# "Bridgerton" ball was a Wonka-esque flop **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 28, 2024, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bridgerton-ball-was-a-wonka-esque-flop/1008204 "2024-09-28T15:51:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2024, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bridgerton-ball-was-a-wonka-esque-flop/1008204/1 "2024-09-28T15:51:42Z")
I never watched the show, but I saw the headline and had to check it out. These kinds of abysmally-planned events are clearly set up to be grifts, aren’t they? Just trying to pull in money? > **[Bridgerton ball: Inside 'scam' event in Detroit compared to Wonka](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2kj45yy88o)** > > The unofficial event has been compared to other viral flops, including the Wonka experience. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2024, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bridgerton-ball-was-a-wonka-esque-flop/1008204/2 "2024-09-28T15:59:54Z")
Of course they’re just trying to pull in money, and I don’t think the organizers would even deny that. And of course they’re trying to keep their own costs low, for the same reason. What makes it a grift is the dishonesty. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2024, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bridgerton-ball-was-a-wonka-esque-flop/1008204/3 "2024-09-28T16:02:44Z")
Every business is “just trying to pull in money”. Most try to do so by providing a good service. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2024, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bridgerton-ball-was-a-wonka-esque-flop/1008204/4 "2024-09-28T16:38:40Z")
I wasn’t able to find copies of the advertisements for this event but a big part of the “charm” of the Wonka thing were the AI-generated ads both depicting a magical event and riddled with weird AI spelling errors. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2024, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bridgerton-ball-was-a-wonka-esque-flop/1008204/5 "2024-09-28T18:25:06Z")
[NY Times (allegedly)](https://www.threads.net/@nytimes/post/DAZ6VATp6Zz) says it was $150 a ticket. That should be sufficient to provide enough seats and crappy food, but not much else. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2024, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bridgerton-ball-was-a-wonka-esque-flop/1008204/6 "2024-09-28T18:36:40Z")
[Gift link](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/25/us/bridgerton-ball-experience-detroit-scam-new.html?unlocked_article_code=1.OE4.3dtP.4fiohrCdWXJM&smid=url-share) to the New York Times article on the Detroit Bridgerton ball, and how it compared to the Willy Wonka experience in Glasgow. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2024, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bridgerton-ball-was-a-wonka-esque-flop/1008204/7 "2024-09-28T18:55:56Z")
It’s entirely IMHO, but I’d throw more shade on the “Bridgerton” ball, in that it delivered even less, cost the attendees more (a LOT more if you consider the costs of the costuming which might be used again, but not costs of getting prepped in terms of styling, etc.). Trying to balance the effect of ripping off adults who probably have the mental maturity to know better and shrug it off and kids who likely don’t though complicates the emotional math. Hmm. How about a round of "F\*\*\* you!"s to both, and to their other high profile forebears such as the Fyre Festival and who knows what else back to the dawn of time. “Hey, we’re going to do a **live** re-enactment of the great hunt where we learned to fear the power of the [Thagomizer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thagomizer)! Only 1/4 haunch of beast! Bring the whole clan, there will be a feast, and a full reproduction of the giant monster.” And thus cave paintings were born. (snicker)