Lt. Mutti - A Mascot
by Anthony
I began attending BM in '99. My group was The Masquetorium. Often while
pestering the chef, I would find myself compulsively changing the trash
bags in the cans which were stored near the kitchen. I observed that there
was a trash separations system similar to how most people separate trash
in their homes. The following year, I camped with the same people. A member of the
group was required to become the "responsible party" for
LNT policy of the group. The well intended individual selected had
created a monster of a recycling system. There were about ten different
containers to catch the stuff. Halfway through the week, I realized
that my compulsive behavior was at work again, and that I was often
resorting the stuff that people either couldn't figure out which can
it belonged or were too lazy to go further than the first on they
came upon. I took it upon myself, reduced the number of cans, and
did what I could to persuade the others to follow the new breakdown.
That entailed mostly ME checking the things six times a day to resort
what the people discarded and change bags. Last year, 2001, my third plan to return home to Black Rock City,
brought me into a new group; AZTECA. When first meeting with the chiefs,
I point-blank offered to coordinate the LNT, and specifically organize
the trash/recycling setup. I told them about the two previous years
where people say they will take charge, but it ended up being a lot
of my work. I figure it would save me some grief if I took the job
from the beginning. So I was the garbage man. I will share the details
of my system at another time; you will love it. While practicing my trash/recycling separation at our workshop before
the event, I got a reputation for being very strict with tidiness.
I had a breakdown for the workshop based closely on the one for the
playa. If someone wanted to combine or add a can, I would firmly say,
"The system I have created works perfectly, it will not be altered"
or something equally heavy handed. I got the nickname, "Trash
Nazi." It was a term of endearment. Everyone was grateful that
I was so "serious" about that chore. It was soon after this that Dale East gave me an East German border
guard uniform of lieutenant rank. It fit me like a glove, and it looked
frighteningly like a nazi uniform. I pranced around the workshop practicing
goostepping, blowing my whistle, and saying things like, "You
vill crush your cans -- Ve have vays of making you crush your cans!"
I suggested a riding crop and Dale again did it a step better -- he
"issued" me a riding crop with a small strand of cool-neon
glued down it's length. My fellow artists praised the character. They
thought it was very suited for my personality, especially my attitude
about the recycling. It was observed that the appearance was indeed
extremely intense and was even frightening. So, to soften it up I
took a soft name, Lieutenant Mutti. Mutti is the German word for Momma
or Mommy - not Mother, that is the more formal, Muter. I wanted my
authority to be one which people would willingly and mirthfully submit.
Tuesday, 8/28, Dinner -- This is the night that was the "highest"
and the "lowest." To start; I helped prepare that night's communal food and was asked
to make some serious announcements to the group about the usage of
communal water and the dish washing station. I emerged in uniform
for the first time from Dale and JB's RV to a thunderous cheer. You
could have knocked me over with a feather, so to speak. My fellow
artists had been living for four days under my "system"
and seemed happy to assist maintaining it. My announcements were well
received, and everyone complied graciously from that time forward.
After dinner, while walking the playa, most of Lt. Mutti's interaction
was pleasant. My friend and I noticed the intense fear in people's
expressions at times, but also intense arousal and mirth. Anyone who
spoke with me found the character to be stoic, but approachable and
eventually flirtatious and/or funny. Once they learned my character's
title and purpose most loved it. Some thought I was portraying an
"enforcer" of LNT, but if someone threw trash at my feet
and said, "What are you going to do about that, Trash Nazi?"
I would turn to any other people near me and say, "I have no
more authroity than they, and you, have; please pick it up, is all
I have to say." As for the riding crop, I never let it leave
my hand. If someone asked to hold it, I declined. My reason: it is
a weapon; I appear as an intense authoritarian figure among the most
liberal group on the planet -- the conclusion: many of them wanted
to use it on me! That is not the purpose; it was neither in my interest,
nor was allowing someone feeling their Cheerio's to use it on anyone
else. If anyone was going to give a cool-neon spanking, it would be
me, and only when requested under the right circumstances. "I
only swat those whom I have permission to hit." If a man points
to his girlfriend and says, "I give you permission to hit her,"
and she indicates that she is not interested, I would smile and ask
him, "Are you sure it is her, and not you that needs discipline?"
Lt. Mutti is not aggressive. He doesn't need to be. His very presence
is provocative enough. I was once attacked on the playa that night. It was unprovoked, and
my friend and I did not see the person coming. He grabbed my crop,
and tried to take it from me. I refused to let go, and he continued
to struggle with me, yelling and bending the crop in a manner in which
it could have been broken. Once I finally disentangled myself from
this person, a woman, his girlfriend I later learned, jumped in to
attempt the same thing. This was far from fun, and had to be the worst
experience I have ever had at Burning Man. I had taken to yelling
at these mad people. This went very against what my character is really
about, but was a reflex reaction to being assaulted. I am happy to
say that that was the only time things got out of hand. Most of the
experiences have been good enough to much more than compensate for
that episode, and now as a result, I am much more alert when parading.
Someone in One-Tribe, the camp with the giant red lion, saw me that
evening. They immediately approached me and said, "We must have
you for our opera! It is called "A Five Minute Requiem for the
Twentieth Century," and nothing would be more fitting for that
than a nazi." I pointed out that the uniform is East German border
guard, not fascist. They said, "Even better! the Berlin wall
did fall!" I agreed, attended rehearsals, and when they performed
the opera I was a big part of it. They videotaped it too, and I am
dying to see the end product. They claim that I am "all over
it." (See attached image.) Even after Burning Man, the character makes appearances. Lt. Mutti was
recognized at Flambé Lounge by many people. Pleasure Sean took
a beautiful photo of the character that is on the images.burningman.com
website.
Lady Bee even requested that the character make an appearance at her birthday
party. I perform with The Mutaytor, and occasionally, Lt. Mutti tears
it up onstage playing percussions. I am sure that there will be more to
this character. Look for him on the playa. in 2002!
