Fete Lovers: Too Stush to take Advantage

Fete Lovers: Too Stush to take Advantage

Iza Trini.
Bend over.
Wotless.
Advantage.
To some these are just words, but to Trinis it means that the Carnival season is in full swing, and partygoers have to watch their wallets and waistlines, as March 7th and 8th slowly approach.
As radio stations hype the hot tunes, people are secretly (and not so secretly) wining in their car seats on their way to work, wondering how to take time off to go to their desired parties. No matter how much you might not like a particular artiste, Trinis have favourite songs that they cannot wait to hear to ‘get on bad’ to at the next fete.
But where is all this ‘get on bad’ action I keep hearing about? All I see is a mere buzz that starts with the music and then extends its way to the “who’s gonna see you” at what fete. Trinidadians are spending close to $2,000 (for the ladies: ticket – $800, outfit – $650, shoes – $600, and hair – $250) to attend a party to stand in a corner and look good, hoping to be seen and noticed by someone else who looks good. I won’t waste time commenting on the other half of the attendees whose eyes and fingers are glued to their Blackberrys!
So if you attend a mere five fetes, that’s approximately $10,000 invested in tickets, clothes, shoes and hair to stand in a corner, and sway, hoping to be captured by Triniscene.com to document all of your diligent efforts. If that’s the case, why not just stay home and Facebook? It’s cheaper.
Yet for $4,000, masqueraders can frolic in the sun on Carnival Monday and Tuesday, half-naked in bikinis, loosely adorned with shiny beads and other glittery things, while consuming enough alcohol to make Bacchus blush, and only then it seems you have full permission to “take advantage” and demonstrate any number of wining skills and related duplicitous behaviour on men, women, trucks, and even unsuspecting lampposts… because acting like a skettel on ‘the road’ is the norm.
I’m no mathematician here, but something doesn’t quite add up.
Back in 1993, when parties at Power Station and Anchorage were $20TT, with free drinks ($30TT to go to Colours), all you needed was a good liming crew, a short pants and a top to hit a fete and have a good time. Ok so yes, you might have dressed a bit sexy back then too, but considering 20 days out of a month were spent in a stifling, starchy uniform, anything that might suggest a figure and physical demonstrations of puberty were welcome on the weekend.
Now that the cost of living has soared, along with the price of looking good and getting drunk, it seems that there is a new criterion for going to a fete in addition to the $600-$1,200 price of admission – being stush. There are several connotations surrounding this frosty term of socialites who think because they are seen at a certain fete, that usually costs at least ten percent of their monthly salary, it makes them part of the perceived Trini, elitist society. But wait. There is another element of getting to the fete in the expensive outfit, isn’t there?
The most popular algorithm with the mind-boggling complexity of Sudoku is – where to get tickets.
Please, bear with my temporary amusement.
I live in New York City and during the Carnival season, I have people who live in Trinidad calling me in New York to ask me to help them get tickets. When did I knowingly become co-signer to the stush factor and a walking box office? I don’t personally know Alicia Keys, but if I want tickets to see her in concert anywhere in the world, I go to ticketmaster.com, punch in my credit card number and voila – my tickets get mailed to my home!
In Trinidad, for Carnival, it seems that if you don’t know the ‘right’ people, your chances of being an outwardly stush, but inwardly flamboyant skettel, are slim to none. I don’t remember signing up for this display of entertainment delusion, but it does make a few things come to mind.
The Ministry of Tourism is often making attempts to bolster the tourism industry by encouraging foreigners to partake in our festivities, particularly during the Carnival season. However, gaining access to a fete can appear to be more difficult than entering Buckingham Palace! For those who don’t know where to go and who to ask, they can never experience these fetes. Terrible.
I appreciate party promoters’ general concept of wanting to keep the ‘crowd’ under control and the blah of limiting access for the perceived less-than-desirables. Nevertheless, it seems that once upon a time, class distinctions were made based on your school or education status; then it progressed to your employment position.
Now, it seems even during the most liberated time for Trinis, we are still forced to ally ourselves to class distinctions even to have a good time (something many of us have noticed with the ever-increasing prices). For the sake of the country, I hope that mentality changes because it will lead to a level of segregation that may be irreversible.
Unfortunately, I too, am guilty of attending the stush fetes, because that’s where all my friends go. However, I don’t find it necessary to stand in a corner and analyze other people’s outfits or their men. I would much rather find my own “ting”, take advantage, and get on wotless because indeed, iza Trini.
Who don’t like it, can go kick rocks.

Iza Trini.

Bend over.

Wotless.

Advantage.

