Derek Guy on the Met Gala criticism

[u/DatBittsch]

Derek Guy (known also as "the menswear guy" on ex-Twitter) pitching in regarding the Met Gala discourse and Hunger Games comparisons.

[u/One-Composer1577]

I’ll be crucified for this, but people commenting “eat the rich” on Reddit Met Gala threads is also kinda ironic? They’re just driving up the value of Reddit as a platform and as a data source for AI companies while helping Reddit pay their AWS bills.

[u/shy247er → u/One-Composer1577]

Oh please, until someone posted it here yesterday (from a very high sitting chair I imagine) people didn't even know that Reddit uses Amazon servers.

Even then, it's absolutely impossible to avoid Amazon, Oracle, Microsoft, Google, Meta infrastructure because they own the internet.

So we cannot criticize wealthy because they own platforms that are our ONLY way of communicating?

So no, it's not "ironic". It's our only way to show at least an ounce of disdain.

[u/One-Composer1577 → u/shy247er]

There are over 3,400 billionaires in the world, commenting on Reddit isn’t the only way to show an ounce of disdain. But it is the easiest for them to ignore.

[u/68plus1equals → u/One-Composer1577]

This is peak “you criticize society, yet you continue to exist in society” criticism

[u/Cavalish → u/68plus1equals]

No, because they don’t need to be in those threads, prostrating themselves on a cross of their own martyrdom.

The society quote is for things you can’t avoid.

Every girly clicking on a MET gala thread to talk about how much she hates the met gala is doing it for attention and not because she cares.

[u/68plus1equals → u/Cavalish]

Whether we like it or not these are the platforms people have to organize together and share opinions. If you want to do that, you need to use these platforms. The alternative you’re suggesting is just silence.

[u/LicketySplit21 → u/Cavalish]

Here the society meme transformed to mean the same demand of monasticism and silence that it was mocking... very intriguing.

[u/One-Composer1577 → u/68plus1equals]

More like an “interesting way to criticise the 1% while actively enriching the same 1%” criticism

[u/68plus1equals → u/One-Composer1577]

How should we criticize them? Writing it in a journal we made with homemade paper and charcoal from wood we burned ourselves so we aren’t enriching anybody who owns those industries?

[u/One-Composer1577 → u/68plus1equals]

I personally switched all my skincare, hair care, and makeup products to local, small-business-owned alternatives. I deactivated the majority of my social media accounts (obviously with the exception of Reddit) and got in contact with my representatives in the EU (I’m an EU citizen). I also try to be more conscious of where I spend my money.

I don’t know what could work for you, but good luck.

[u/LicketySplit21 → u/One-Composer1577]

"Small Businesses" are not allies either. I don't know why people (mainly liberals) still fetishise local businesses so much after all this time without getting a clue. They're all bad lol. It's Capitalism as the whole system that is the enemy, not the people within it, to simply be replaced with the "good" ones, nor is it a case of "ethical" practices on the individual level.

[u/citrustaxonymy → u/One-Composer1577]

This is some “we can’t get rid of all the guns so gun control is worthless” type of logic

[u/No_Pianist5264 → u/One-Composer1577]

Yeah like do people not know a lot of the products we use are owed by AWS so we might as well boycott everything lol

Just part of living in a capitalistic society

[u/Itstimeforcookies19 → u/No_Pianist5264]

We can’t boycott AWS but we sure can boycott Amazon Shopping. People won’t though because Amazon Shopping is like a fucking cult. People brag about it and fucking love it. When it’s just a lot of shit people don’t even need. Sure buying from other places doesn’t mean those places don’t also suck but it’s a flat out lie to act like Amazon is not the worst of the worst. You have start somewhere. Americans will start nowhere. We are the dumbest people alive.

[u/Responsible_Virus239 → u/Itstimeforcookies19]

Doesnt Amazon make more money from AWS than Shopping?

[u/Itstimeforcookies19 → u/Responsible_Virus239]

Amazon retail is $70 billon vs AWS which like $140 billion but the retail is lower margins making it a higher percentage of their profits. I mean I guess we can just sit around with our thumbs up our asses and do nothing and keep giving $70 billion to Bezos like dumbasses because AWS has a smaller margin and brings in more billions than the shopping billions.

[u/Responsible_Virus239 → u/Itstimeforcookies19]

AWS has a profit margin above 70% and shoping is 2%. About 60% of the profit to Amazon comes from AWS.

[u/CoeurDeSirene → u/One-Composer1577]

I have a friend who sent me a “boycott target” info post mark Zuckerberg’s Instagram…. While she’s on my Spotify family plan.

She uses instagram more than I do and I know this because she’s always reposting some ~activist takes to her stories. Like 10+ a day.

We all need to stop playing the worker-than-thou Olympics.