The Travis Scott Astroworld Tragedy is Sparking Calls to Abolish Celebrity Culture

Travis Scott and Drake are reportedly going through a number of lawsuits after eight folks had been killed and scores extra injured in a crowd surge at Scott’s Astroworld Competition in Houston, Texas.

As we’ve all come to study, the occasion descended into chaos on November 5 when the group pushed towards the stage throughout Scott’s set, the strain leaving some attendees unable to breathe, witnesses say. “The group, for no matter purpose, started to push and surge in direction of the entrance of the stage, which brought about the folks within the entrance to be compressed — they had been unable to flee that state of affairs,” Houston hearth chief Sam Peña informed CNN.

Those that died vary from the ages of 27 to 14 years previous. Of the roughly 50,000 people who attended the present, 25 had been hospitalized, the youngest affected person simply 10 years previous, as reported by Vulture. Based on the Houston Chronicle, after police and firefighters declared a “mass casualty,” Scott continued to carry out for 37 minutes.

Attendees say the live performance was unsafe from the beginning, with movies exhibiting tons of of individuals bursting by the gates and bypassing checkpoints. Reporting from The New York Occasions and Los Angeles Occasions speculates whether or not the occasion had enough safety and medical personnel available. The Houston Police Division has launched an investigation into these claims to find out what led to the live performance’s lethal flip of occasions.

On November 6, Scott and his girlfriend Kylie Jenner, who was in attendance, launched respective statements in regards to the occasions that happened.

Jenner confronted backlash after allegedly posting a video of the live performance to her Instagram story as an ambulance made its approach by the group, however wrote in a later assertion by way of her IG story that she and Scott “weren’t conscious of any fatalities till the information got here out after the present and in no world would have continued filming or performing.”

For his half, Scott posted a be aware to Twitter, writing that he’s “completely devastated” and is working with the Houston group to help households in want. A press release despatched extensive by a consultant of the rapper stated Scott would cowl the funeral prices of the Astroworld victims.

Drake, in the meantime, who appeared throughout Scott’s set, wrote on IG: “My coronary heart is damaged for the households and mates of those that misplaced their lives and for anybody who’s struggling.”

Nonetheless, for a lot of, these apologies all fall brief. Movies from the live performance see Scott allegedly conscious of the chaos. In a single video, he briefly stopped his efficiency to order assist for somebody within the crowd who had handed out. However moments later, he continued performing. “There’s a literal video of you singing when you’re actually somebody handed out, any first rate artist would of stopped the present,” wrote one user on Twitter in response to Scott’s assertion. “It’s not that arduous to be a good human being.”

In one other video, the group might be heard yelling at Scott to “stop the show,” however the efficiency continued. A separate video reveals two attendees who had climbed onto a platform the place cameramen had been taking pictures. They’re seen yelling that somebody within the crowd had died, and pleading with the cameramen to inform live performance organizers. The girl within the video, Seanna Religion, later wrote on Instagram that there was “a flooring of our bodies” beneath her. She stated the cameramen dismissed her, and one allegedly threatened to push her off the platform if she didn’t get down.

At one level, Scott might be heard saying, “If all people good, put a center finger up within the sky,” as an ambulance strikes by the group. Two males method Scott on stage, and he waves them away, turning again to the group and telling them to place “two arms to the sky,” including, “I need to make this motherf*cking floor shake, god rattling it.” Different movies present attendees dancing on high of an ambulance within the crowd whereas Scott performs.

Although Scott stopped the present a number of instances to acknowledge that individuals had been damage, he failed to handle the severity of the problem and finish the live performance. Scott has been recognized to foster a tradition of violence at his performances, usually encouraging folks to ignore security protocols. In 2015, he was arrested for reportedly telling followers to climb over the safety barricades throughout his efficiency at a music competition. And in 2017, he pled responsible to disorderly conduct after being accused of inciting a riot at a efficiency when he allegedly inspired folks to push previous safety.

Scott’s response throughout and after the present has yielded rising calls to abolish “celeb tradition” altogether. Celeb tradition is the intense publicity to celebrities’ private lives that always results in them being idolized by followers and the general public at giant. This mass publicity is what creates a phenomenon referred to as parasocial relationships: one-sided relationships the place one particular person is invested in one other social gathering, usually a celeb, who doesn’t know that stated particular person exists. Some argue that this tradition of idolization leads to celebrities, like Scott, viewing their followers as being beneath them.

“Your favorite rapper, favorite actor, favorite singer, favorite TikToker, favorite Instagram influencer doesn’t love you,” stated person @kingsnacks in response to Astroworld information on TikTok. “And the earlier you notice that, the earlier additionally, you will notice that you don’t love them.”

Some are pointing to greed as the rationale Astroworld went awry, suggesting that Scott continued to carry out regardless of the ache his viewers was in to make a revenue. “Astrofest was a mix of poor group, lack of preparation, terrible competition go-ers, terrible celeb tradition however greater than something — revenue over folks,” wrote one user on Twitter.

Because the fallout continues on social media, hopefully it’ll result in Scott and different performers taking accountability to make sure that security is a high precedence for the individuals who attend their reveals.

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