To some these are just words, but to Trinis it means that the Carnival season is in full swing, and partygoers have to watch their wallets and waistlines, as March 7th and 8th slowly approach.

As radio stations hype the hot tunes, people are secretly (and not so secretly) wining in their car seats on their way to work, wondering how to take time off to go to their desired parties. No matter how much you might not like a particular artiste, Trinis have favourite songs that they cannot wait to hear to ‘get on bad’ to at the next fete.

But where is all this ‘get on bad’ action I keep hearing about? All I see is a mere buzz that starts with the music and then extends its way to the “who’s gonna see you” at what fete. Trinidadians are spending close to $2,000 (for the ladies: ticket – $800, outfit – $650, shoes – $600, and hair – $250) to attend a party to stand in a corner and look good, hoping to be seen and noticed by someone else who looks good. I won’t waste time commenting on the other half of the attendees whose eyes and fingers are glued to their Blackberrys!

So if you attend a mere five fetes, that’s approximately $10,000 invested in tickets, clothes, shoes and hair to stand in a corner, and sway, hoping to be captured by Triniscene.com to document all of your diligent efforts. If that’s the case, why not just stay home and Facebook? It’s cheaper.

Yet for $4,000, masqueraders can frolic in the sun on Carnival Monday and Tuesday, half-naked in bikinis, loosely adorned with shiny beads and other glittery things, while consuming enough alcohol to make Bacchus blush, and only then it seems you have full permission to “take advantage” and demonstrate any number of wining skills and related duplicitous behaviour on men, women, trucks, and even unsuspecting lampposts… because acting like a skettel on ‘the road’ is the norm.

I’m no mathematician here, but something doesn’t quite add up.

Back in 1993, when parties at Power Station and Anchorage were $20TT, with free drinks ($30TT to go to Colours), all you needed was a good liming crew, a short pants and a top to hit a fete and have a good time. Ok so yes, you might have dressed a bit sexy back then too, but considering 20 days out of a month were spent in a stifling, starchy uniform, anything that might suggest a figure and physical demonstrations of puberty were welcome on the weekend.

Now that the cost of living has soared, along with the price of looking good and getting drunk, it seems that there is a new criterion for going to a fete in addition to the $600-$1,200 price of admission – being stush. There are several connotations surrounding this frosty term of socialites who think because they are seen at a certain fete, that usually costs at least ten percent of their monthly salary, it makes them part of the perceived Trini, elitist society. But wait. There is another element of getting to the fete in the expensive outfit, isn’t there?

The most popular algorithm with the mind-boggling complexity of Sudoku is – where to get tickets.

Please, bear with my temporary amusement.

I live in New York City and during the Carnival season, I have people who live in Trinidad calling me in New York to ask me to help them get tickets. When did I knowingly become co-signer to the stush factor and a walking box office? I don’t personally know Alicia Keys, but if I want tickets to see her in concert anywhere in the world, I go to ticketmaster.com, punch in my credit card number and voila – my tickets get mailed to my home!

In Trinidad, for Carnival, it seems that if you don’t know the ‘right’ people, your chances of being an outwardly stush, but inwardly flamboyant skettel, are slim to none. I don’t remember signing up for this display of entertainment delusion, but it does make a few things come to mind.

The Ministry of Tourism is often making attempts to bolster the tourism industry by encouraging foreigners to partake in our festivities, particularly during the Carnival season. However, gaining access to a fete can appear to be more difficult than entering Buckingham Palace! For those who don’t know where to go and who to ask, they can never experience these fetes. Terrible.

I appreciate party promoters’ general concept of wanting to keep the ‘crowd’ under control and the blah of limiting access for the perceived less-than-desirables. Nevertheless, it seems that once upon a time, class distinctions were made based on your school or education status; then it progressed to your employment position.

Now, it seems even during the most liberated time for Trinis, we are still forced to ally ourselves to class distinctions even to have a good time (something many of us have noticed with the ever-increasing prices). For the sake of the country, I hope that mentality changes because it will lead to a level of segregation that may be irreversible.

Unfortunately, I too, am guilty of attending the stush fetes, because that’s where all my friends go. However, I don’t find it necessary to stand in a corner and analyze other people’s outfits or their men. I would much rather find my own “ting”, take advantage, and get on wotless because indeed, iza Trini.

Who don’t like it can go kick rocks.

 

About Anje Woodruffe
Former 98.9 FM V-Jay, Anje Woodruffe is a talent manager and HR consultant, specializing in entertainment and media. She holds a BA in Communications from Hofstra University, and is currently pursuing her MBA.

