🛖 Burning Man, stuck in the mud

Happy Tuesday! It’s September 5 — people are talking about the inclement weather at Burning Man, the etiquette of wedding plus ones, and more.

As always, we’ve summarized and organized the different shades of perspective, so you can see the big picture quickly.

🛖 In the news: Burning Man, stuck in the mud

Unusual rainfall trapped 70k Burning Man attendees in the desert for days on end. A man died at the festival, but officials say his death was unrelated to the weather.

🛖 The internet laughed. The Guardian says it was fair: Burning Man has lost its counter-culture ethos. “Insufferable” rich attendees ruined it.

🛖 The LA Times had a different explanation for the schadenfreude: Attendees paid to experience what unhoused Californians deal with on a daily basis.

🛖 But Unherd thinks the festival's spirit is still alive and well. Extreme weather events are par for the course, and “radical self-reliance” is the point!

🛖 One Burning Man attendee said the disastrous festival could be one of the best ever. People worked together to brave the conditions.

🛖 NYT: Let Burning Man 2023 serve as a valuable reminder — even when key parts of civilization break down, people tend to maintain their humanity.

➕ Cultural trend: Wedding plus ones

Who should get a wedding plus one, and who shouldn't? And is it even a good idea to bring a plus one as a guest?

➕ Deciding who can bring a plus one is one of the many parts of wedding planning that can be stressful. The Knot says a good rule of thumb is to give people in serious relationships, and your wedding party, a plus one.

➕ But Condé Nast recommends giving single folks a chance to bring a plus one, as long as it’s in your budget — and especially if it’s a destination wedding.

➕ This Redditor on r/Etiquette doesn't understand why anyone gets plus ones: Why can't people just attend weddings by themselves?

➕ And Essence thinks it may be better to skip bringing your plus one, even if you have the option. Going alone gives you the opportunity to meet new people.

➕ A 2022 YouGov poll found that 60% of people thought bringing someone as a wedding plus one is a bad idea for a first date. Rom-com plots have it wrong!

Quick hits

⚽ Spain fired women's soccer manager Jorge Vilda weeks after he led the team to its first World Cup championship. (Yahoo Sports)

🏈 Duke toppled 9th-seeded Clemson 28-7. Clemson had 2 field goal attempts blocked, and fumbled twice in the red zone. (ESPN)

🛖 After a rainstorm left Burning Man attendees stranded for days, the eventgoers began leaving the desert around 2pm on Monday. (AP News)

🎤 Biden spoke at Philly's Labor Day parade, touting his job creation and his pro-union presidency. (ABC News)

That’s it for today. Reply at [email protected] to let me know what you think of our newsletter, or to suggest a topic for next time.

Here at Shades we’re trying something new – quick summaries from different points of view. We think it’s a better way to stay informed and see the big picture. Please reach out if you’re curious to learn more!

- Jeff (co-founder of Shades)