Embed from Getty Images
Lollapalooza, the four day music festival, ended yesterday in Chicago. Acts included Foo Fighters, Meghan Thee Stallion, Miley Cyrus, Post Malone and Tyler Thee Creator. I watched some of it live on Hulu and have seen the photos and videos online. Over 180,000 people attended and they’re all packed close together with no social distancing and no masks in sight. Organizers required either proof of vaccine or a negative coronavirus test within the last 72 hours, although I’ve heard enforcement was lax. We know that there are fake vaccine cards circulating and that a negative test doesn’t ensure someone hasn’t contracted the virus more recently, especially with the highly contagious delta variant. As you know, people who are vaccinated can also get and spread covid, however they’re much less likely to get seriously ill. The event seemed so reckless to me and doctors agree. NBC Chicago spoke to area doctors who are concerned.
While Chicago officials remain hopeful Lollapalooza won’t spur a significant rise in COVID-19 cases, infectious disease experts at Northwestern University are bracing for a jump in infections during the coming weeks.
““It’s a recipe for disaster,” Dr. Tina Tan, a pediatrician and professor at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, said in a news release. “You have people coming in all over from U.S., and even though the organizers are taking some efforts to mitigate infections, I don’t know how they’re going to enforce mask wearing, social distancing, handwashing…”
Despite an uptick in cases fueled by the delta variant, the Chicago Department of Public Health and Lollapalooza’s own health experts decided it was safe to proceed with the festival, Mayor Lori Lightfoot previously said.
The four-day event, which city officials have billed as the largest music festival happening in the world this year, saw massive crowds and little to no social distancing at multiple concerts on opening day.
To enter Lollapalooza, concert-goers must provide a printed copy of their COVID vaccine card, vaccine record or negative coronavirus test within 72 hours of entering. Dr. Robert Murphy, executive director of Northwestern’s Institute for Global Health, acknowledged the vaccine and negative COVID-19 test requirements help, but said “it’s just not enough when you’re in the middle of the pandemic.”
For those who are not vaccinated against COVID-19, a mask is required while inside the festival at all times. However, some infectious disease experts have expressed doubt whether mask requirements and social distancing will be followed.
In a tweet Friday evening, Lollapalooza announced masks will be required at any indoor spaces beginning Saturday following a recommendation from Chicago city officials that all residents over the age of 2 wear masks in public indoor settings, regardless of vaccination status.
The article went on to quote a doctor who said “The real problem is not so much that a bunch of young people who come into Chicago getting COVID at this event. The real problem is them taking it back to places that have very low vaccination rates.” This festival never should have happened. It encapsulates the US response to the pandemic and just about everything. Just keep the economy moving, let people do what they want, and accept death and suffering as a consequence of capitalism. It’s despicable and it makes me think less of these musicians. If they had doubts about whether to perform, they surely faced so much pushback from their teams and from the insurance companies and corporations. So many people are responsible for this. Artists should have backed out, organizers should have called it off, and officials should have told them they weren’t welcome. At the very least masks should have been required at all times. The only thing that drives decisions in the US is cash.
I asked my friend who lives in Chicago for a comment for this story. She said “My main feeling is that the city’s leadership threw its citizens under the bus because they were afraid of losing the commerce from Lolla. Illinois is implementing new mask guidelines but it’s too late IMO. Those should have been implemented before Lolla.” Agreed.
It’s not all terrible news out of Lollapalooza.
Lollapalooza has dropped DaBaby from its lineup following his homophobic remarks pic.twitter.com/cs3eaVZKTD
— chris evans (@chris_notcapn) August 1, 2021
And this is how their checking the vax cards…. pic.twitter.com/EWc6silpLt
— 😔 (@OSNotFound) July 31, 2021
I live in Chicago and let me tell you: there are a lot of people here angry that this happened. It was 100% about not losing Lollapalooza in future years, and there was no enforcement of any safety protocols (the video above is a slap in the fucking face). Congratulations, idiots, you’re going back home to kill grandma so you could see MILEY CYRUS
Fellow Chicagoan. And then a lot of them came into my workplace on Saturday on the way back to their hotels. Hopefully my mask did it’s job. I hate people so, so much. I wish Chicago’s leadership would prioritize us Frontline workers who are literally not getting a break from this stupidity.
