Back in February, people in Glasgow were “treated” to the now infamous Willy Wonka event. The only thing that would’ve made it worse is if it actually killed someone, (it didn’t) instead of just taking their money. There was also the “Bluey” Day event that happened a few months later in Vegas, which also didn’t go well. Since we all presumably know that history repeats itself, one would assume that an unofficial “Bridgerton“ themed event would face a similar fate.
And oh boy, did it ever.
On September 22nd, the people of Michigan were treated to the “Detroit Bridgerton Themed Ball.” Normally that’s not a phrase you have to put quotes around but considering that the only word in that subject that could even remotely be considered accurate is the city, “Detroit,” the quotation marks are fair game. If you’re not familiar with the Netflix series, “Bridgerton,” it’s effectively a romantic, historical drama that takes place during the Regency era in an alternate history version of early 1800’s London. To put it another way, imagine stereotypical aristocratic England with the fancy dress, social decorum, etc. and the drama that could come from that era.
It’s the kind of setting that would easily inspire people to dress up in a way that they normally wouldn’t have a use for and act sophisticated. Netflix knew this themselves and is why they’re hosting their own official “Bridgerton” themed events. This was not that. This was like if Fyre Festival was on the third floor of a fancy hotel ballroom, and the only money invested into the event was to rent the room.
Attendees have posted a variety of stories, pictures, and videos about their experience at the ball and, well, remember that DashCon event with the “ball pit?” Imagine that but instead of a ball pit was a stripper.
Yup, that’s a stripper at the event who is certainly not in the right place and/or time from a dancing or wardrobe perspective. That’s why if you listen to the people off camera one of them remarks, “I don’t remember this in ‘Bridgerton.'” No one remembers Kit Kat bars being in the show either, but that’s what one of the local vendors who set up shop in the room was selling. Surely you remember the scene in the show where Penelope enjoyed a post-coital Kit Kat?
Tickets for the event reportedly ran anywhere from $150 to $1,000, and may not have meant anything at all if some of the reports are true that no one was checking the tickets for people who were at the event. Seems like there were just random people in there at some points while at others there was practically no one there at all. That would have made finding a seat relatively easy, except for the testimonials from people who said there weren’t any chairs to sit in.
The event was organized by a company called Uncle N Me LLC, who did release a statement regarding how poorly the event went.
“We understand that not everyone had the experience they hoped for at our most recent event Sunday night at The Harmonie Club, and for that, we sincerely apologize. Our intention was to provide a magical evening, but we recognize that organizational challenges affected the enjoyment of some guests. We take full responsibility and accountability for these shortcomings.
Please know that we are working diligently to address all concerns to ensure that all guests have the enjoyable experience they deserve. Your feedback is invaluable, and we truly appreciate both the positive and constructive comments shared with us.
Uncle N Me LLC in a statement picked up by WXYZ TV
The statement went on to say they’re reviewing options for resolution, but the fact of the matter is, the apology is a pretty lame excuse. Event coordinating is incredibly hard and it’s not nearly as easy as people might think it is. That being said, you know when an event is considerably underbaked and if you somehow don’t know when it is, then you probably have no right putting on an event in the first place. Any company with respect for its image and its customers would have cancelled this event in the lead-up to it, or offered refunds right away.
It’s almost comical that these kinds of events are happening more and more except for how they’re taking time and money away from fans and potentially damaging the brands that these “experiences” are associating themselves with. And honestly, who the hell hires a stripper for a “Bridgerton” event?! Did somebody’s roommate need a job or something?
