Netflix's Fyre New Documentary

If You Haven't Watched Netflix's Documentary On The Infamous Fyre Festival, Drop Everything And Watch It ASAP

Honestly, I'm surprised anyone from his team made it out alive.

Callaghan Carter
Callaghan Carter Jan 21, 2019
230
views

I just finished Netflix's documentary called FYRE: The Greatest Party That Never Happened, about the Fyre Festival and I, have a lot of thoughts and opinions. I think we all have a lot of thoughts and opinions. I don't even know how this could have happened, how so many people could have believed in and believed a single word Billy McFarland said on social media, emailed, or pitched to his team. I mean, have you looked at this guy? He looks like a total ass and must have a good poker face.

FYRE: The Greatest Party That Never Happened | Liar [HD] | Netflix www.youtube.com

I remember reading about this online when Kendall Jenner apologized for promoting it after everything backlashed. Many celebrities apologized and deleted every post they posted about the upcoming festival that was going to be a "game changer."

Throughout the documentary, we see everything from the beginning to the end, and well, Billy is good at his craft as one of his team members said, "He's a liar." Watching this documentary my anxiety was heightened and I couldn't believe people put in their personal money and time for people who didn't treat their workers, team members, and people buying their "ticket packages" with the respect they deserved.

They didn't email people back. They didn't answer their DMs on Instagram. They kept hyping up their festival when they were using hurricane tents and air mattresses when they should've been building cabanas on the beach. They treated the models in their commercials and promo videos like jerks, and you could tell by their faces with the pressure that they were done with Billy being an asshole, and Ja Rule wasn't much better. Yet, what do I know?

In summary, this is what people were expecting: Lavish cabanas, houses they could rent during the festival, parties on yachts with celebrities or influencers, cruise ships, jet skis, amazing food, never-ending alcohol and a good time. Sounds pretty great right? Sounds too good to be true right? Right.

I think the most ridiculous thing out of all of this is how long it took for people to catch on.

When they kept adding packages and opportunities I would've caught on fast. Why are they asking for more money? Do they need the money? Is this a scam? This is all too good to be true? They were emailing people that they needed to put money on this wrist bands for the festival to be able to buy things and to do activities when in reality they needed that money ASAP ahead of time to make things happen—that didn't end up happening at all.

Now, let's get to what happened during the festival. Or, lack of festival. 1/3 of the people arrived 30 minutes early which shouldn't have been that big of a problem if they were prepared for the thousands of people they were expecting. The people who bought tickets were expecting private little planes but instead, they got a usual plane with just "FYRE" smacked on the side. Fancy right?

Besides the left-over hurricane tents and air mattresses, they delivered luggage in giant 18 wheelers and threw them on the beach making it a free for all, lockers weren't unpacked for them to put their valuables in, they held people on the beach for 6 hours trying to hide the reality of the situation—oh and someone on the executive team almost sucked dick to get running water. Now, does that sound like a good time?

Sounds like a nightmare for everyone involved. People had to fight first come first serve to sleep in tents, people were peeing on already rained on mattresses and it was a real-life show of survivor. I think the most iconic picture of Fyre Festival is the uncooked bread and a slice of cheese. You all know the one I'm talking about.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs3q2vEh72u/

You're all hoping the nightmare ended when they left, yet leaving the Bahamas was a lot harder to do than what everyone else thought it would be. People were squished in this little airport, there were no flights to Miami at the time, and they were LOCKED in the small airport without food and water. Like what the actual hell.

I think the thing that really pissed me off is that Billy McFarland scammed people before this event with a fancy credit card he created, and even after while he was on bail for 5 charges. You would think that a con-artist and a scammer would learn while on bail for being arrested, but I guess he thinks he's just a rich man and told his friend he's not being arrested.

Well, he got 6 years in federal prison and I think he deserves a lot more. He scammed people of millions of dollars, starved people, didn't pay the local workers on the island; making the poor lady who cooked the meals on the island pay the local workers from her own savings—honestly, I'm surprised anyone from his team made it out alive.

