After Fyre Festival Debacle, Twitter Seethes With Vicious Attacks On The Wealthy
Schadenfreude is a powerful force, especially when you add class resentment to the mix. As news of the chaotic unraveling of the Fyre music festival has spread, Twitter users have had a field day excoriating the Ja Rule-affiliated event and its largely wealthy attendees.
Those who traveled to a Bahamian island for the exclusive festival, after shelling out $1,200 or more for passes, arrived to find wet bedding and lackluster sandwiches instead of the luxury they'd been promised. There were also reports of thefts and a breakdown of transportation services and other infrastructure.
Many wags pointed out that the ensuing struggle was just everyday reality for many of the less fortunate.
Someone at #FyreFestival told an ABC News rep that there was no running water. Now imagine that for about two years. That's Flint.
— Just Say Bro (@MrTrevorSlim) April 28, 2017
We can't have #fyrefestival refugees entering this country until we figure out what the hell is going on.
— Dustin (@dustinrefill) April 28, 2017
The real tragedy about #fyrefestival is those who were dumb enough to go will suddenly believe they're experts on day-to-day struggle.
— Peter Barkley (@peter_barkley) April 29, 2017
The people stuck at #fyrefestival need to just pull themselves up by their bootstraps and stop asking for handouts via social media.
— Juche Rowling (@BlackAutonomist) April 28, 2017
Rich kids at #FyreFestival: We paid $2000 to get here and all we got was crappy tents and our stuff stolen!
Refugees: Huh. Imagine that.— Svenja G (@SvenjaLiv) April 29, 2017
#FyreFestival rebranding disaster-relief tents as "luxury glamping" is so poetic it hurts.
— Danny Bultitude (@dannybultitude) April 29, 2017
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The idea that the wealthy young attendees were gullible saps also surfaced again and again.
Have any #Juicero owners also been caught up in the #fyrefestival fiasco? Get in touch – I want to write a 10,000 word profile on you.
— Dawn Foster (@DawnHFoster) April 28, 2017
When your bank account is bigger than your IQ #fyrefestival #fyrefestivalfraud
— Kate (@kandjadams) April 28, 2017
I think one striking thing about #fyrefestival is models on Instagram luring partygoers to their doom like modern-day sirens
— Rachel Jane Andelman (@rajandelman) April 28, 2017
If you pay $12,000 for JA Rule and Blink 182…
A. You're an idiot
B. You got what you deserve
C. I don't feel sorry for you— Kevin Brackley (@kjbrackley) April 29, 2017
(The sense that attendees got scammed is reinforced by a rumor that celebrities were warned not to attend the festival’s opening weekend.)
A critical mass of responses were downright nasty, indulging in fantasies of violence and despair among the rich.
I've always dreamed of building elaborate deathtraps that attract the 1% but #fyrefestival actually went and did it, kudos
— Amy Dentata (@AmyDentata) April 28, 2017
I was having a terrible night but then I went through the #fyrefestival tag. Nothing cheers me up like rich kids suffering.
— Monica Quirk (@monicaaquirk) April 29, 2017
So, TIL it turns out watching obscenely wealthy people being trapped & abused gets me aroused. *The More You Know* https://t.co/kyTaZBwlJl
— Amerigoon (@u4eahh) April 29, 2017
This is absolutely my favourite thing written about #FyreFestival pic.twitter.com/m7OgTXlLYS
— Cos Ryan (@CosRyan) April 29, 2017
Brands have wisely steered clear of the class strife, but one apparently satirical account took a swing on RC Cola’s behalf--and earned some serious traction for it:
#fyrefestival even asked us to be a sponsor and we were like nah pic.twitter.com/hRmrAVqgfM
— RC Cola (@OfficialRCCola) April 28, 2017
If any reminder was needed, the Fyre fallout shows just how deep antipathy for the wealthy runs in our increasingly unequal era.
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