Tanya’s Score: Good-and-a-half*
Rated: TV-MA
Starring: a fraudster, a bunch of privileged millennials, a handful of super models, Ja Rule
Plot: A Netflix original documentary chronicling the colossal failure of the Fyre music festival in 2016.
Tanya’s Verdict: The sh** show surrounding this supposed music festival was so entertaining to watch that I was glued to my tv. I am still trying to decipher what was worse: the fact that Billy McFarland – a fast-talking, charismatic nerd was able to defraud so many people for as long as he did; that overly-privileged and entitled millennials were willing to drop major bucks on a sham event based on some Instagram posts featuring supermodels; that hard-working Bahamians were conned out of money promised to them for their back-breaking work and in one instance lost some of their very own hard-earned life savings. I’m going to say that last one is the worst. The first two are just laughable to the point that I’m incredulous.
People are quick to jump on the bandwagon when big money is at stake and when glamour and glitz are promised. And it’s all about the photo opps – who cares about actual reality when you can pay so that your followers think you are having the time of your life.
This documentary may be about a specific event but it actually showcases a larger societal issue – namely that social media is carefully and cunningly crafted to create FOMO and jealousy in order to cash in on both of these insecurities. Reality be damned!
*Four score descriptions: Sh**; Okay; Good; Great