In case you didn’t realize from the endless tabloid coverage, this past weekend was Coachella’s first weekend, and festival goers allegedly listened to music in between stalking celebrities.
The legendary art and music festival brought an impressive lineup for its 17th iteration, with headliners Guns N’ Roses, LCD Soundsystem, Calvin Harris, Ellie Goulding and Ice Cube.
But the headliners’ performances weren’t the sole focus of the festival’s media coverage.
If you’ve scrolled through Twitter this weekend, you’ve likely seen Taylor Swift and her squad’s shenanigans during #Bleachella. The pop star used the weekend to debut her new, edgy platinum blonde hair, partaking in the celebrity driven experience Coachella is known for.
In recent years, Coachella has become a haven for A-list celebrities to frolic around in the Colorado Desert wearing the latest appropriated fashion trends.
Popular mainstays include the cast of the Twilight series back when they were relevant, the Kardashians and Rihanna and whatever drugs she’s currently into.
At Coachella, celebrities are able to wander about freely without paparazzi swarming them. They even walk to and from performances with the rest of the commonfolk.
The only difference is they have super exclusive VIP passes that get them closer to stages and inside lavish sponsored tents.
Celebrity spotting has become a staple of the Coachella experience for wannabe hipsters and thirsty thirty somethings. Who doesn’t want to take a selfie with Queen of Coachella, Vanessa Hudgens?
While the celebrities in attendance may add a unique aspect for patrons, they also take away from what the festival is supposed to be about: music.
Seriously, look at how much coverage of performances that didn’t have an A-list celebrity guest join onstage. If Taylor Swift, Lorde and the Haim sisters weren’t dancing along to a performance in the audience, it evidently didn’t matter.
The festival is supposed to be a frills-free weekend where people from all circles of life bond over music. It was once the coolest mutual admiration society on the face of the Earth.
These days it’s more about creeping up next to Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom to see what they’re smoking.
I get we live in 2016 and people — including myself — are constantly refreshing their Twitter feeds, but sometimes it’s best to disconnect.
Whenever Taylor Swift has to dye her hair platinum blonde in an attempt to maintain a sense of privacy at a public festival, we have a problem. Celebrities should obviously be allowed to attend Coachella and every other music festival.
Attendees need to understand that celebrities are people. Maybe they want to get high and sit on their bodyguard’s shoulders without some local teen in their face trying to get a picture for TMZ.
Here’s to hoping the second weekend of Coachella is more relaxed than the first.
John Gavin Harp is a 21-year-old mass communication junior from St. Francisville, Louisiana.