Former Chicago resident and I’m stunned by this. At first I was a bit envious of the chance to attend an outdoor concert but then I saw the pictures. I think so much more highly of Chicago than this. And I’m surprised at the justification. L’plooza is synonymous with Chicago so rather than be manipulated by threats of leaving wasn’t there a chance to solidify that relationship with a mutual decision to not FKING do this?!
Lollapalooza is always like this, a nasty mess of dirty people trashing the entire downtown vicinity. We have no reason to believe that any Americans would change their behavior for this year. We’ve seen how people act against their own and everyone’s best interest throughout this pandemic. I have to go downtown this week but am pushing it as far forward as possible so that hopefully some cleanup can be done and the wind blows the nastiness in the air away a bit. I don’t know. It’s so enraging.
It was still in Tinley Park when I lived in Chicago. I was actually a bit envious when it moved downtown near where I used to live, but I have heard from friends still there that it’s a nightmare every year. This year really tops the charts of awful, though. Good luck on your venture downtown. I’d wear a mask outdoors until this is all cleaned up.
I stayed in my neighborhood all weekend, especially after seeing pics of how concert goers were crowding transit stops, many either maskless or improperly wearing them. Easily going to be one of the biggest super spreader events of the year.
My vaccinated son is in isolation at his college because he unknowingly went to a party with a bunch of people who had been at this ridiculous super spreader event. His college is not even in Illinois, FFS, people are so dumb.
Without a pandemic I would be afraid of being trampled in that crowd. That is way too tight for me. All it would take is one FALSE alarm, which recently happened pre-pandemic at Global Citizen. One false alarm. I can’t even imagine how many would be trampled to death in the ensuing herd. Since Covid? I could never.
If you were trampled to death by the crowds – you wouldn’t be the first. Or second… so yeah, add a pandemic to the mix. Excellent plan!
I lived across from the park for some years (watched Obama’s first victory celebration there from my apartment windows – so cool). Lollapalooza crowds were always about the chance to spend a weekend being stupid (which I can get behind) – but not right now. I’m equal parts disgusted with Mayor Lightfoot and event organizers.
Can everyone repeat after me “ANTI VAXXERS are ANTI MASKERS”. Does anyone believe they’re wearing masks?
I’m one of those immuno-compromised folks who got my Pfizer vaxxes but has no antibodies. A little heartbroken on leaving Chicago for my cottage in the country two years ago when my health got the better of me – but glad to be on the sidelines just now. Please vax or no vax – put that mask on. If not for me, for someone you love.
Cringe. Packed in like sardines! I have tickets for an outdoor event later this summer. It’s at a venue with fixed seating, so hoping that means it will be somewhat safe?
I’m going to a small outdoor Music festival this October. It’s in a red state. My friends and I are vaccinated but I’m starting to get nervous. I won’t be able to get my money back unless it’s canceled and we booked an Airbnb so I’m in this for several hundred dollars. I’m so tired to the antivaxxers.
@Chaine and @Driver8 It’s a choice between life and possible death or long-term complications. Do you really want to take that chance for a concert?
Driver8 – Wait, are you seeing an REM reunion at an outdoor festival by any chance? I’d love the dets on that one.
@Betty Rose, I wish!!! No, Jason Isbell is hosting a festival with several other musicians. It’s an annual event. We won’t go if there are issues. We’ll just stay at the Airbnb and tour the town instead.
Outdoor event with fixed seating should be fine. A non-vaccinated person’s chance of getting covid outside is small – they didn’t even find any evidence of outdoor transmission at the Sturgis motorcycle rally from last summer. So a vaccinated person’s chance is even lower.
Bri, that’s bullshit about Stugis! It absolutely was a massive coronavirus event and it was spread to all of the attendees and they took it back to their homes and communities. Sturgis was an absolute mess and created a greater mess.
Bri specified no proof of outdoor transmission from the sturgis event, not no transmission at all from that event. So I wonder if when they did the contact tracing from that event’s outbreak, it was shown that most people got the virus when they were inside at a bar, restaurant, hotel, etc, as opposed to just riding around on their bikes or sitting/visiting outside. I’m not sure how they’d be able to be so exact about finding that out though: just because 5 people who all got covid were in the same bar doesn’t mean they didn’t contract it outside. That seems like a really hard thing to be sure about. Or maybe once everyone came home with their positive covid infections, they only transferred it to people they were inside with, rather than people they were around outside?
