The Newest Tea is on Fyre
~Caution: contents may be hot...duh~
The main question I'm left with after watching both "Fyre" films:
Was Ja Rule always there when Billy called?
Seems like he was at least always on time, as long as booze was involved - I don't blame him, I just blame it on the Goose. I can think of a few people off the top of my head with similar tendencies. I mean, after all, we're all so easily fooled; damn, ja could go as far as to say I've been hoodwinked once or twice in the Chi!
This life apparently ain't fair :/
Don't worry - there won't be spoilers ahead if you haven't watched (as if there's really anything new to spill) - just maybe a few more dad jokes. You're reading this, right Dad?
The other day my family came to visit me at my new apartment. I was out "networking" the night before and "hustled" my way into some places. I was explaining this to my family at dinner, and my dad called it "bullsh*tting"... I couldn't say he was wrong.
Different generations, different definitions, right? ...
The first thing I did was google "Fyre documentary Viceland" -- word for word.
Actually, I think I wrote "Frye" a few times at first... easy mistake.
I'm not going to lie, I have a slight favoritism towards shows and documentaries produced by VICE. My theory is that they're directed towards specifically a millennial audience, probably those who are more crude, real, maybe on a budget --or often pretending to be-- and trying to make sense of the world around them.
Legit.
One of the guides I read differentiating the Hulu and Netflix documentaries on The Washington Post even wrote:
"One day, our children will ask: Where were you during the Fyre Festival documentaries war?"
So, naturally, I decided to go ahead and watch Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened first, which was released by Netflix, directed by Chris Smith. This one was "co-produced" by VICE studios, Matte Projects, and most notoriously, Jerry Media - the social media group branched off of F*ck Jerry, and that also worked to promote and get the Fyre Festival so big in the first place.
The next day, my roommate and I watched Fyre Fraud, released by Hulu and directed by Jenner Furst and Julia Willoughby Nason.
"While [Hulu] wouldn't say how much they paid McFarland for the interview, Furst and Nason did point out Netflix's potential hypocrisy as they partnered with Jerry Media [...] for their film, gaining access to all of their behind-the-scenes footage and information."
-Tierney Bricker, E! News
To sum it up, I'm going to have to agree again with E! News on this one here:
"Hulu went macro, looking at the bigger picture of the culture that allowed the festival to even exist, while Netflix opted for a more micro approach."
This is definitely true. What makes this so strange is that the macro lens is typically an approach I notice VICE productions to expand on. So, what the hell?... did they just sit back and let Hulu take the wheel on this one?
As the Hulu documentary more suggests, we need to evaluate our culture and its impact on our generation - the way it fosters an environment for people like Billy to thrive for so long and get away with it. Billy McFarland --Billy Bullsh*tter, Billy the Crayon Fixer, Billy the Ultimate Car Salesman-- is a great example for us to learn from, unfortunately.
Let’s not make another mistake like him, as it is easy to get caught up in the glam and fab life, especially when similar concepts like “hustling” and "networking" become almost a second nature to some salespeople in this generation (~lol sorry dad~).
I am a firm believer that you need to earn your stripes.
Some of y'all were raised in families that took the elevator no matter what, and it shows. Those of y'all especially need to show that you've earned it every step of the way. You can't make every money move overnight, and that seems to be an issue I've found some young entrepreneurs coming across recently. The instant influencer or social media fame is glorified.
Yes, there are success stories, but we don't look at their pasts or the failures and obstacles these people have endured. We also overlook the millions of others out there trying to make it, our own "caution warnings," and basic logic because we're blinded by the blitz of an idea --a reality, even-- that we've distorted and convinced countless other followers around us is great.
I think we're overlooking another really important documentary