Expectation vs. Reality#fyre #fyrefestival pic.twitter.com/U80NApajxl
— William Needham Finley IV (@WNFIV) April 28, 2017
Schadenfreude is Twitter’s secret sauce. So, when word got around that the luxury music festival Fyre Fest — a Ja-Rule-hosted festival in the Bahamas with tickets that started at $4,000 a pop — had descended into absolute chaos, the internet couldn’t wait to feast on the misfortune of people with actual fortunes.
First, a little primer on what the molly-loving Masters of the Universe found when they landed at the fest, which was billed as a private island paradise. The so-called luxury cabanas were clearly disaster relief tents, much of the fest infrastructure had not been built and there were no organizers to explain where everyone should go.
So Fyre Fest is a complete disaster. Mass chaos. No organization. No one knows where to go. There are no villas, just a disaster tent city. pic.twitter.com/1lSWtnk7cA
— William N. Finley IV (@WNFIV) April 27, 2017
#FyreFestival update, photos from the ground! pic.twitter.com/Z7fn9cKaz3
— FyreFestivalFraud (@FyreFraud) April 27, 2017
From someone on the ground at #FyreFestival pic.twitter.com/20ZuzhKNzI
— FyreFestivalFraud (@FyreFraud) April 27, 2017
Early report is that many of the tents aren't assembled. Here's their tropical private island owned by Escobar! #FyreFestival pic.twitter.com/TNzBDbNAUJ
— FyreFestivalFraud (@FyreFraud) April 27, 2017
Attendees luggage was unloaded in the middle of the night from the back of a shipping container:
This is how Fyre Fest handles luggage. Just drop it out of a shipping container. At night. With no lights. #fyrefestival pic.twitter.com/X5CdZRyJWo
— William Needham Finley IV (@WNFIV) April 28, 2017
And this was the first night’s dinner:
The dinner that @fyrefestival promised us was catered by Steven Starr is literally bread, cheese, and salad with dressing. #fyrefestival pic.twitter.com/I8d0UlSNbd
— Tr3vor (@tr3vorx) April 28, 2017
Now, that we’re all clear on the fact that this was basically Bahamian Hunger Games for dudes named Thadd, we can get to the jokes.
The absurdity of the event is enough on its own:
If you told me yesterday that Ja Rule would start a prison camp for Instagram kids in the Bahamas, I woulda called you mad. #fyrefestival
— Tree (@fettutreene) April 28, 2017
So TGIF & enjoy your low wage jobs today because at least you didn't pay $5k+ to be at lord of the flies train wreck that is #fyrefestival pic.twitter.com/YWtrKaqxL8
— Madeline Krebs (@madelinekrebs) April 28, 2017
Real friends don't let friends spend $10k to see Blink 182 #fyrefestival
— Emily Bracey (@emilyebracey_) April 28, 2017
Jarule gets scammer of the year and it's only April #fyrefestival
— 🏁🏁🏁🏁 (@its40rty) April 28, 2017
But it also helps to get #topical:
https://twitter.com/gotMAB21/status/857963384716840960
Maybe we should all be thanking Mr. Bank:
Banksy straight up killed with this new installation depicting the downfall of humanity #FyreFestival
— Maukita (@MauMaukita) April 28, 2017
#FyreFestival is an art installation where mediocre people realize what their lives would be like without rich parents.
— Mike Drucker (@MikeDrucker) April 28, 2017
…Or Mr. Reynolds?
If #FyreFestival was an episode of It's Always Sunny: pic.twitter.com/PQfGeNEMd5
— The Rizzler (@Nick_George37) April 28, 2017
Here’s how you handle a PR crisis:
Well at least the company is owning its mistake pic.twitter.com/DJPHHuGZul
— pixelatedboat aka “mr tweets” (@pixelatedboat) April 28, 2017
Stay woke, kids. If only because you have no place to sleep:
https://twitter.com/atom_cable/status/857956563692257280
"Do you know who my dad is???"
Most common phrase probably being said right now at #FyreFestival
— Ben Wegmann (@benwegmann) April 28, 2017
https://twitter.com/Flames_Baldwin/status/857850037505753088
I am DEAD #fyrefestival pic.twitter.com/g6Qx4XfsRq
— Aunt Jemimah (@plagmania) April 28, 2017
https://twitter.com/AdamNFleming/status/857921761157009412
People were asking “Where’s Ja Rule?” even harder than we have been for years:
Pic of Ja Rule right now #fyrefestival pic.twitter.com/29o0JsEgPo
— MK (@Neethz426) April 28, 2017
Spectators could not contain their glee:
Me at home watching rich people get scammed to see what it feels like to be a refugee and live in subhuman conditions at the #FyreFestival pic.twitter.com/wAnQ5khU6U
— ree (@queenree___) April 28, 2017
Reading these #fyrefestival tweets like pic.twitter.com/9uXrx7wAIZ
— My Ancestor's Legacy (@myancestorsbaby) April 28, 2017
https://twitter.com/haliixo/status/857926730241257473
https://twitter.com/DouViie/status/857923363418906624
https://twitter.com/alysilverio/status/857822141932326912
And some were forced to reevaluate their whole lives:
thought I was a humanist but then an island festival started burning and I felt nothing
— open michael eagle (@Mike_Eagle) April 28, 2017
So, thanks were in order to the universe for providing:
My highest thanks to all the people who bought Fyre Fest tickets and whose suffering has given us so much delight this morning.
— Tom Breihan (@tombreihan) April 28, 2017
https://twitter.com/dubsteppenwolf/status/857846970421047296