The way young people relate to what happens at music festivals, such as the recent one in which an American rapper consumed cannabis on stage or Andrew Tate, accused among others of rape, but still cheered, has been widely debated by specialists . “They thought it was something very «cool», «very cool», says psychologist Mihai Copăceanu, who points out that prosecutors will have to be very careful with this case. As for Tate, “athe applause and boos reflect the diametrically opposed views of the young audience. Although young people are also the most open to new things, to solving social and environmental problems and to self-education, we also see these contradictory reactions”, supports a 14-year-old girl who is part of the World Vision Romania Children’s Consultative Council. And the organizers are the main culprits for such occurrences, experts say in unison.
Music festivals in Romania have increasingly become favorable places for the onset and maintenance of the consumption of psychoactive substances. After each big festival, the representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs report cases of drug possession and ban access to such people who choose to have criminal records. The organizers, on the other hand, defend themselves and claim that they invest in security and have zero tolerance for drugs.
However, rapper Wiz Khalifa’s consumption of a joint on stage (SEE )at the most recent festival organized by the sea, or the appearance of the influencer Andrew Tate on the same stage, from “Beach Please” in Costinești, although he is on trial for rape and human trafficking and has no artistic quality ()suggests a discrepancy between the organizers’ statements and the reality on the scene.
Psychologist Mihai Copăceanu criticized Wiz Khalifa’s gesture of smoking marijuana on stage, considering it a defiance of Romanian laws and emphasized that festival organizers must take responsibility for what happens on stage, considering the influence that the guests can have on the young audience.
At the same time, World Vision representatives noted that individuals like Andrew Tate, who promote toxic and violent messages, have a dangerous impact on young people, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Tate’s appearance at a music festival was seen as a negative example of youth influence.
“Khalifa showed no respect at all”
Specialist in addictions, psychologist Mihai Copăceanu, disapproved of American rapper Wiz Khalifa’s gesture of consuming drugs in front of everyone, considering his apology false, after the event, when, detained by the Police, he had to leave the impression that he regrets what happened.
“The fact that a famous rapper consumed in front of the public, on a large stage (SEE – ed.) and was found with 18 grams of cannabis, in a country where he knew the law, is in contempt of our nation and the laws of our state, despite his subsequent statement. He showed no respect at all. He would not have allowed such a gesture in Pakistan, Malaysia or Belarus. In Singapore, for example, he would have risked a minimum of one year in prison,” noted the psychologist for “The Truth”.
Controversial moments at the Beach Please festival in Costinești with WizKhalifa and AndrewTate Colaj
His gesture seems all the more strange in the context where the festival was actually promoting an anti-drug campaign.
After the incident, the rapper said on social media that he had a great time in our country, that he wants to come back and that he didn’t want to show disrespect to our country.
DIICOT, however, charged him with illegal possession of dangerous drugs.
“The organizers are wrong not to take responsibility for what happens on stage”
The addiction specialist also disapproved of the way the organizers tried to apologize for what happened on stage, under the pretext that “they have zero tolerance” against any prohibited substance, reasoning that they are actually just providing a “platform”.
“CI believe that the festival organizers are wrong when they say that they do not take responsibility for the actions, behavior and guests on stage. The prestige of a festival involves these aspects”, psychologist Mihai Copăceanu also mentioned, recalling that Khalifa’s history of drug use is known.
“The American rapper publicly and candidly confessed to his use of marijuana and hallucinogenic mushrooms years ago. And in the case of other celebrities, these aspects are too well known”, also recalled the specialist consulted by “The Truth”.
“He smoked on stage without any embarrassment, he had 18 g on him and still they didn’t do anything to him”
But what impact do public figures and influencers have on drug use behavior among young people?
“I think that for many young people with pro-drug attitudes, this illegal aspect in Romania seemed like something very “cool”, “very cool” (what happened on the stage in Costinești – No.). And here the authorities, in this case the DIICOT prosecutors, have a high responsibility, because the way they will manage this case will have a public impact – “See, he smoked on stage without any embarrassment, he had 18 g on him and still didn’t- they did nothing, he casually returned to the US», the addiction specialist also noted.
“The problem arises when controversial characters are credited through music”
Regarding Tate’s presence at the «Beach, Please!» Music Festival from Costinești, which ended on Sunday (July 14), the representatives of the World Vision Romania foundation completed: “Much of the music out there is what Generation Z listens to today. But the problem arises when music is credited, even for ‘just 30 seconds’, to influencers (opinion leaders) like Andrew Tate, who is on trial for rape, human trafficking and massively promoting conspiracy theories and incitement to misogyny on social media. It is worrying that the appearance of an individual tried for rape and human trafficking on stage startled the concertgoers. The proof is the applause from the audience”.
World Vision Romania also drew attention to the fact that, although Andrew Tate’s social media accounts have been deleted, his content continues to be disseminated, and his violent and misogynistic messages continue to reach young people through various alternative channels.
“Tate was hailed at the festival due to peer pressure”
About how the appearance of the controversial Andrew Tate on stage was seen by Generation Z, two teenage girls who are part of the World Vision Romania Children’s Advisory Council also commented.
“I think the reason Andrew Tate continues to have a profound impact on young people is the way he presents information. It has the ability to transform completely wrong information into an easily understandable and attractive set of ideologies, thus manipulating the content. Andrew Tate also builds an opulent lifestyle that conveys an image of success, thereby inspiring viewers and helping to spread his ideas. I think he was acclaimed at the festival also because of peer pressure, which led some young people to support him, even if they didn’t necessarily agree with his ideas”is the opinion of Maria, a 13-year-old teenager, member of the World Vision Romania Children’s Advisory Council.
His colleague, Mara Surugiu, aged 14, completed it: “The applause and boos reflect the diametrically opposed views of the young audience. Although young people are also the most open to new things, to solving social and environmental problems and to self-education, we also see these contradictory reactions. This segregation is rooted in the social, cultural and economic context. I think the only method to combat these phenomena is education. We must be taught to differentiate admiration from idolatry, real life from what is presented online. As a society we must also learn how to instill in children an authentic way of living, in which we are present in our lives and enjoy every moment, not the price of a certain object”.
Last year, World Vision presented an analysis of Andrew Tate’s audience in Romania, which concluded that the influencer is successful among young people because it gives them the illusion that they can have money easily, and thus they can fulfill any desire. The organization has been drawing attention since then that toxic characters in the online environment, such as Andrew Tate, are extremely dangerous for children and young people, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