I can’t believe the way vaxx confirmations are (not) being checked. Is that confirmation even a valid enough paper? I have a passport with code reader and had to go through government online process to get it.
I recently pulled out my vaccine card and realized my name, birthdate, or patient number wasn’t even written on it. I filled in my name and birthdate myself (I don’t know my patient number) but I thought how easy it would be for someone to just sell theirs if the name wasn’t written in. My son’s has his name spelled incorrectly on it and they didn’t have his birthdate or a patient number. They’re really just pieces of card stock that would be so easy to make at home. Ours don’t have QR codes or anything. Just the date you got the vaccine, what type, and where you got it. And for where you got it I just have the initials of the hospital, no location, no full name for the hospital or it’s clinic. It’s handwritten in a smudgy pen.
Oh my. I had that kind of card when I got my jab but for travelling and some other things people have to have a QR one in Croatia. They managed to issue that one misspelling my name though 🙂 but I got it eventually. This is all so chaotic. I remember looking at my first card thinking – yeah, I could print and fill it out at home probably, but OK. It just had my name and birthday on.
This literally gave me anxiety to read. As a nurse who has worked in a COVID icu since the start of the pandemic, stuff like this just triggers my PTSD. Chicago leadership really dropped the ball with this
Take a hug
Sending you a hug, too, Traci. Thank you so much for all you do. I’m on day 506 of lockdown and have only been inside a public place three times – to get my two shots and once to clean out my office. For each one of those selfish idiots, there are people who are doing everything they can to keep the burden off of you all. You just don’t see us because we’re at HOME and the news only shows the careless ones. I’m so terrified for my under-12 nieces and nephew and absolutely overwhelmed with anger.
Thank you for all that you do. Nurses are SUPERSTARS!
I’m floored that anyone would choose to be in a crowd like this during a still-active pandemic, let alone that officials allowed it to happen at all. Human nature absolutely baffles me sometimes.
Uugh sending you a giant hug
My mother died of Covid after 2 long agonizing months filled with blood clots, Covid related 2 strokes, a ventilator, & a Covid relayed brain aneurysm until she was ready to let go. Sadly her body let go and she had so many tubes all over before her mind was ready and she let us know she was ready to let go. It sucks being the oldest child sometimes and having to make decisions.. even knowing mom’s wishes it was emotionally hard on me to be her voice. I am grateful my dad (Alzheimer’s) could see how hard that was for me and made sure his wishes are legally known. I honestly couldn’t go thru that again if I had to make the decision when the time came, even knowing what he wants. But I am grateful mom and I had ways to communicate between us without even saying a word or being in the same room.. so I try to cope knowing mom was tired of fighting and the very last thing she said to me before the ventilator was that the angels were coming for her. She had no more fight and her body was dying.. she asked me to not be mad. Traci, I can never thank nurses such as you that have worked Covid wards or ICU enough. All of you that are front line hold so many more job titles than most know; you also have sacrificed so much for others and not appreciated nearly enough. From the bottom of my heart I say … Thank you Traci.
So sorry for your loss and what you had to go through.
When do unvaccinated people passing the virus to people who die start to get charged with criminally negligent homicide?
Also, the Florida governor also needs to be charged.
Of course, our twice cancelled New Orleans jazz and heritage festival (jazzfest) is in October, I have my brass pass (originally purchased for the spring 2020 cancelled event) and I want to go so badly!!!
The unvaccinated are a scourge. A villainous, murderous scourge.
I want to go to this too Ariel. My friend and I are going back and forth about this. We had tickets for New Orleans in 2020 we had to cancel. God I would love to go to jazzfest. But I just don’t know.
Girl also vaccinated people are spreading the virus. Unvaccinated AND vaccinated people need to wear masks and keep distance. Just because you’re vaccinated, doesn’t mean you can live like pre Covid. There would be still Covid cases if everybody was vaccinated. Of course a lot less than now but the virus would still be there. We need to wear ALL masks, wash our hands and keep distance until this virus finally dies.
Eva- the virus won’t die, because of the unvaccinated. The virus spreads and mutates and strengthens because it has all the room in the world to do that through humans who aren’t vaccinated.
