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Residents slam "entitled" picnic table act at popular beach

<p>With the weather warming up in Sydney, locals have started to take advantage of the sun and head to beach, but with sunny days come debates about picnic (or any) table etiquette. </p> <p>One beachgoer has copped some backlash after they taped up a sign to a public picnic table in Balmoral Beach on Saturday, which read: "Reserved 31/8 from 1pm" - and with no one in sight. </p> <p>A frustrated local shared an image of the table on Facebook, writing: "Really? Love to know where you place the official booking. Both tables 'reserved'."</p> <p>In the comments some labelled the move "unacceptable" while others were quick to point out that reserving tables is "not allowed". </p> <p>"Yeah, nah. Can’t reserve public tables. You want it, put the effort in and sit there the whole day from 8am," one wrote. </p> <p>"If you won't remove the reserved sign please update this post to add a picture of the group when they claim their tables. If they're that bold and brazen to make the reserved sign they will appreciate the free publicity," another added. </p> <p>A third wrote that they would be "ok if they said for a wedding or a super important event I would let them go for it" but others disagreed.</p> <p> A Mosman Council spokesperson told <em>Yahoo,</em> "council does not take bookings for picnic tables or promote reserving them."</p> <p>This is not the first time someone has tried to reserve a public picnic table, with one person etching a "reserved" note in chalk on the pavement at a park in Brisbane. </p> <p>Locals shared a similar response, calling the move "entitled." </p> <p>"Pretty sure that message on the concrete would motivate others to sit there when they otherwise wouldn't. I know I would," one wrote. </p> <p><em>Images: Facebook/ Yahoo</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Expert's number one complaint against grey nomads

<p>An Aussie farm contractor has taken aim at "entitled" travellers at campsites, many of whom are "grey nomads". </p> <p>Victoria, aged in her 30s, spends a lot of time on the road travelling for work as she "runs the bar and does a bit of camp hosting" at Charlotte Plains, an outback sheep station and campground almost 800 kilometres west of Brisbane.</p> <p>Through her job, Victoria said most of her clientele at the campsites are over the age of 50, and she claims most of her problems are with these older travellers. </p> <p>Although she "doesn't want to generalise too much", she does "feel the need to speak out about them" so the younger generation "know what not to do" and become "better people".</p> <p>Speaking to <a href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/the-game-changing-trend-taking-over-australian-4wd-camping-sites-021745171.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Yahoo News Australia</em></a>, Victoria said in addition to their "general sense of entitlement", grey nomads, in her experience, had a tendency to "mansplain" issues she's acutely aware of, flout campsite rules, disregard safety policies and even resort to stealing from her.</p> <p>"I've experienced a lot with grey nomads," she told <em>Yahoo</em>. "I've worked on farms for years. I'm very experienced with operating machinery. I drive my caravan well, a lot better than a lot of these guys, some of whom even need help reversing."</p> <p>"But I guess the biggest issue I find is handling grey nomads, in particular is theft. I travelled South America in my 20s, and the only thing that ever went missing was a jar of Vegemite. Let me tell you, if my stuff is not nailed down, with grey nomads around — they've stolen it."</p> <p>Victoria said it's "more than just toilet paper" that goes missing at campsites, recalling, "It will be hose fittings that are still on the hose. It could be a whole hose. A grey nomad stole my jockey wheel the other day — it's travelled the whole country in the same spot, and then the other day somebody sole it. Even my sunglasses."</p> <p>"I don't want to categorise all baby boomers into one, but it's just that these are the people that I deal with," she argued, adding "there are bad people in every generation" but she says she rarely encounters badly behaved travellers under 40.</p> <p>While Victoria says she doesn't want to over-generalise, she's been astounded by some of the disrespectful actions she's seen at the hand of the elderly travellers.</p> <p>Speaking out in a bid to raise awareness of campsite safety and to deter young people from "acting like baby boomers", Victoria said she hopes by making her ordeals public it'll promote more courtesy from grey nomads in the future.</p> <p>"The next generation is growing up fast," she said. "Hopefully the younger ones don't do the same things and are bit more courteous to others".</p> <p><em>Image credits: TikTok</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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“Entitled as”: Tesla driver mocked for creative parking