23 Comments
  • Safi
    Posted at 01:40h, 14 February Reply

    Well said! I am so over this “poser culture” that is being encouraged here in Trinidad. It’s like people are fighting their innate wassiness to watch what other people are wearing and coast in a party they paid close to a grand to go. Not me nah. I good. I would chill with my cooler fetes and know that I am going to have a BALL!!

  • Dee
    Posted at 16:38h, 15 February Reply

    Lol@ This article is funny, but on a defensive note, not everybody can dance…..LMAO. However, they do like to attend fetes…LOL

  • natasha
    Posted at 06:19h, 16 February Reply

    You hit the nail right on its friggin head with this blog!:D

  • Kern Elliott
    Posted at 13:20h, 14 January Reply

    Great article I agree that our fetes are no longer the free up as it used to be and its all about be social and being seen which sucks for the most part. You doh have to be all on the ground to enjoy self but waving a hand ain’t a criminal act either, the stand up and pose thing needs to stop. However concerning the issue with tickets doesn’t Ticket Federation cater for ordering tickets to fete online.

  • Samantha Victor
    Posted at 16:59h, 14 January Reply

    Tee Boogie

  • Tee Boogie
    Posted at 17:00h, 14 January Reply

    Sammmmmyyyyyyyoooooo

  • Samantha Victor
    Posted at 17:00h, 14 January Reply

    lol

  • Tee Boogie
    Posted at 17:03h, 14 January Reply

    T shirt and shorts nah sa I rocking mercedes benz 2012 fashion week creation by the one and only jeri Lee prescod alexande!!!!!

  • Samantha Victor
    Posted at 17:03h, 14 January Reply

    but we anti-stush

  • Samantha Victor
    Posted at 17:03h, 14 January Reply

    Jeri-Lee Prescod-Alexander

  • OUTLISH Magazine
    Posted at 17:05h, 14 January Reply

    Hahahahahaaha Samantha Victor and Tee Boogie y’all have me crackin’ up. Lol – Karel.

  • Marlon Ne H
    Posted at 17:08h, 14 January Reply

    I have been talking about these outrageous prices for carnival fetes but I had no idea it jumped so much in a mere 20 years.

  • Fayola Mendoza-Black
    Posted at 17:22h, 14 January Reply

    I shock that people wages cyah leap so high in 20yrs yet these fetes still sold out! I will read the reviews and imagine a day when the prices will go back to 30TT.

  • Natasha Nunez-St Clair
    Posted at 17:47h, 14 January Reply

    de all-inclusive scene get outta control…I didn’t understand it then, nor do I now…I anti-stush from long time!! 🙂

  • Paolo Kernahan
    Posted at 18:37h, 14 January Reply

    i remember those times fondly, passing out in a darkened corner of the grimy dancefloor. That was a marketing gambit, several clubs were competing furiously to nail down a long term crowd ( this is by the way, ridiculous) Club Coconuts, predecessor of the “Zens” used to have 30 dollars and phree drinks. It was a radical concept for its time, absorb a financial loss for ah timin’ in favour of having plenty repeat business. It certainly did work for coconuts and they gradually increased their prices and did away with the freeco.

  • Mas Man
    Posted at 20:00h, 14 January Reply

    Beautifully said, this is my article of Carnival 2013. Real Talk!

  • Candice C Lawrence
    Posted at 20:20h, 14 January Reply

    true talk. It’s all about posing for the camera.

  • Tee Boogie
    Posted at 08:38h, 15 January Reply

    But wait u correct me in Caps and thing is real scene lololol

  • Jenelle
    Posted at 08:46h, 15 January Reply

    I think you were in my head when you wrote this article because just last week I was saying I miss the days of going to a fete in jeans or shorts, a jersey and sneakers for much less than quarter my salary! I want to go home dripping wet with sweat, my feet sore, but not from those ridiculous heels, but from prancing! And do we need 32 food choices in a fete? Is it a culinary event or a fete? I’m tired of the whole scene. Even the cooler fetes are beginning to become over-priced!

  • dent
    Posted at 14:34h, 17 January Reply

    i thoroughly enjoyed this post <3 amazing stuff

  • Frankson D S Marshall
    Posted at 11:34h, 20 March Reply

    This is an excellent article that poignantly addresses the issues of “feteism” and “stushness”. It’s similar, tho not as bad, here in Grenada. Ridiculous really.

  • Kari
    Posted at 12:39h, 28 January Reply

    Too true! I was in Trini for Christmas and went out with friends and had to ask, “When did Trini become so South Beach stush?!”

  • Frank
    Posted at 14:18h, 28 January Reply

    classic idiots…these trinis…like my professor said, dem need a good dose of poverty to appreciate what dem have…pure idiots…

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