10 Brilliant Burning Man Memes

Article by: Eamon Armstrong|@EamonArmstrong

Thu March 19, 2015 | 00:00 AM


Burning Man is a paradise for inside jokes. Here are a few of our favorites from the past few years. 

Are You Going To Burning Man This Year?

"I heard it isn't going to be that good this year anyway. Somebody told me that last year was the last good year and that it is now becoming too commercial." Anybody remember Xtranormal.com ? It was a site where you could create little animated movies. Some genius burner used the platform to share a conversation that we've all had at one point or another, immortalizing the meme "it was better last year."

Hitler Plans Burning Man

Downfall is a 2004 movie that documents the final days of Adolf Hitler. Little did the producers of this excellent film know that Hitler's furious rant would be re-dubbed to express angst about everything from Kanye West to the San Francisco Ramen Festival. Hitler trying to plan Burning Man gets it so right. 

Daft Punk is Playing at the Trash Fence

Daft Punk Trash Fence

According to reddit, rumors that Daft Punk was going to perform at the trash fence have been around since the early 2000s. It's unclear which year they actually played at the trash fence. I heard it was next year. 

The Burning Man Zodiac

The Burning Man Zodiac The Shroom

Click to Embiggen. Image from The Shroom .

The Shroom is a satirical website that calls itself "Black Rock City's Least Best Newspaper." Think The Onion for the Playa. They've had a lot of hits over the years and they totally nailed some of the best Burning Man memes on a hilarious and certainly NSFW astrological zodiac. From Shirtcocker to a Sparkle Pony, find your sign by the year you first attended.

burningmanproblems.tumblr.com

Pink Fur

Courtesy of burningmanproblems.tumblr.com

If you haven't read it before, prepare to meet your new favorite Tumblr.

The Playa Provides

I was going to write a description of this meme but I'm just going to wait for the playa to provide. 

Safety Third!

Burning Man 2014 Art Gimbel 22Photo by Art Gimbel

This popular expression originated in the early days of the DPW (The Department of Public Works that builds the city). It has since become part of the wider culture evoking a c'est la vie attitude towards danger. Joseph Pred, founder of Burning Man's Emergency Services Department and Chief Emeritus, sees a deeper philosophy within the expression:  “I’m willing to give up a little bit of safety in order to have a more authentic experience. When something almost goes wrong and you get a little jacked up from the experience you feel more alive. The value of the experience, the story, and the personal growth implications are all heightened. Compare that to Disneyland where safety is so sanitized as to prevent such an experience. Obviously safety is a priority, but choosing authentic experience above safety can be an integral part of the overall Burning Man experience."

This One Time At Burning Man...

This One Time

The start of every epic Burning Man story. If you've been to Burning Man you've certainly said it at least once. If you haven't been you're probably pretty tired of hearing it. The expression even spawned a Facebook Page that collects tales from the playa. 

How to Enjoy Burning Man From the Comfort of Your Own Home

By Tedd St Rain

1. Tear down your house. Put it in a truck. Drive 10 hours in any direction. Put the house back together. Invite everyone you meet to come over and party. When they leave, follow them back to their homes, drink all their booze, and break things.
2. Stack all your fans in one corner of the living room. Put on your most fabulous outfit. Turn the fans on full blast. Dump a vacuum cleaner bag in front of them.
3. Buy a new set of expensive camping gear. Break it.
4. Lean back in a chair until that point where you're just about to fall over, but you catch yourself at the last moment. Hold that position for 9 hours.
5. Only use the toilet in a house that is at least 3 blocks away. Drain all the water from the toilet. Only flush it every 3 days. Hide all the toilet paper.
6. Set your house thermostat so it's 50 degrees for the first hour of sleep and 100 degrees the rest of the night.
7. Cut, burn, electrocute, bruise, and sunburn various parts of your body. Forget how you did it. Don't go to a doctor.
8. "Downsize" last year's camp by adding two geodesic domes, a new sound system, art car, and 20 newbies.
9. Don't sleep for 5 days. Take a wide variety of hallucinogenic/emotion altering drugs. Pick a fight with your boyfriend/girlfriend.
10. Spend a whole year rummaging through thrift stores for the perfect, most outrageous costume. Forget to pack it.
11. Shop at Wal-mart, Cost-Co, and Home Depot until your car and trailer are completely packed with stuff. Tell everyone that you're going to a "Leave-No-Trace" event. Empty your car into a dumpster.
More...

This Will Be the Last Year

Over

You know, cause Burning Man is so over.

Are we missing your favorite meme? Post it in the comments!