than ever. It is almost over and the bastards doing this to you are about to be brought to justice. I know that society will make the wrongs of the nightmare you are living through right for you. Good things are in your near future. The most complicated investigation by the US law enforcement and intelligence agencies is almost over and they are eager to end this horror.
I was their scanner - darkly :)
God Bless!
~ JMS
I was there. 3am. The next day I was with C&J camp members in our spa. I was fortunate to be there with them. One month before I had a close friend hang himself. I think I understand a little. My heart hurts for everyone involved.
As for Burning Man - I had a tough year. But I also had AMAZING year. If you've never been, or even if you have, Burning Man is a mirror. And sometimes "you're not the fairest of them all".
However, no matter how much it has changed, it still is one of the most amazing, interactive, soul searching/revealing/wrenching experiences you can have.
If your heart is open, it teaches you to let go. And if you're heart isn't open; it forces you to let go.
Burning Man has a BITCH of a sense of humor.
The more you give; the more you get in return.
let me set the record straight.
the media made many mistake in reporting the facts.
the body was not discovered for two hours.
when it was first sighted, initially it was thought to be a prop or art installation.
after about fifteen seconds, it was discoverd that it was a real body, and authorities were contacted. At no time did people stand around and look at the dead body for two hours before reporting it.
see how the media screws things up?