: artist profile: yahoo education project
Boulder Creek resident Karen "Mountain
Girl" Oeh has been attending Burning Man since 1999. She
is one of the founding members of the Yahoo Education Project,
best known for the informative publication "How To Get Laid
at Burning Man."
She and another co-founder, John Mosbaugh of San Francisco, agreed
to talk about how they came up with the idea for a playa publication
and what they hope to accomplish with it. Copies of "How
to Get Laid..." are available
online.
This is the third in an irregular series of interviews with local
participants, highlighting some of the creativity in the Santa
Cruz region.
Definition of a yahoo:
ya·hoo (yäh,oo yah'oo) n., pl. ya·hoos.
A person regarded as crude or brutish. See Synonyms
at boor. [From Yahoo, member of a race of brutes having
human form in Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan
Swift.] |
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~ What was the genesis of the Yahoo
Education Project? Was it some incident in particular or something
that came out of a discussion?
Karen: It grew from a discussion on the
Burning Man dioxine email list back in early 2000. Listzens complaining
about the frat boys and photographers who invade people's privacy
and space. We got tired of the bitching and decided to do something
to educate people about sex, respect, cleanup, etc. Everything
we have ever done has been by discussion, vote, and mutual agreement.
 John:
A lot of this started with the concept of posters and trading
cards. Many of the images came out of the emails from 2000 Voting
Results: Best format for educating yahoos this year... Here are
the results:
1. Book 1
2. Coloring book 1
3. Accost Yahoos 2
4. Pamphlet 3
5. Trading Cards 3
6. Wanted Posters 3
Karen: I was a little hesitant at first
because I didn't want to do a guide on "How to Pick Up Hot
Chicks at Burning Man." Once it became more satirical and
humorous, thanks to John and also Larry Madill, the third co-founder
of the group, then I was rolling. The title and image on the 2000
cover was a façade to get the yahoos to check out the pamphlet…AND
IT WORKED!!!
~ "How To Get Laid..." isn't
particularly politically correct, but it addresses issues that
you don't really see discussed elsewhere.
Karen: The WHOLE point of the pamphlet,
from its formation, was to educate the lookie loo's who had nothing
better to do than ogle and drool over women's naked bodies. We
felt that something needed to be done in way that wasn't pointing
the finger at one group in particular. We decided to name it "How
to Get Laid" to appeal to the horny guys, but also educate
and inform the new people who may not know appropriate etiquette
or those who’d never been to Burning Man. Personally, my
mission was drug awareness...remind people to take care of their
bodies and use discretion so they wouldn't get busted.
~ What was in the first edition (2000)?
Karen: There was a variety of topics since
each of us had different issues we wanted to address. I drew a
couple of cartoons on insensitive BRC behavior and wrote a couple
of drug articles. My main duty was cracking the whip and formatting
the pamphlet. We included the commandments, John's X-thang, safe
sex advice, Miss Manners, Gary's Cheshire cat advice, and jokes,
jokes and more funny jokes. We brought about 500 copies that we
put in our magazine dispenser. Other members placed them in Center
Camp and porta-potties, or handed them out at their own camps.
 ~
What was the response?
John: I've never had a bad response. The
closest I had was last year when we'd pretty much attained maximum
concentration, and people were telling me they didn't want one
'cause they already had one. I'm also very happy to say that I've
never found one on the playa blowing around.
Karen: In 2002, it was outta sight. We printed almost 1,000 copies
and ran out in about four days. People were going nuts and trying
to find us after reading the excerpts in Piss Clear and hearing
stories on the radio. People were driving past in their RVs and
cars, stopping and running out to get a copy. Many others actually
stood right in front of the magazine rack and read the pamphlet,
not moving for awhile…which triggered other people to stop
and look. We got a ton of gifts in exchange: private hot tub party
invites, goggles, stickers, candy, chai tea, Dr. Seuss storytelling.
We met the greatest people in the world! When I put a copy in
some naked green guy's mailbox, he freaked out, so happy that
he actually got mail, and I got the biggest hug!
~ For 2002, what was the issue with censorship?
Karen: Censorship was definitely a focal
point for the pamphlet since we always try to stay current with
important events or situations that happen each year. John came
up with the
great image that takes center stage in the middle of the pamphlet.