Everyone needs to watch this documentary because people are doing this stuff all the time.

Every single day you might get an email in your junk mail, or a call, or something in the mail. It's a common thing in America and in foreign countries, it's a straight up everyday thing. This really opened my eyes, and I don't know what is real or fake anymore.

Callaghan Carter
Callaghan Carter Jan 21, 2019
At University of Maine
At University of Maine
At Odyssey Tech Team
At University of Maine

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10 Abnormally Normal Things About College

Some stuff just doesn't fly in the real world.
Caitlin Carlson
Caitlin Carlson Mar 1, 2017
112314
views

College is a weird, weird place. For whatever reason, the young adults who are supposed to be cultivating their minds with all of the worldly knowledge available to them, seem to get away with quite a bit using the justification "it's college." Even the best students live abnormally while on the alien planet that is a university. So, while to us college students it may just seem like another day, here are ten things that are only normal in college.

1. Straight up theft.

In the future, if I walk into my forty-something-year-old neighbor's home and see a collection of stolen signs, stuff from the local restaurant, and property from the construction site down the road, I would definitely be concerned about the character of my neighbor. However, in college, people proudly display campus signs, traffic cones, or dining hall napkin dispensers that they have impressively commandeered - it's a cheap decoration and a great conversation starter.

2. All-nighters.

Maybe with the exception of parents of little babies, very few people willingly stay up for close to 24 hours on end. In the real world, if a friend came to you and said that they literally did not sleep the previous night, it's completely logical to be worried. On the other hand, when a friend in college says that he was up all night you laugh a little, give him an understanding pat on the back, and walk with him to the coffee line.

3. Atrocious eating habits.

Sometimes you don't have time to eat. Sometimes you order pizza at 2 in the morning. Sometimes you eat three dinners. Sometimes you diet. All I can say, is thank goodness that our metabolisms are decently high at this age.

4. Breaking and entering.

In high school, you hopefully knew everyone who entered your home. After college, hopefully, that's still the case. However, when you live in the middle of thousands of bored college students, people knock at your door, walk into parties, cut through your yard, and stop by without invitation or hesitation. It keeps life fun, but still not normal.

5. Calling mom when stuff goes down.

I really doubt a time will ever come that I don't need to call my mom for guidance on how to do something. But, hopefully the frequency of those calls with go down a little bit post-graduation. Maybe after four years of doing it on my own, I'll know how to fill out government forms, cook real dinners, and get stains out. But for now, I'm going to keep calling while I still can without seeming totally pathetic.

6. Being intoxicated at weird times.

Drunk at noon on a Friday is the quintessence of an alcoholic at any time - unless it's college. Not that this is necessarily a good thing, and it certainly doesn't apply to everyone, but there aren't many other places where people would instantly assume someone is intoxicated if they're acting even a little weird. I've even seen people drink in the library....

7. The messed up dating scene.



There are people who meet the love of their life at college and live happily ever after. They are people who meet the supposed love of their life at college and never talk to them again after Sunday. There are people who use Tinder. Hormones are high, freedom is bountiful, and football players are cute - what else needs to be said?

8. A warped sense of time.

The career I'm pursuing will require me to be at work by 7 am, five days a week. I am fully aware of this. Now, will I enroll in an 8 am next semester? Absolutely not - I'm not a demon. In college, nights often start at 10 p.m., dinners are eaten at 4, and mornings can begin anywhere from 8 to 2. We don't get that whole 9-5 idea.

9. Costumes... for no apparent reason.

High schoolers have a dress code. Adults have dignity. College students have fun. Here, people will wear a corn costume to get on ESPN, a fanny pack to get into a fraternity, or a tutu to match a theme party. Is it actually a weird thing, though? No one even blinks an eye.

10. Insanely close friends.

Name another point in your life when you live with your friends, study with your friends, drive with your friends, eat with your friends, go out with your friends, and even grocery shop with your friends. I'll wait. At college, it's easy for friends to seem like family because you're with them constantly. Love it or hate it, it's weird about college.