<p>A Tesla driver's parking skills has sparked an online debate after pictures of the vehicle parked across two parking spots was posted on Facebook. </p> <p>The black Tesla Model Y was parked at the Orion Springfield shopping centre in Queensland, and most online commenters condemned the driver's actions. </p> <p>“Of course, it’s a Tesla owner. Entitled as mentality,” one wrote. </p> <p>“They should find somewhere else to charge it or go home," another commented. </p> <p>However, some commenters pointed out that the charging station could be the problem, and with an increase in drivers choosing electric vehicles, it sparked a few questions on the accessibility of the charging stations across the country. </p> <p>“Maybe that was the only way to reach the plug? EV owners should be allowed to fuel up just as we do," one commenter wrote. </p> <p>“The one at fault … is the silver car parked in the charging spot not on charge, so I guess they [the Tesla owner] had to park like that to charge up," another said. </p> <p>In another incident last April,  another Tesla driver was criticised for parking their Model 3 – with an attached trailer – over the kerb next to the charging bay. </p> <p>However, the photo also highlighted the accessibility issues as current charging stations for EV's do not accomodate to oversized vehicles, so drivers may have to come up with other ways to charge. </p> <p>A spokesperson for Standards Australia said that a charger reform is currently being discussed by all relevant regulators. </p> <p>"There's a lot of work going on right now as our vehicle fleet becomes more electric. This includes consideration of charging infrastructure, its placement, and matters of safety and amenity," the spokesperson told<em> Drive</em>. </p> <p>"Standards Australia is working with governments, industry and the community to identify what standards are needed for charging infrastructure and how they can be embedded in our communities."</p> <p><em>Image: Drive/ Facebook</em></p>

Legal

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“Entitled” bride unleashes after only seven people RSVP to her wedding

<p dir="ltr">A furious bride has been slammed online after unleashing on a lengthy tirade, calling out her friends and family who aren’t attending her wedding. </p> <p dir="ltr">Sara took to Facebook to share the extensive rant about her upcoming nuptials, after only seven people RSVP’d to the big day. </p> <p dir="ltr">The American bride-to-be called out those she invited to her destination wedding, saying they showed how little they “really” cared about her and her fiancé.</p> <p dir="ltr">“When we invited our friends and family to our destination wedding in Thailand, only nine people RSVP'd. Out of 150!!! OK, I get it, paying $3,000 to share my special day is too much for some of you. I'd pay for yours, but whatever,” she wrote. </p> <p dir="ltr">“But then, when we changed the wedding to be in Hawaii, so it's within everyone's reach, only seven of you RSVP'd? It costs less but less if you want to come? Is that what you think of me? You can't spare $2,000 to come and share our happiness?”</p> <p dir="ltr">Sara said that she was willing to take drastic measures to make up for the disrespect she'd been shown by her loved ones. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I'm tempted to just elope and not let any of you be part of our happiest day. This is it guys, you have three days to respond to our e-vites or we're deleting you off Facebook and good luck keeping up with our lives then.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“And don't get me started on the registry - only the cheap stuff is gone, I swear I thought I had better friends.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“[My fiancé] and I are asking you to reconsider.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Sara’s unhinged rant was quickly shared to a Facebook group dedicated to shaming people’s wedding choices, where it garnered hundreds of comments slamming the bride. </p> <p dir="ltr">“People who get married abroad have chosen not to have guests at their wedding,” one person said.  </p> <p dir="ltr">“Does she not understand people have jobs and kids or just simply don't want to spend thousands on someone else's wedding?” another asked. </p> <p dir="ltr">“If I was her friend I’d save her a job and unfriend myself after reading that,” a third person admitted.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p>

Relationships

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"You're entitled to know": Piers Morgan reveals names of "royal racists"

<p>Piers Morgan has revealed the names of the senior royal family members who allegedly made "racist" <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/entertainment/books/new-royal-book-pulled-from-shelves-over-huge-legal-blunder" target="_blank" rel="noopener">comments</a> about baby Archie's skin colour. </p> <p>Mystery has surrounded the new royal family exposé <em>Endgame</em>, written by Omid Scobie, after he claimed to know which royals allegedly made the comments when Meghan Markle was pregnant with her first child. </p> <p>Then, in a Dutch translation of the book being sold in The Netherlands, the names were <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/second-royal-racist-accidentally-named-in-new-book" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accidentally</a> printed in an "error", but kept out of the press for legal reason. </p> <p>But now, controversial British journalist Piers Morgan has revealed the names that feature in the translated book, which is quickly being cleared from shelves, saying people have the right to know. </p> <p>On Wednesday’s episode of <em>Piers Morgan Uncensored</em>, the British broadcaster revealed the names of the two royals who allegedly had “concerns” about baby Archie's skin tone, although saying he doesn't believe any such comments were made. </p> <p>He explained to his viewers that he doesn’t “believe any racist comments were ever made by any of the royal family,” he felt that his fellow citizens had a right to know information that only a handful of readers from another country were inadvertently privy to.</p> <p>“Frankly, if Dutch people wandering into a bookshop can pick it up and see these names, then you — the British people here, who actually pay for the British royal family — you’re entitled to know, too.”</p> <p>According to <em><a href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/royals/piers-morgan-reveals-names-of-royals-exposed-in-bombshell-book-questioning-archies-skin-colour/news-story/7b499c1baa1a40116cbc07c7b26069d6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a></em> and <em><a href="https://pagesix.com/2023/11/29/royal-family/piers-morgan-reveals-names-of-royals-exposed-in-book-for-commenting-on-archies-skin-color/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Page Six</a></em>, Morgan said the names are King Charles III and Princess Kate Middleton. </p> <p>Despite Morgan's claims, Page Six has been unable to verify which names were accidentally revealed. </p> <p>Given the controversy surrounding the book, Xander Publishers announced that it received a request from the United States to abruptly halt sales of the book.</p> <p>“I can’t talk about the details,” a spokesperson for the publishing house said in a statement.</p> <p>“We have, however, received a request to put the title on hold, and that is what we have done. We are awaiting further instructions. I do not know how long this will be.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Piers Morgan Uncensored</em></p>

