Article by: Corey Fox
Source – https://www.vulture.com
Fun, luxurious, accommodating — these are all words I would not use to describe the conditions for attendees at the notorious Fyre Festival that transpired in 2017. In what feels like three lifetimes ago, it’s kind of hard to imagine that we are coming up on the sixth anniversary of the infamous Fyre Fest, and the fact that we are still dealing with the after-effects of this pop culture catastrophe is astonishing. There have been countless developments in this story since then — from the federal sentencing of lead organizer Billy McFarland to the onslaught of class action lawsuits — and yet I’m still dizzy with delight from seeing this scroll across my news ticker early this morning:
McFarland is organizing a Fyre Festival 2!
Source – https://www.esquire.com
Yup, you heard that right — the name says it all. Fyre Fest 2 sounds like all of the terrible movie sequels that should have never been made. Speed 2: Cruise Control, Jaws the Revenge, or even the DC films from 2012 to the present, when they started desperately trying to emulate Chris Nolan’s art house/neo-noir-based aesthetics and failing miserably in the process. And much like the upcoming sequel to Joker coming out soon that goes by the subtitle “Folie a Deux,” I often say to myself, “Do we really need another one of these?”
As the rumors continue to swirl around the possibility of a second Fyre Festival being organized, you may ask yourself how this all played out. And well, it all started a few days ago from a single tweet — as if the prison sentences and the loss of millions weren’t enough to try something else for a change. At this point, I would rather see Squid Games: The Influencer Edition at an undisclosed location somewhere in the Bahamas, but who knows? Maybe Ja Rule can right the ship!
Tell me why I should be invited, you ask? Well, I’d rather tell you why I shouldn’t be invited. Although I do enjoy a brush with death every so often, I can’t say being stuck in a humid airport and living off ham sandwiches for five days sounds very appealing. And don’t get me started on the probability of anyone actually booking acts for this bogus venue. With McFarland’s brazen history of not paying artists, and not to mention his inability to deliver a single, solitary amenity from the first Fyre Fest, nobody would be crazy enough to buy a ticket to this, am I right?
Source – Hulu
Now, if you’ve been living under a rock since the pre-COVID days, then you may have missed the hype and fallout surrounding Fyre Fest, and of course, the social media storm that followed. Instagram influencers used their prominence to advertise a “once-in-a-lifetime” luxurious festival experience on a remote island filled to the brim with celebrities, luxury villas, and Michelin-star-rated dining. Hailey Baldwin, Emily Ratajkowski, and Kendall Jenner were criticized for their endorsements since they had not previously disclosed to their followers that they were paid to post about it.
Once the lineups were announced (Blink 182!) and the pricey tickets were purchased, the influencers and festival-goers who could afford them started arriving in the Bahamas, and let’s just say they were less than pleased. Within hours after being told there were no villas on the island, the panic set in and the scene devolved into a Lord of the Flies, battle royale scenario that could rival The Hunger Games. OK, I am kidding about that part, they didn’t spiral into a downward descent on the slippery slopes of a dystopian society, but seriously, what is the end game here? Who in their right mind would spend thousands of dollars to attend this? Are they slowly building up to some kind of Fyre Festival multiverse or an FFEU?
Source – https://amp.theguardian.com
Regardless of the fraudulent aura that will follow Billy McFarland to the bitter end, I still think there is one important question to ask — WHERE IS JA? I feel like the only person that can save Fyre Fest 2 from being a complete disaster is Ja Rule himself. But sadly, I doubt he would want to get involved with the brand again, ever since he miraculously avoided any accountability or jail time the first time around. Maybe the third time is the charm?
If you’d like to remind yourself why Fyre Fest 2 is a bad idea, feel free to watch any of the Fyre Festival documentaries on the subject and then go see Blink 182 at one of the many landlocked locations across the country this year.