DeSantis is a monster. He’s promoting the idea that the young and healthy should just get Covid to get natural immunity. School starts next week and I’m terrified it’s going to be a massacre.
I do not understand why this man is still in power.
“He’s promoting the idea that the young and healthy should just get Covid to get natural immunity.”
Omg. I did not know this. Why are non-doctors, non-scientsists even allowed to have a GD opinion at this point? People who had Covid and survived do have some natural immunity, but there is no scientific data that says it’s as GOOD as a vaccine, nor does it 100% cover variants.
Remember when Ron DeSantis was declared as winning the pandemic and people owed him apologies for criticizing his lax COVID response efforts? Yeah, that aged like milk. Yet, because he has become so emboldened to do whatever he wants and the MAGA base will eat it up, many people will have to pay for his ego and narcissism. The other day, while COVID cases were skyrocketing in Florida, he posted pics on social of him and his equally vile wife visiting a coffee house owned by a known insurrectionist — everyone maskless. One can only hope this is the end of political career, but sadly I doubt that.
FL girl here and he is a monster. Full on. Sadly….. his popularity is beyond words. Adored. Revered. Be scared of this guy…. We will see a lot of him. Disgusting. (Clearly I am in the Florida minority…. I find him vile, and likely criminal)
@Dude
I’m terrified of him running in 2024. He’ll win.
Now that we know even vaccinated people can transmit the virus to others, there is no excuse for large scale events with packed crowds—not while we are still in the pandemic. Very concerned this may turn out to be a huge super spreader event.
So true. They all should be fined…
Agree re: criminally negligent homicide There need to be consequences for their outright stupidity and wanton recklessness that is resulting in so many deaths.
I hope these concert goers have the sense to quarantine for a few days and take a covid test but the fact that they thought being in a crowd of 100k+ in the middle of a pandemic was a good idea doesn’t build much confidence. I think smaller concerts are fine for smaller crowds, though I wouldn’t go myself, but there should not be concerts of this size right now whether in doors or outdoors. We know the Delta variant can spread very quickly so this many people crammed together, many from out of state, is asking for disaster.
Very disappointed in all the people that went and extra disappointed in all the artists that participated.
Foo Fighters have been so responsible until now! I’m sure they were told vaccines would be required and everything would be safe. It obviously wasn’t. These pictures are crazy.
I don’t know. I’m a huge Foo Fighters fan….but they are also playing in St. Louis MO tomorrow. It’s outside, but it’s been a huge COVID hotspot for weeks now and they don’t seem to be requiring vaccination.
Foo Fighters are not responsible for who is vaxxed or not. Vaccinated people should be allowed to go out and enjoy their lives again. Those who are unvaccinated should not be let in.
I know there are breakthrough cases but we can’t live with restrictions forever! Livelihoods and mental health is at stake! The people who followed all public health protocols and got vaccinated as soon as possible are to be applauded. Those who could take a vaccine but refused it are deplorable! However, artists who are so reliant on touring, should not be dragged through the coals for lax event organisation.
I couldn’t agree with you more Sean. Both my 14 year old son and I went to HellaMega in Houston on Thursday, we are fully vaccinated and fully understand the risks. It’s not on artists to be policing the situation and a lot of these shows were rescheduled from a year ago. Even a month ago the COVID climate looked very different. Meanwhile I just cancelled my family vacation due to rising cases. Lots of tough calls sometimes.
“This festival never should have happened. It encapsulates the US response to the pandemic and just about everything. Just keep the economy moving, let people do what they want, and accept death and suffering as a consequence of capitalism.”
Thank you for making statements like this. It’s sad but true.
Not happy but my fully vaccinated adult children were there, they live there.. and chose to work at the festival. I’m worried enough, I can’t imagine how parents or friends of unvaccinated attendees feel. (FYI My children can quarantine since they work from home.. I know many do not have this flexibility. Especially those who live with others).
Can’t imagine *choosing* to work an event like this.
Shame on the city for allowing this to happen and shame on the fans and artists participating.
“ While Chicago officials remain hopeful Lollapalooza won’t spur a significant rise in COVID-19 cases…”
I mean, they crossed their fingers and have positive attitudes, so they’ve got it covered! Stop being such Debbie Downers all you sciency doctors and what not.