Legal

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Baby boomers fight back against "self-entitled whingeing generations"

<p>Angry baby boomers have hit back at young Australians for continuing to blame the ageing population for the current housing crisis. </p> <p>A group of disgruntled seniors have shared their thoughts with the <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/blaming-baby-boomers-for-your-money-woes-is-unfair-lazy-and-wrong-20231127-p5en21.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Sydney Morning Herald</em></a> about the "self-entitled" young Australians, who are facing never-before-seen financial and social barriers to break into the housing market. </p> <p>The open letters come in the wake of Census data showing empty-nesters are hanging on to their big homes in inner-city suburbs, while young families are struggling to find suitable housing while also battling mortgage stress and renters are getting relentlessly price-gouged. </p> <p>Despite the current system disproportionately affecting younger Australians, boomers have hit back at universal claims that they had it easier back in the day. </p> <p>"We bought and paid for these homes; it's not our job to house the next generations, it's the government's," explained Kathleen Kyle in a letter to the <em>Sydney Morning Herald</em>. </p> <p>"Nobody questions people who spend their money on lovely cars or antiques, or suggests that they don't need them any more."</p> <p>In another letter, Kathy Willis from Kew near Port Macquarie wrote, "Boomers have worked very hard to get what they have, having brought up their families in these homes."</p> <p>"I suggest the discourse be directed to people such as town planners, local councils and state governments for their lack of vision in the past, and what the present authorities are going to do about it – and of course, the taxpayers' expense."</p> <p>Suzanne Hopping from Redfern, Sydney, wrote that she could no longer stay silent on "boomer bashing" from "self-entitled whingeing generations".</p> <p>"I bought my first home when I was 39 in an undesirable suburb. Buying a home (at 17.5 per cent interest) was as difficult then as it is today."</p> <p>"When I left home I had no expectations of ever being able to afford to buy a place of my own."</p> <p>"Self-entitled whingeing generations, if you don't like what you see, do something positive about it. Each generation has its unique problems, stop the moralising."</p> <p>Wendy Cousins from Balgownie NSW wrote that "boomer bashing" is futile, adding, "Why encourage resentment of boomers because many choose to stay in their homes? This will not free up any housing."</p> <p>"Many have already downsized and those who haven't, have a variety of reasons why they don't. We have enough division in our society without the constant boomer bashing."</p> <p>Despite the views of many disgruntled boomers, University of Melbourne Professor Allan Fels, an economist and mental health advocate, said figures show beyond a doubt that life is much tougher for the younger generation, and basic economics prove it is much harder for them to buy a house.</p> <p>"We baby boomers have had it a lot easier than the new generation of young people," he told <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12793605/Boomers-hit-self-entitled-whingeing-young-Aussies-reveal-theyre-not-blame-housing-crisis.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Daily Mail Australia</em></a>.</p> <p>"They face a future of much less home ownership and associated mental health stability. The mere fact they are missing out is a cause of stress."</p> <p>"The trend of rising prices adds to the stress because many used to think that they could buy their own house but they keep missing out because prices are continually rising just beyond their grasp."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p>

Money & Banking

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"Entitled" couple slammed for charging guests almost $4K to attend wedding

