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Wallowing Man
Burning Man 2023 was a muddy unqualified disaster.
“Dawn brought muddy realization to the Burning Man encampment, where the exit gates remain closed indefinitely because driving is virtually impossible,” wrote Trevor Hughes for USA TODAY on Saturday.
Calling his photojournalistic essay, “Burning Man: A soaked Saturday in BlackRock City,” Hughes proceeded to treat the non-Burners of the world to a helping of Schadenfreude.
Those who may have always wanted to attend the yearly festival but lacked the resources to do so may think twice about attending next year. Then again, too much rain isn’t usually a concern in the desert where Burning Man is held every year.
With captions like, “A Burning Man participant opens the door to a mud-filled portapotty at the event. Because organizers have banned driving, the toilets have not been emptied for about 24 hours,” and, “An abandoned pool float — usually worn ironically at the dry, dusty Burning Man — sits in a mud puddle,” and, “A Toyota 4Runner makes a run for it, spinning and sliding through the muck at Burning Man, despite a ban on driving by organizers,” the photos were particularly compelling.
Not even celebrities attending the festival were insulated from the muddy mayhem.