So, enjoy this weirdness while you can - it won't last forever!

ALSO SEE:

Uncensored Roommate Confessions!

Cover Image Credit: Matthew Kupfer
Caitlin Carlson
Caitlin Carlson Mar 1, 2017
At James Madison

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12 Unhealthy College Habits That Never Should Have Become Normalized

No, you shouldn't have to pull an all-nighter to pass every exam.

brookeratledge
brookeratledge Apr 17, 2019
237
views

College is a weird time in our lives, but it doesn't have to be bad for our health. Here are some trends I've seen on social media and watched my friends practice that really never should have become a "thing" for college students in the first place.

1. The "freshman 15."

Everyone has heard of the dreaded "freshman 15," where college freshmen gain 15 pounds because of access to all-you-can-eat dining halls. Rather than eating healthier options at the dining halls or, you know, only eating until you're full and not stuffing yourself, we've just accepted our fate to gain what's really a large amount of weight. Not a very healthy mindset.

2. Eating only junk food because we're "too poor" to buy real food.

For off-campus students, the theme is ramen and peanut butter & jelly sandwiches. This is really not how it needs to be. You can buy a bunch of romaine lettuce for around $1 at the grocery store I go to in my college town, and other produce like broccoli, potatoes, and apples are always cheap. Shop sales and keep your pantry stocked on staples like dry pasta, rice, beans, and other canned vegetables. It's not that expensive to eat decently.

3. Gorging on food at the dining hall just because you can.

This is what leads to the freshman 15. Just because you can eat whatever you want doesn't mean you should.

4. Procrastinating EVERYTHING.

I'm always ahead of my schoolwork, but all of the people in my classes push things right down to the wire. It creates unnecessary stress. Just get things done in advance so you don't have to worry.

5. Being generally unorganized and struggling to keep your life together. 

Actually using my planner is one of the best things I've done for myself in college so far. I don't know why it became popular for college students to be a hot mess all the time, but again, do what you can to avoid putting unnecessary stress on yourself.

6. Pulling all nighters, ever.

If you don't understand it by midnight, you won't understand it any better by five in the morning. You'll do so much better with less studying and more sleep than the other way around. Take the L and go to bed.

7. Waiting until the very last minute to start studying for your finals.

This is what typically leads to the aforementioned all-nighters. If you have an exam in two weeks, start studying NOW. Give yourself time to figure out what you need to focus on and get in contact with your professor or a tutor if necessary. Do yourself the favor.

8. Getting blackout drunk Friday and Saturday night...every weekend.

A lot of college students like to drink. That's fine, I get it, college is stressful and you just want to have a good time. But you don't have to go out every night of every weekend and drink so much you don't remember anything that didn't occur between Monday-Friday every week. Give yourself a break from drinking every so often.

9. Getting iced coffee before class and being late because of it.

I always make sure I get to campus early if I plan to get Starbucks, which I often do. It's rude to come in late, and it's detrimental to your education to consistently miss class. Your coffee can wait if you're running late. Plan better next time.

10.  Committing to 10 different extracurriculars because "it'll boost your resume if you have more on it!"

If you only participate in one club where you're the head of marketing and the treasurer, that will look SO much better than if you participated in five clubs but were just...there for all of them. Excel in one thing rather than being mediocre in many.

11.  Skipping class whenever you feel like it.

You can take the occasional mental health day, but if you're just being lazy, you're only hurting yourself. Go to class. You're paying a lot of money for it, after all.

12.  Spending every last penny you have to go somewhere for spring break (Daytona Beach, anyone?).

"Broke" college kids always end up taking the most extravagant spring break vacations. I'm sure it's fun and you'll cherish the memories, but wouldn't you cherish that $500 more if you saved it for things you actually need rather than living off of ramen for a month when you get home?

brookeratledge
brookeratledge Apr 17, 2019
At Towson University

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