<p>A daring UK couple has taken being frugal to the next level by charging their guests £2,000 (AUD $3,806) to attend their wedding.</p> <p>The couple's antics have gone viral on Reddit after one of the guests shared the bewildering experience online</p> <p>The guest claimed that he received an email prior to the wedding with a link that read, "Click here for payment."</p> <p>Assuming it was a link for a honeymoon fund, the guest clicked on it only to discover the couple's ridiculous request for nearly £2,000. </p> <p>The generous guest decided to humour the couple and paid the fee, hoping that he would be able to enjoy the free bar and indulge in the wedding feast, to reap some of the benefits of his investment. </p> <p>It's not surprising that the couple, who asked their guests to pay for their wedding, also charged them for drinks. After spending nearly £2,000, the wedding guest also had to pay an additional £30 (AUD $57) on drinks.</p> <p>After doing the maths, the guest concluded that the wedding venue's cost had been evenly distributed among them - so the couple essentially enjoyed a free wedding thanks to their friends and family.</p> <p>This sparked outrage among other Reddit users who were in disbelief over the couple's "entitlement". </p> <p>"I'm sorry (not sorry), but I would never pay to attend a wedding, let alone pay £2000. The entitlement is overflowing here!" commented one person</p> <p>"I'd reach out to the bride and groom for a refund," wrote another. </p> <p>"Your friend and every other guest were absolute suckers for going along with this scheme," another brutally honest user added. </p> <p>Another user criticised the couple for not providing drinks for their generous guests. </p> <p>"I don't have anything against dry weddings but surely you can offer something other than just water."</p> <p>"As soon as I saw that payment screen, I'd have cancelled my RSVP. Regardless of the bride and groom's relationship, if you want a particular type of wedding, foot the bill yourself," another user commented.</p> <p>"Their approach was simply tacky."</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p> <p> </p>

Relationships

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"Entitled" widow sparks outrage over age pension question

<p>An elderly widow has been slammed for writing in to a financial column asking for advice, despite being very well-off.</p> <p>The 88-year-old (NOT pictured here) wrote in to Nine newspapers’ columnist Noel Whittaker asking for advice on how to access a pension after the death of her husband. </p> <p>“My husband and I received a part pension but he passed away and I now have all the assets but no pension,” she wrote to Whittaker’s <a title="www.smh.com.au" href="https://www.smh.com.au/money/super-and-retirement/i-lost-my-pension-when-my-husband-died-can-i-get-it-back-20230718-p5dp2g.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ask Noel </a>column. </p> <p>“I am 88 and own my own home. I have $680,000 in savings and $180,000 in shares. My income is $25,000 p.a. is there anything I can do to get a part pension?”</p> <p>While the question seemed innocent enough, many Aussies were infuriated by the woman's query, sparking outrage on social media.</p> <p>One person pointed out how well off the woman was, mockingly saying, "We have $1m in assets. Can we get the age pension?”  </p> <p>Another person wrote, “Lady you’re 88, where are you getting 25k per year if not investments? You’ll be fine, Karen.”</p> <p>The pile-on continued, with plenty more slamming the woman for being “entitled”, greedy, and mocking her for wanting even more money than she already had to spend over her remaining years.</p> <p>One person added, “How much longer does this person think they’re going to live that they need more than $1 million …”</p> <p>Another person offered their own advice if the last needed more money, encouraging her to use her $680,000 savings, saying "That's what it's there for."</p> <p>Another person summed it up by writing, “The problem with old people these days is they’re too entitled. Back in my day, old people reused their tea bags and were grateful.”</p> <p>Many even commented that the question was the exact kind of “fake” submission dreamt up for columnists to “enrage readers”, and someone posed their own mock question to Whittaker to point out how ludicrous the woman's question was. </p> <p>“I own my own home, have 6 million ingots in assets, and my income is several gold bullion per month. I am 300 years old. I am a fire-breathing dragon. Can I claim the part pension?” they wrote.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Retirement Income

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Kendall Roy’s playlist: why hip hop is the perfect counterpoint for Succession’s entitled plutocrats

