In a moment that could have been pulled straight from a sitcom, an 83-year-old Sen. Bernie Sanders stood before a crowd of young festival goers at Coachella last weekend. The aging senator in his traditional suit and tie was greeted by the screams of bedazzled and sweaty Gen Z fans at the California music festival. Hot off the trails of his “Fighting Oligarchy” tour with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, he spoke to the crowd about the importance of justice. Before leaving the stage, he praised the young songwriter Clairo for her activism before introducing her.
The moment perfectly distilled the spirit of Coachella. What should be a simple, lighthearted celebration of music has devolved into a pandering photo-op for young people. Although the music is the main draw, attendees spend months planning their outfits, booking overpriced hotel rooms, and trying to get access to afterparties and exclusive events. The appreciation for live performance is now a thin glue holding the experience together as opposed to its focal point.
Since 1999, Coachella has maintained a status as one of the trendiest events, a Southern California staple whose prevalence has only grown. In the 2010s, as social media took over the hearts and minds of new generations, Coachella’s marketability skyrocketed. It was no longer the hip escapade for the nepotism babies of Beverly Hills; it took on a second life as a can’t-miss affair for anyone with an iPhone.
Influencers rapidly changed Coachella’s reputation. It lost its exclusivity as eager young folks travelled across the country to be in attendance, taking photos beside the iconic Ferris wheel and staying in affluent hotel rooms and Palm Springs Airbnbs. Social media also made clothing a centerpiece, with young girls expected to flaunt racy, suggestive outfits. Salaciousness became the standard, and the youth audience reveled in its prematurely adult style. The atmosphere surrounding Coachella became lewd, with sexual promiscuity not only encountered but consistently promoted.
Hellbound and Down 
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