The Fyre Festival story, of thousands of young people getting scammed by a festival organiser, is one that the online world has been obsessed with ever since it emerged – and since two documentaries on the scandal were released last week, social media can’t stop talking about it as one of the biggest scams of recent memory.
However, Netflix’s take on the story particularly highlighted the injustice faced by people of the Bahamas, who went unpaid for their efforts in trying to put the festival together. Maryann Rolle, a Bahamian caterer, was particularly affected by the actions of festival founder Billy McFarland and his collaborators. In ‘FYRE: The Greatest Party That Never Happened’, she tearfully told of how she ended up using $50,000 of her own savings to pay workers for services that the organisers of the Fyre Festival, didn’t.
We all know the world-wide-web can be a powerful place and this time, the Internet has dropped the hate and teamed up for good – as a GoFundMe for Maryann Rolle, whose appearance on the documentary moved thousands of people, has now raised over $150,000!
The fundraising page was set up by Rolle herself last Monday (14th January), ahead of the documentary’s Netflix premiere on Friday (18th January). So far, in the space of eight days, the page has raised well over her $123,000 goal, and it’s money that will help her recover from the effects of Fyre. One woman commented on the GoFundMe page: ‘What an amazing woman…how could I not add a little to help’, while another called her a great inspiration. As you scroll down the endless, supportive list of messages, you will continue to see people who are both horrified and moved by Maryann Rolle’s actions.
The Netflix documentary focuses on the buildup to and the 2017 ‘luxury’ Fyre Festival itself, an event that failed drastically. The festivalgoers were promised Instagram influencers, luxury food and music from A-listers such as Hailey Bieber (née Baldwin), Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner who helped with the social media campaign of the event. People posted pictures of the festival that was not at all what it what it was advertised. One photo of a below-average and rather sad looking cheese sandwich even went viral. In the documentary, Rolle describes how hundreds of local workers were asked to help bring the event together but Fyre’s organiser, Billy McFarland did not pay the staff for their time or resources. It’s troubling to think how many people, who may have not had the money to, also spent thousands of their money, helping out or trying to make it to this failed event.
In October 2018, McFarland was convicted of fraud and is currently serving a six-year jail sentence.