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/j-griffith-rollefson-952418">J. Griffith Rollefson</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-college-cork-1321">University College Cork</a></em></p> <p>From the very first minutes of HBO’s hit drama series, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/succession-how-true-to-life-is-the-tv-series-170139">Succession</a></em>, hip hop is used to underpin, juxtapose and comment on the story of corporate intrigue, capitalist entitlement and white privilege.</p> <p>Just as a hip hop beat underscores the classical piano lines to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77PsqaWzwG0&amp;ab_channel=HBO">the show’s theme song</a> by composer Nicholas Britell, hip hop’s swaggering braggadocio acts as a counterpoint to the Roy family’s rarefied worlds of high finance and plutocratic untouchability.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3eTTkxM8QLE?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption><span class="caption">The first scene of Succession’s pilot episode.</span></figcaption></figure> <p>Recalling the opening scene to <em>Office Space</em> (1999) – which begins knee-deep in cringey, white boy, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XASNM1XEQPs&amp;ab_channel=JoseHernandez">gangsta karaoke</a> – Succession’s first episode introduces wannabe-protagonist Kendall Roy (Jeremy Strong) with a similarly embarrassing set piece. The businessman is riding in the back of a limo, listening to <em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ny6hwUOFvlw">An Open Letter to NYC</a></em> by the Beastie Boys, as the hustle and bustle of Manhattan rolls by.</p> <p>But when the backing track fades, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eTTkxM8QLE&amp;ab_channel=OpeningScenes">Kendall’s own voice is revealed</a>, thin and childish, rapping along to the lyrics about skyscrapers and Wall Street traders. This wannabe hip hop businessman persona is at the core of Kendall’s deeply conflicted character.</p> <p>This persona is in full bloom in a memorable season two episode, where Kendall performs L to the OG, a rap tribute to his father Logan Roy (Brian Cox), earning him the nickname “Ken.W.A.” from brother Roman (Kieran Culkin), a la the infamous Compton rap group NWA.</p> <p>As I explain in my book, <em><a href="https://criticalexcess.org/">Critical Excess: Watch the Throne and the New Gilded Age</a></em>, corporate board rooms and <a href="https://www.dukeupress.edu/the-real-hiphop">hip hop ciphers</a> are no longer as incompatible as they might seem. This is exemplified through American rap superstars Jay Z and Kanye West’s (now known as Ye) collaborative “<a href="https://genius.com/Jay-z-and-kanye-west-otis-lyrics">luxury rap</a>” album, <em>Watch the Throne</em> (2011).</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6dUDQTc-9kM?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption><span class="caption">Kendall rapping in season two of Succession.</span></figcaption></figure> <p>In season four, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNbfEC-AeHs&amp;ab_channel=ob9RJ2mJhoMPHH">Kendall listens</a> to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHiFMW8s6zk&amp;ab_channel=JAYZ-Topic">Jay Z’s <em>The Takeover</em></a> (2001) on his way to work in the ATN news studio. It’s not surprising that Jay Z is a favourite. The rapper-turned-entrepreneur once rapped the lines: “I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man!” in his verse on Ye’s <em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aI0jNu-G5Hw&amp;ab_channel=KanyeWest-Topic">Diamonds from Sierra Leone</a></em> (2005), an attitude it’s easy to imagine Kendall aligning himself with.</p> <p>It’s also no coincidence that this dysfunctional family is named Roy, French for “king”, another link to Watch the Throne and the hustle to become “<a href="https://www.complex.com/music/2020/05/who-is-king-of-new-york">king of New York</a>”.</p> <p>Real-life media mogul family, the Murdochs, are widely believed to have <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/04/rupert-murdoch-cover-story">inspired <em>Succession</em></a>. But the hip hop connection is particularly uncanny. In 1995, Rupert Murdoch’s youngest son, James, bankrolled the hot new hip hop label Rawkus Records. Soon thereafter Murdoch’s News Corp bought a majority share in Rawkus and artists reportedly <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2011/jul/11/james-murdoch-hip-hop">started complaining about unpaid royalties</a>.</p> <h2>Hip hop as Kendall’s hype music</h2> <p>Rap music is <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5406/musimoviimag.2.1.0026">repeatedly used</a> to show Kendall’s need for a boost of confidence – a need once satisfied by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9gIa3Xqycg">his substance abuse</a>.</p> <p>Hip hop pioneer <a href="https://www.allmusic.com/artist/krs-one-mn0000359119/biography">KRS-One</a> reportedly once likened hip hop to a “<a href="https://floodmagazine.com/42937/quelle-chris-being-you-is-great-i-wish-i-could-be-you-more-often/">confidence sandwich</a>” for its ability to help America’s forgotten underclasses find the strength to get up and fight the good fight, from enduring the daily grind to organising for a better world. But what happens when this swag burger is blaring in the ears of an out-of-touch CEO?</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GNbfEC-AeHs?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption><span class="caption">Kendall listening to Jay Z’s The Takeover.</span></figcaption></figure> <p>As the late, great Black music critic <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/176649/everything-but-the-burden-by-edited-by-greg-tate/">Greg Tate</a> suggests, hip hop has been a site of “the Elvis effect” for decades, with white artists and businessmen profiting mightily from Black creative cultures. This history stretches back to rock and roll, jazz, blues and beyond.</p> <p>The boost that hip hop gives him allows Kendall to do horrible things. This echoes the way hip hop group De La Soul describes so-called “crossover” music as a “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0X2h56qlG4&amp;ab_channel=DeLaSoulVEVO">double cross</a>” on their concept album <em>Buhloone Mindstate</em> (1993).</p> <p>As Kendall exemplifies again and again, when hip hop’s witty but often crass wordplay is decontextualised by white men, it almost always comes off as disrespectful frat boy voyeurism. Indeed, London rapper, Roots Manuva recently retweeted a nice <a href="https://twitter.com/TheWrongtom/status/1654768980828082177?s=20">case in point</a> on the eve of another high profile “succession” – King Charles III’s accession to the British throne.</p> <p>So while established rapper <a href="https://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/lectures/pusha-t">Pusha T</a> has recently collaborated with Britell on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sF5IU-Pyn2A&amp;ab_channel=PushaTVEVO">a remix of <em>Succession</em>’s theme song</a> and while Jay and Ye continue to infiltrate the rarefied white spaces of corporate board rooms and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLmQ57mEGFs">seats of political power</a>, these relationships <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/176649/everything-but-the-burden-by-edited-by-greg-tate/">remain deeply asymmetrical</a>.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205773/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/j-griffith-rollefson-952418">J. Griffith Rollefson</a>, Professor of Music, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-college-cork-1321">University College Cork</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: HBO</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/kendall-roys-playlist-why-hip-hop-is-the-perfect-counterpoint-for-successions-entitled-plutocrats-205773">original article</a>.</em></p>