We actually spent a couple weeks debating on where to place the
image…on the front, on the second page, or on the back. I like
the location - dead center so when you open it up, it jumps out
at you and makes you wanna read more. I actually saw many many people
open it up, look at the picture and laugh, and then leave with it.
My absolute favorite article is the "Cock
Knock at Black Rock". The Bitchslap Grudge Cage Match 2002
between Larry "The Negotiator" Harvey and Sheriff Ron
"Jiffy Lube" Skinner. It is so damn funny that I can't
even say the words without busting up. It's great to take serious
events and make fun of them because life is too short, and you have
to laugh at yourself no matter how stupid the mistake. Actually,
once I read the whole story of the Jiffy Lube incident in the Black
Rock Gazette, it didn't seem as bad as the rumors were making it
out to be. It gave us some great material to play with. So now,
we get to be creative and figure out some ways to educate people
on ART THEFT. Also, I am definitely going to draw a cartoon about
the airplane guy who forgot to use his landing gear. How can you
not have fun with that?
~ What do you have planned for 2003?
John: On the playa this year we were talking
about changing the title from "How to Get Laid" to something
else. One suggestion was "How to get Laid Back" with someone
laying next to the man. After all the art theft, we were talking
about "Steal this Yahoo Pamphlet". It seems like every
year people figure out a new variety of Yahoo behavior. If our "theme"
last year was censorship, maybe we could think about Theft as a
theme for 2003's pamphlet. Of course, if we're at war, that's always
a good theme.
 Karen:
An article by Larry Harvey would be awesome!!! More magazine racks
and more copies. We still want to maintain it as an underground
'zine so you won't find the pamphlet all over the playa or handed
out at the Greeter's Station. Also, I noticed that in 2002, many
gay men weren't that interested in the pamphlet. I am going to include
more gay and lesbian issues so that we can appeal to a wider audience.
I'd like to recruit new members who have firsthand experiences with
gay issues, problems, stories, jokes, etc. I received the best gift
from a lesbian woman who gave me a manual on female sexual positions.
It would be cool to include some cartoons.
~ Have any members of the YEP done any
other works on the playa?
Karen: I organized the 2000 Critical Dicks
March with about 100 men and women participating in a three-mile
walk down the Esplanade. Great turn out for the first one.
John: We had a small camp called Technomystic in '98 and '99. Our
Headless Maiden Camp in 2000 was an "Official" theme camp
on the Esplanade, and it was a pretty big undertaking. In 2002,
we had that Headless mermaid. And this year we've got a large art
project we're working on.
 ~
Are you looking for help in putting out the 2003 edition?
The Yahoo Education Project is looking for
volunteers/new members to contribute stories, jokes, poems, articles,
cartoons, etc. for the 2003 "How to Get Laid at Burning Man"
pamphlet. We are an easy-going and very democratic group of weirdos,
and we are soliciting new artists to help promote our mission. The
mission statement can be found at www.yahoopamphlet.com
As a team member, you'll contribute your
ideas/stories via email to the group as well as critique and review
other people's work. You will be responsible for making your own
copies of the pamphlet and distributing them at the event.
If you would like to join, just email: bmy-eds-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
*We are especially looking for gay and lesbian artists who would
like to write up some fun and informative articles on homosexual
issues, such as:
"My Neighbor is So HOT, How can I Tell if S/He's Gay?"
"Most Popular Pick Up Lines at Burning Man"
"Safe Sex on the Playa"
"Voyeurism at Jiffy Lube, Dos & Don'ts"
Any important issues that mean something to you!
Any ignorant and yahoo behavior you'd like to change!
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Excerpts from
the 10 Commandments of Burning Man
Thou shalt drink water, lest ye
die like a stupid motherfucker.
Thou shalt not stare, nor ogle,
nor whistle at nude people.
Thou shalt cover up thy corporate
logo, lest Ryder and Budget Rent-a-car become our
sponsor.
Thou shalt not play unwanted grab
ass.
Thou shalt not set fire to thy
neighbor's camp, nor his/her artwork, nor his wife,
nor her husband, nor his/her man servant, nor his/her
maid servant, nor his/her oxen, nor his/her SUV, nor
his/her tent, nor his/her shade structure, nor his/her
ass.
Thou shalt have fun, and boogie-oogie-oogie
until thy ass cannot boogie-oogie-oogie no more.
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Photos courtesy of members of the Yahoo
Education Project.
Click here for artist
profile archives.
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