Top Influencers SELLOUT to promote MDL Beast, ignoring Humanitarian crisis
MDL Beast (a play on Middle East) is a three-day music festival (19-21st of December) featuring electronic music, arts, and cuisine – just outside of Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia and the largest city on the Arabian Peninsula.
The festival boasts “an eclectic mix of international superstars and emerging Saudi talent, playing across five different stages – each with their own unique vibe.” Among the attendees were top actors, models and social media influencers, all seemingly singing their praise of the festival.
Lavish landscapes, glamorous parties, and smiling faces were all front and centre as the festival began, but now that the dust has settled, a storm is brewing. The tone-deaf posts and Instagram stories, boasting “the greatest parties on Earth” are facing major backlash for ignoring Saudia Arabia’s glaring Human Rights issue, especially against women and members of the LGBTQIA+ Community.
Can we cancel influencer culture?
— Noura Berrouba 🇺🇦 (@NouraBerrouba) December 22, 2019
Celebrities & influencers being paid to clean & rehabilitate the image of Saudi Arabia, one of worst human rights abusers & one of the least free countries in the world. You choose what to do with your platform. And you choose this? pic.twitter.com/nL35PV75co
The frustration came after Diet Prada — a controversial Instagram account that calls out fashion scandals — pointed out that influencers made posts advertising the festival, yet ignoring what else was happening.
Through anonymous sources, and model Emily Ratajkowski’s testimony, the Diet Prada story claims influencers were offered a six-figure sum for attendance and related posts, in what is the latest strategy by the Saudi government to rehabilitate the kingdom’s image through lavish sponcon.
Two years ago, Saudi Arabia set into action a plan called Vision 2030 to diversify its economy, with $2.7 billion set aside for entertainment, says Billboard. These government-subsidized festivals pay artists up to six times their normal booking fees for performances.
Models and influencers included hashtags in their Instagram like #mdlbeastambassador and #mdlbeastpartner, suggesting they were paid to advertise the festival. Such hashtags were used by Alessandra Ambrosio, Teyana Taylor, Rose Bertram, Romee Strijd, and others. Some influencers have since made their accounts private: Jazzelle Zanaughtti, Kristen Noel Crawley, and Simi Haze.
Armie Hammer, Sofia Richie, Irina Shayk and Olivia Culpo are among the celebs slammed for taking 'six-figure sums' to attend Saudi Arabia festival https://t.co/l9IJtPl3NK pic.twitter.com/7vaIIhFG9l
— Daily Mail Celebrity (@DailyMailCeleb) December 23, 2019
Speaking of the Saudi regime trying to buy the appearance of progress—
— Karen Attiah (@KarenAttiah) December 23, 2019
Here are names of western celebs and influencers that the regime paid this weekend to post feel-good IG photos of concerts in Riyadh. @MDLBeast
All of this is blood money. #JamalKhashoggi pic.twitter.com/fHVtknue0X
Other influencers are hitting back, claiming the event was nothing short of inspiring and history making, and condemn those that say otherwise:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B6d231NnMNG/
Their claims of cultural progress have, however, been smothered by the point that they were within the safety of the VIP section of the festival, not witnessing what was happening on the ground.
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