Music

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“Disgusting”: Wedding guest’s entitled RSVP slammed

<p dir="ltr">A bride-to-be was left shocked after one entitled guest sent an RSVP back for her wedding with a list of “unhinged” demands.</p> <p dir="ltr">The couple had sent an invitation for just two people, but they decided that this would be the perfect time for a family trip and RSVP’d for six people instead.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We should arrive Thurs late afternoon in our motorhome. We have a screened-in cabana room. We can all sleep in our motorhome, we’ll need to hook up power,” they wrote in the invitation.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We will need a ride to all wedding festivities. We would be happy to host a breakfast Friday morning for all at your home, took a lot of planning for us to make this trip. Looking forward to all the fun.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The photo of the invitation, which was posted on Facebook, has since been slammed.</p> <p dir="ltr">The photo was posted with the caption: “Shaming this guest who apparently is bringing the whole family when just two people were invited AND making travel accommodation demands, all while guilt-tripping the guide. Update: [the] couple has rescinded their invite to this guest”.</p> <p dir="ltr">A lot of people were outraged on the bride’s behalf, and shocked at the audacity of some wedding guests.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Disgusting. You call and talk to make plans even if they were close enough, which it doesn’t seem like they are, to make these requests,” wrote one person.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Wow. No. It’s wild to me that people think they can still bring extra guests, let alone make the logistics of their transportation on the day of the wedding the bride and groom’s problem. How are some people so oblivious?” commented another person.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m still stuck on the audacity to write down six [guests] when it sounds like the invite specified only two,” commented a third.</p> <p dir="ltr">Others shared their own wedding invitation horror stories.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We had a guest try to bring a partner and five uninvited kids (some adults), when we said it wasn't possible they acted like we were unreasonable and said we could just 'pull up a few extra chairs to a table’,” one person revealed.</p> <p dir="ltr">To which another quipped: “This also happened to me, but the intended invitees (my cousin and her husband) crossed their names out and put her mum and dad, brother AND his wife down as attending ‘in her place’. We tried so hard to circumvent problems by putting each person’s full name on the RSVP card and it still happens”.</p> <p><em>Images: Facebook</em></p> <p> </p>

Relationships

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Passenger’s “self-entitled” request sparks unusual confrontation

