The latest TS shows are in LA and celebrities are crawling all over social media at that show. So the elitist vibes are really high right now.

That said, the biggest Swiftie I know is an early 40s divorced mom who comes from an insanely wealthy family. She's gone to the show in at least 4 different cities (Phoenix tour kick off, all the shows in ATL, one show in Nashville, and now in LA with her girlfriends), every time in VIP section or luxury box seats. Posts tons of social media content every time.

I don't want to think about all the cash she has dropped.

We entered the lottery to get a chance to buy tickets when they were released. It took hours because the site crashed and we were kicked to the back of the line to start over. I was able to get tickets for my daughter and a friend’s daughter in Philly. I went with my daughter and her friends. The concert was truly amazing. Taylor performed for 3 hours.

A lot of the issues OP raised are about our culture. I didn’t post about it on Facebook or instagram or snap chat or any other social media. Did I talk about going with friends? Yes, just like I talk about other aspects of my life.

We met plenty of other fans who got tickets like we did. Upon release by buying them. My biggest complaint is the monopoly that ticketmaster has on ticket sales. Stop following the influencers. Stop posting, viewing, and liking/commenting on braggy look at me and my amazing life photos on social media to people you don’t know if you don’t like how this activity is becoming elitist. You are helping to drive it whether you realize it or not.

Anonymous wrote:There are plenty of us who paid face value for tickets. I go to a lot of concerts and while her face value was higher than most, I didn't feel it was astronomical. I had fantastic seats for $275 (that was the total with fees....which are ridiculous). Just because someone got tickets doesn't mean they were paying resale prices.

True. But you were in the extreme minority getting face value, thanks to the bots and resellers. If everyone could get face value at the location of their choosing, this wouldn't have been a big thing. But that's not what happened for the vast majority of people. And for this latest round of dates, it includes flights or long drives for anyone from this area.

There are plenty of us who paid face value for tickets. I go to a lot of concerts and while her face value was higher than most, I didn't feel it was astronomical. I had fantastic seats for $275 (that was the total with fees....which are ridiculous). Just because someone got tickets doesn't mean they were paying resale prices.

Anonymous wrote:Agree so I talk with my wallet by not buying her tickets when I can go to 6 other concerts instead.

This is me too. I love TSwift and would love to go to a concert, but it's just too much of a hassle. I am not willing to spend $600 for nosebleeds, fly to a different city etc.

So I'm just opting out. It's ok, I can still like TSwift.

Reminds me of Veruca Salt

Anonymous wrote:I can’t understand the need to pay those prices to then have to watch the broadcasted screen to even see the show from your way-up-there seats. Add in the traffic, long lines and being around fanatical people, no thank you.

Because your daughter can buy the shirt and talk to her friends who have the shirt or the hoodie about how great the show was and then look down on the kids whose parents didn't pay for them to attend

I can’t understand the need to pay those prices to then have to watch the broadcasted screen to even see the show from your way-up-there seats. Add in the traffic, long lines and being around fanatical people, no thank you.

Anonymous wrote:I don't think the fact that tickets are expensive or very hard to get is de facto elitist.

I think the culture that has evolved around it, where people brag about going on their social media, people with lots of money are going to multiple shows in multiple cities and bragging about that, and also this whole thing in wealthy communities where cliques of parents are buying tickets for their teens and then being very showy about taking them -- all that stuff is elitist.

Someone spending their savings on tickets to the show, or getting lucky in the lottery, or whatever, is not elitist. It's the bragging, one-upsmanship, and extreme conspicuous consumption around it that is elitist. Especially when it involves teenagers.

Of course, but that's what people are complaining about.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elitist

I don't think the fact that tickets are expensive or very hard to get is de facto elitist.

I think the culture that has evolved around it, where people brag about going on their social media, people with lots of money are going to multiple shows in multiple cities and bragging about that, and also this whole thing in wealthy communities where cliques of parents are buying tickets for their teens and then being very showy about taking them -- all that stuff is elitist.

Someone spending their savings on tickets to the show, or getting lucky in the lottery, or whatever, is not elitist. It's the bragging, one-upsmanship, and extreme conspicuous consumption around it that is elitist. Especially when it involves teenagers.

Elitist? It’s expensive, and it might be a status marker to some, but to me it isn’t “elitist.” That word has been co-opted by the far right. Is that what you mean, OP?

Anonymous wrote:With tickets being impossible to purchase the only way one can attend the concert is buy paying the exorbitant resale prices and/or flying to another location.

A trip that will cost about $5k or more.

This is ridiculous

It will continue that way because people are paying it. For multiple concerts. This can't be blamed on Ticketmaster, it's the people forking over the cash.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am constantly shocked by how much money there is everywhere and people seem to somehow have an endless supply of it. And not just rich people but all the “normal” people too. We make a very good living and I am not complaining but everyone around us seems to always have more. We do try hard to keep gratitude and perspective but it requires constant effort and vigilance to do so.

Same. I see this too. It’s the endless supply of money that I don’t understand. We also make a decent living, but in this economy our income is down whereas everyone else seems entirely unaffected. They just can afford endless things!

It's not an endless supply. A lot of people have debt, but they are willing to incur more to "enjoy" their lives. Then they will complain about how they can't retire, or how it's the POTUS fault that they can't save, or that their taxes are too high.

Yeah, but you can only have so much debt, and with interest rates going up it will be hard to service that debt. In many instances, I think people truly just have a crapload of money.

You'd be surprised at how much debt people are willing to have to show that they went to some concert or destination.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With tickets being impossible to purchase the only way one can attend the concert is buy paying the exorbitant resale prices and/or flying to another location.

A trip that will cost about $5k or more.

This is ridiculous

Nobody is forced aboard the Taylor Swift hype-train. I assure you, the vast majority of people in the world do not care if you went or not.

Surely you understand that, while not my cup of tea, people like her music and want the experience. I get being disappointed about not being able to afford, or wanting to shell out the money if you can, seeing an artist that you love. I skipped Elton John's farewell for that reason. It was a bummer to do so. But I'm not that flush with cash.

OP isn't asking whether you care or not and i'm not sure why you think she cares that you care. How self absorbed are you?

Anonymous wrote:We are going to Asia to see her. Resale VIP tickets were only a bit over face value and we will spend a week on vacation in addition to the show. It’s fine.

Flying to Asia to vacation and see a concert is by definition an elitist activity. You are agreeing with OP without seemingly having the intelligence to realize it.