There is ZERO chance that this concert won’t raise case #s. After the 4th of July, there was a large spike in cases originatig from Provincetown, MA. And that was not even AS crowded as this concert, AND it was something like 75% of cases were in VACCINATED people. No one wants to hear this, we all waited so long for a vaccine and ran out to get them so we could have some normalcy again. But with the Delta variant and breakthrogh cases, it seems like the vaccine is jsut to ensurewe don’t die and tie up hospitals (which is OBV a huge plus) but I really don’t think it’s buying us any normalcy. We really shouldn’t be doing Lalapalooza even if it required a vaccine.
Used the Ron desantis approach. And gee thst is working so well in Florida….(massive sarcasm)
And I really don’t mean to make jokes; I don’t find it funny at all. I am really simply incredulous about how this is being handled in my state (FL). Not surprised, just so deeply disappointed
Turtledove, wasn’t sure from your comment whether you realized that I was being sarcastic.
Ouch. It sucks when people in power disregard what happened elsewhere so they can score points locally. In the Netherlands, we opened up too quickly on June 26. We allowed vaxxed people/ negatively-tested people into clubs, bars, and festivals. We had a huge spike in corona cases, which are finally decreasing, but hospitalizations are not yet. We discovered the hard way (because our politicians were stupid) that the Lollapalooza set up doesn’t work. With testing, it needs to be less than 24 hours old–72 hours is way too long. Instead of vax cards, we have an app that has to be scanned. It turns out most people here (NL) followed the rules, and it still was a f-ing disaster: the Lollapalooza event is a total farce. Good luck to those of you who need to deal with the aftermath!!
Betcha they didn’t allow water or food in though 🙄
Multiple people were posting about how to print a fake vaccine card to attend which 🤢
We just had two Americans try to enter Canada with fake vaccination cards and fake negative Covid tests. They were both fined $20 000 each. F*ck them and anyone who does sh*t like that. Selfish a$$holes. Pardon my language but this makes me so mad.
Are you sure they were Americans? I read they were Canadian citizens
It’s not just Lala this year either Chicago also had a sports card show that had 100k people a day going in and out for 4 days. People from all over the US and Canada. It’s going to get crazy right before school starts
Then there’s the marathon coming up.
Yeah, I remembering riding my bike through this and wondering what was going on. So many people out and about. This is why I just stay home and never leave the house except for doctor visits, going on 18 months now. I’m not gonna let these mfs kill me.
I’m so sorry for the doctors, nurses, hospital personnel that will have to exhaust themselves again to take care of these idiots. In Italy, from the 6th of August, we’ll have a pass with a QR code sent directly from our ministry of health and it serves to prove that you have been vaccinated or tested negative for covid in the last 48 hours. Without it, you won’t be able to access any sort of concert, indoor entertainment place (cinema, theater, pools, gyms, etc…), sit indoors in caffè, pubs, and restaurants. I can’t wait for it to come into function.
This sounds great, Lauren.
I saw a meme awhile back that I will surely misquote, but it was alon the lines of “In 2020 WE all stayed home, this time it’s YOUR turn.” It was saying that all the people who did the right thing and isolated, wore masks, got the vaccine should be allowed to do the “fun” stuff, while the people who didm’t/won’t, sould be the ones staying home.
If enough businesses made it so that you had to be vaccinated to come in, a lot more people would get thevax. Period. Easy for me to say, as I don’t own a business that would be in jeopardy. But seriously, at this point, that would be one way to do it. If you can’t prove you are vaxxed, no restaurants, concerts, parks, shops etc. They can stay home and order their meds/food via delivery.
My boss (guy in his mid 30’s) went. And his OBGYN girlfriend. We are all vaccinated, but I am still judging them. He works with a lot of elderly clients in areas of our state that have very low vax rates. And I 100% know that he won’t be masking for 2 weeks after Lolla. Super frustrating.
Wow. These comments are giving me such anxiety to think about all of the medical work I had to have done this past year and now upcoming. I’ve only left my apartment for doctor and hospital visits. I had just assumed that medical staff and my nurses and doctors were vaccinated, but now, I really will have to double-check this with every office ahead of time and make sure that the offices and individuals are all adhering. Otherwise, no go.
I’ve been pretty disgusted by young millennials and gen z since this all started. They don’t seem to GAF. I went to the movies last night, masked up as we are supposed to. 20-something woman 2 seats away repeatedly sneezing and coughing and not wearing a mask. I politely asked her to please put on her mask and she refused. My patience is running out.