<p dir="ltr">A passenger’s ridiculous request to another passenger has been subject to a flood of outrage online, after she asked the passenger to turn off their in-flight movie. </p> <p dir="ltr">Sharing the flight experience on Reddit, a 22-year-old woman shared the moment she was approached by a fellow traveller on a Delta flight which led to a series of confrontations. </p> <p dir="ltr">"Today was the first time I've ever had a negative encounter during a flight," she wrote in a lengthy post. </p> <p dir="ltr">The woman explained that she was sitting in an aisle seat on a plane when she began watching the newly released action movie <em>Uncharted</em>, which was available on her in-flight entertainment screen. </p> <p dir="ltr">"The flight took off and maybe 10 minutes into it, I got tapped on my shoulder by a woman who is in the aisle behind me and in the aisle seat across from me," she continued.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I ask her if everything is okay and she tells me to turn my movie off. Confused, I asked her why. She said it was because she had not seen the movie and didn't want to see my screen and see any spoilers."</p> <p dir="ltr">The woman kept her composure at the ridiculous request, telling the passenger she was welcome to watch the film on her own screen. </p> <p dir="ltr">"I responded that I was going to keep watching my movie. She huffed and she started to complain, but I just ignored her."</p> <p dir="ltr">While the woman ignored the rest of the complainer’s issues, the confrontation continued when the plane landed. </p> <p dir="ltr">"Once we landed, she immediately jumped from her seat and grabbed her bags and blocked the aisle for all those behind her," she wrote, adding that they were “seated towards the back of the plane and it took some time before people started moving."</p> <p dir="ltr">"By the time it got to our aisle, I stood up and then began to grab my bag from the overhead bin. At the same time I did this, the lady from earlier tried to start walking and then started yelling at me for cutting her off and I should let her go.</p> <p dir="ltr">"By this time I was tired and ready to get off the plane and said, 'ma'am if you were in such a rush to get off, then you should have picked a seat closer to the front or got an upgraded seat'.”</p> <p dir="ltr">"She rolled her eyes and called me a 'stuck up b****' and kept going on and on about how people are so disrespectful these days."</p> <p dir="ltr">In the comments of the Reddit post, the complaining passenger was widely roasted, with the poster being praised for keeping her composure. </p> <p dir="ltr">One comment read, "The self-entitled lady was the a--hole, not you. But take pleasure in this: you lived rent-free in her head for the entire flight, and probably the rest of that whole day."</p> <p dir="ltr">"You were very polite and classy with your response. Good job at keeping a level head and not escalating," was another response, while someone else wrote, "You should have told her the spoilers of the movie, you know in case she missed them." </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Travel Tips

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“Self-entitled morons”: Beach pic enrages locked down Sydney

<p>As Greater Sydney and surrounding areas are currently in lockdown with intense restrictions, a photo of beachgoers enjoying the sunshine at Manly has angered many.</p> <p><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fmanlyobserver%2Fposts%2F359306502506980&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=500" width="500" height="715" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></p> <p>Local community news site<span> </span><em>Manly Observer</em><span> </span>shared the photo on Facebook, which shows many ignoring social distancing as well as others in deep discussion.</p> <p>“Every day we’ve been sent photos of people clearly close (camera angles can be deceptive and exaggerate proximity, but it’s clear there are too many people not in well distanced pairs in most pics),” it wrote.</p> <p>“We have held off publishing them because we are trying to create unity not division and anger.</p> <p>“But this image, taken just this morning from a tradie securing his worksite as he is no longer able to work, is disappointing.”</p> <p>People were enraged by the photo.</p> <p>"These people are just stupid idiots. Not helping at all," a woman wrote.</p> <p>"This is not right," one person replied.</p> <p>“So sad and irresponsible,” one woman wrote.</p> <p>One woman couldn't hold her anger back and said they were "self-entitled morons".</p> <p>People in Sydney's southwest were especially furious as they remain monitored by police and are under intense restrictions from the NSW government, which include residents not being able to leave their suburbs unless they do essential work.</p> <p>Those that must leave have to undergo COVID-19 testing every three days.</p> <p><a href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/this-is-not-right-alarming-sydney-image-prompts-anger-online-053321256.html"><em>Yahoo News!</em></a><span> </span>took matters into their own hands and contacted NSW Police about the photo to get a statement.</p> <p>NSW Police earlier said in a statement on Sunday it was continuing to undertake "high visibility patrols to ensure the community is educated and complies with the new requirements of the Public Health Order."</p>

News

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More than 150,000 Telstra customers entitled to refund

<p>More than 150,000 Telstra mobile broadband customers may be eligible for a refund as the telco admitted that it failed to send them data usage warnings.</p> <p>The issue, which was addressed by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), said that warning messages were sent by SMS to accounts that were not connected to a mobile phone number to receive them.</p> <p>This resulted in customers going over their monthly data limit and paying extra usage charges as they had no idea they were over their limit.</p> <p>The problem shockingly occurred for almost six years, between September 2013 and May this year.</p> <p>Telstra self-reported to ACMA that it failed to send warnings over email so that all customers could see them.</p> <p>"Consumers have a right to make informed decisions about their broadband use, and by failing to send these notifications in the correct format people have had to pay excess usage charges without sufficient warning," said ACMA chair Nerida O'Loughlin to<em> <a rel="noopener" href="https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/150000-telstra-customers-could-get-a-refund-001455957.html" target="_blank">Yahoo!</a>.</em></p> <p>"The [Telecommunications Consumer Protections Code] requires suppliers to send notifications within 48 hours of customers reaching specified data usage quotas on post-paid internet plans."</p> <p>Telstra has automatically refunded customers who complained about excess charges or were hit with excess fees of $5 or less.</p> <p>The company has also reached out to other customers who may claim a refund via an online form.</p> <p>"We encourage current or former Telstra mobile broadband customers to contact Telstra for a refund if they believe they incurred excess usage charges as a result of not receiving a usage notification," said O'Loughlin. </p>

News

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Aussie coffee shop owner slams “entitled” and rude customers

<p>A café owner has vented out their frustration after they had enough of the entitlement shown to them by their customers, with one leaving the business an “unwarranted” one-star review.</p> <p>The conflict began when Townsville’s That Place on Sturt coffee shop received a negative review on TripAdvisor by a diner who was upset about being asked to remove his feet from a café chair earlier this month.</p> <p>Ann Maree Reid, who has owned the place for the last seven years, called out the customer’s behaviour in a reply left under his post.</p> <p>Speaking to<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/travel/australian-holidays/food-wine/townsville-coffee-shop-owner-slams-entitled-and-rude-customers/news-story/4281871ef26783aa7e6b311524236386" target="_blank"><em>news.com.au</em></a>, the 51-year-old said that incident was just a small part of a bigger problem.</p> <p>She mentioned that she’s used to a small but “frustrating” number of customers wreaking havoc by rearranging furniture, stealing cutlery and other items, leaving behind tissues, chewing gum and toenail cuttings and clogging up toilets.</p> <p>The Queenslander said she had “always had people feel like they own the café and that I work for them”.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img style="width: 500px; height: 486.1111111111111px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7832017/2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f1cb9627881540b4896c7fbdda197b04" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>Credit: Supplied</em></p> <p>“When I first opened the café, I constantly had people telling me what I should be selling and what days I should be opening,” she said.</p> <p>“At first we were closed one day a week because I had a seven-day business before this one, and I swore I’d never do it again as it was too tiring – but I ended up bowing to public pressure to open because there were so many disgruntled people.”</p> <p>She also revealed that due to customer demands, she was forced to add items that weren’t on the menu.</p> <p>“Customers walk in and order toasted sandwiches (that weren’t on the menu) and they never say ‘thanks for making a special meal for me’,” she said.</p> <p>According to Ms Reid, preparing meals that weren’t on the menu resulted in the customer being undercharged as it took time to work out the pricing properly.</p> <p>“We’ve been underpaid for food when people have just demanded what they want – it’s just another aspect of this entitlement,” she said.</p> <p>“I get frustrated when people force what they want on you – if people want to put their feet on my chairs, why do I have to bow to that?”</p> <p>Ms Reid did emphasise how much she loved majority of her customers, and it was a small percentage that gave others a bad name.</p> <p>“People don’t realise how much people in customer service have to bit their tongues for the sake of their business,” she said.</p> <p>“I don’t want to sound like I hate my customers – I have brilliant customers – but there are people who treat us badly out there.”</p>

Food & Wine

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The royal freebie every Aussie is entitled to receive

<p>If you are an Australian citizen and consider yourself a royalist, there is one interesting royal freebie that you are legally entitled to receive.</p> <p>Australian citizens can email their local MPs and receive a free portrait of the Queen to hang in their home.</p> <p>The freebie comes under the “constituents’ request program”, which allows voters to receive “nationhood material” – such as Aussie flags, recordings of the National anthem etc – but also a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.</p> <p><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fhastieandrew%2Fposts%2F1701505639872527%3A0&amp;width=500" width="500" height="491" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></p> <p>According to <a href="https://www.vice.com"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em>Vice</em></strong></span></a>, the portrait was taken specifically for Australians.</p> <p>In the portrait, Her Royal Majesty is wearing her “wattle spray” brooch, which was gifted to her by then-PM Robert Menzies during the Queen’s first royal visit to Australia in 1954.</p> <p>Under the program, Aussies can also request a Prince Philip portrait, however, photos of Prince William, Duchess Kate, Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan are not available.</p> <p>Surprisingly, it is only Australians who can receive free portraits as UK citizens have to buy them and Canadians can only download them.</p> <p>The constituents’ request program was introduced in the Parliamentary Entitles Act 1990, reported <em>Vice.</em></p> <p>The program has received criticism, with some saying taxpayer money should be better spent.</p> <p>In 2012, then Greens leader Bob Brown said in parliament: “If there is extra money available, I suggest that it go to ensuring that indigenous people in Australia, who are being deprived of their first languages, be given an education in their first languages and that we stop some first languages going to extinction in this country.”</p> <p>Brown added, “I think that might have priority. However, if there are members opposite who cannot find a picture of Her Majesty, I would be happy to provide them with one.”</p> <p>What are your thoughts on this freebie? Let us know in the comments below. </p>

Art

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