The videos make me sick with anxiety. My new favorite Marc Rebillet was there but I won’t watch his set because he shouldn’t have been there in the first place. The whole event should have been canceled. The pandemic is never going to end. Uhhhhhhh.
And Miley Cyrus scammed her way into Billy Idol’s set. Ugh. This whole thing is gross.
Stupid, stupid, stupid. That’s all I’ve got for these f*cking folks. They are the reason we’ll be stuck in a pandemic forever.
Absolutely idi-fucking-otic.
Guess what everyone?!? My husband reminded me that SD will be once again gaslighting the COVID vaccine with The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally starting this week! That send COVID through the entire Midwest last time so what could go wrong.?
God I hate ignorance. People really suck anymore.
Hearing about Sturgis gave me the chills. In some cases it’s not just ignorance alone. It’s their freedumbs and “owning the libs”. No lib scientist is going to tell me what to do.
Exactly. I am developing a slow burning anger towards these freedom folks. What about my nieces’ and nephews’ freedom not to get sick with a deadly illness? What about immune compromised folks freedom not to get killed? SMH
That crowd was crazy. And virtually no one was wearing a mask. And this was in CHICAGO. Blue city in my blue state. Just think what is going on in the red states. Gov P. is going to get mad again and shut down Illinois like he did after St. Patrick’s day 2020 when the parade was cancelled but people still crowded into downtown and partied in the bars.
That’s insane!
To be honest, if it wasn’t for the fact of the immune suppressed among us or that we don’t have a vaccine for kids yet, I wouldn’t care. I’ve lost my ability to empathize with idiots at this point. If you don’t want vaccinated and wind up dead, far as I’m concerned, that’s one less moron weighing us down as a society.
The thing is, these deaths mainly occur in hospitals, intensely stressing already stressed medical staff and ICU resources. And when the surges occur, this results in medical care less available for EVERY condition. Making patients with all conditions sometimes spend DAYS sitting in an ER waiting for care. It’s happening today in MANY states in the US.
That’s why “just let those people die” isn’t workable for COVID. That’s why just because you’re vaccinated doesn’t mean it’s not going to affect you, you can just stop caring. Although I know so many want to.
Let’s be clear, I travel for my job, and I respect COVID limitations. In a lot of the red states I’m currently traveling to, I’m one of the few people consistently wearing a mask, following protocols, respecting the risk. My point is that people like me are getting fed up. People like me who did everything responsible and lost a year of their life and tons of income to protect others, and now I STILL have to be the adult in the room for others. It’s exhausting. It’s fucking with my mental health because I do work in the medical industry and can’t escape this shit.
So at what point do hospital workers get fed up? Insurance companies? Hospital intake units? When do the irresponsible get to start eating the cost the rest of us have? At some point, the mental health impact is going to outweigh people’s ability to give a damn about the unvaccinated. If that leads to a surge that ultimately results in nurses and doctors leaving the profession, that’s fine by me. We’ll have earned it with our own stupidity and selfishness. America is a snake eating its own tail. Let it have its reckoning.
Lori Lightfoot…that fool. School will be starting up again soon and who knows how many people are bringing Delta back to their homes or families.
The workers at gates “checking vaccine cards” were teenagers themselves for the most part as I was told.
I work very close to Lolla and don’t want to go anywhere near my office as cases will surge in the next few weeks.
Such a stupid move for Chicago. We had a relatively low covid rate up until this point…
I can’t believe this was allowed in Chicago. Why did the city officials let this happen knowing how bad people are getting COVID again??? For money??? That’s what it always comes down to.
This is why I read celebitchy: “ Just keep the economy moving, let people do what they want, and accept death and suffering as a consequence of capitalism. It’s despicable ”
BRAVO
Here in Aus we’re going through lockdowns again and we’re all rightfully up in arms that people aren’t properly following restrictions etc. It all seems a bit dire until you realise we’re locking down over 200+ cases in a city of millions and over in America massive concerts are back with numbers rising again. I feel for you guys.
Chicagoan here. Ugh! So, let me guess, they’re not going to have 5 day in-person school because of the upcoming rise in cases. Because apparently Lolla $$$ is more important than my 10-year old’s mental health. F*** these ***holes.