To find the Ambani wedding distasteful

[Soonenough]

I know everyone can do what they like , it's their money . But such an extravagant event in a place where a large proportion of the population live in slum conditions is rather unsettling.? Plus the bride is stunning but the groom unfortunately does not come across as an individual with a lot

of intelligence . Before I get flamed , he and his family are encouraging the public to view them and I guess are expecting admiration.

I spent 4 days in Vienna during last winter and there weren’t any beggars in the city or suberbs where I was staying.

If I spend extravagant money in the UK or America it's better because the poverty is miles away?

I started this thread and it has evolved into very distinct categories. Unfortunately the poor will always be with us in every civilization . Individually we can only do so much but to try to be aware and compassionate . The vulgar display of wealth and all the participants like Boris and performers who took the money should be ashamed . There is no comparison to an extravagant wedding in any culture .Others have had extravagant events but didnt open it to social media or pay so called celebrities to attend . It was a display of obscene wealth juxtaposed next to some of the most poverty stricken in the world , specifically in Mumbai . Are the Ambani displaying this to share their joy in the marriage? My arse. Vulgar, tone deaf display in order to portray their power and position .

You can't think of other any extravagant convenings of the rich and famous? Really?
Why is paying Kim Kardashian to attend your wedding any more vulgar than spaffing your cash on a spaceship?

I did read it. I did not hear about the Gates wedding - didn't make UK news - but had I and my late DH seen it we would have said something about conspicuous consumption (and sarkily 'it's nice to be rich'). But then the Duke of Westminster got married at great personal expense, too. I can't remember the event being splashed all over the news. The coronation (both, the one in Westminster and the bestowing of the Honours of Scotland) were publicised. I did not see that the ceremonial was at all improper, we are enthroning and dedicating to God our head of state and his consort. I did see someone's wedding in Venice and also thought it OTT - might have been a Holywood actor, can't remember, it was tacky. The Gates excepted (poverty in the US is horrendous with people living in their cars and in tents on the streets, and in hovels in the remoter areas of the Apalachians) those weddings and ceremonies too place where the populous in the main is comfortably off and also they are not shoved under our noses.
The Ambani family live in India which has millions in poverty. I have not forgotten the little girl at Mumbai airport who begged me for the few rather bruised bananas I was carrying. I gave them, despite warnings not to, and was immediately besieged. People scour rubbish dumps for living in India, people have no proper sanitation, people get into horrendous debt because of a difficult childbirth - in that context, any display, whoever it was, would be distasteful. Rather like Henry III (1216-1272) holding a feast in London, with magnificent processions etc when the country was in the midst of a famine and there were families on the streets, starving - I have little time for Henry III (a man totally incapable of reading the room), but he was not brown, he was that shade of greyish-brown we call 'white', and I think him one of the worst kings of England ever, I would still think irrespective of his colour.

Had the same reflex here

The Beckhams etc are not in the same league as these people

It isn't I daresay. Paying people to attend your wedding is naff, whoever you are (unless they are the band and the caterers, of course).

You also know nothing about me whilst accusing me of racism. It was not the colour of the Ambani family that hit me, it was the utter vulgarity. That would be the case whoever they were. It's racist to tell someone they are racist because of their comment on MN about someone's wedding, btw.

Yawn. Royal wedding. Paid for by RF. Security bill - because it's the Head of State and their family present - comes from tax, as would be the case at the wedding of the daughter of POTUS, the President of France etc.

I read a stat somewhere that basically said it was the world’s cheapest wedding in that it only cost 0.05% of their wealth.

You really are clutching at straws there...

"It's racist to tell someone they are racist because of their comment on MN about someone's wedding, btw."

Ah! You're one of those! Got it.

It would be just as tone-deaf if it was taking place in many South American countries. The poverty of the favelas is just as great as that of the shanty towns of Mumbai.

Why does proximity to poverty make it any worse?
Do you suppose the Indian poor would feel better knowing that billionaires had a slightly smaller wedding? I don't suppose it makes any difference to them at all whether there's a massive wedding in Mumbai or in Westminster. Either would have had the capacity to change the lives if millions had they wished.
In reality it just makes you feel better to demand that these particular rich people behave better than others.
We don't pick apart the expenses of any other billionaires. What's different about this family?

It's not what the poor thinks that matters here. One's own integrity is at stake here. The widely-publicised wedding and the mention of charitable donations - how do we know about these?- both suggest shallow people.

@Kinshipug Yes we do comment on , pick apart other billionaires when they display vulgar wealth . Elon Musk is hardly admired is he ? If you choose to put your wealthy lifestyle in the public domain then you have to be prepared to take the criticism and opinions of that public .
What makes this family different is that they chose to flagrantly display this wealth and invited the world's media access to it all. And made a point of highlighting the cost .

What difference does it make if the wealth is on display? If anything I'd say it's better than the faux humility thing some of them pull. And people do fall for it, clearly. Falling over themselves to justify why this is worse because for no reason other than it's in India.

Read with interest.

Why are you arguing that it doesn't matter out of interest?

I mean, I come from a country where people are very poor, but I would never argue that criticism of the wealth inequality is somehow racist. I'd be first on lime to criticise. Yes in Britain there is inequality, but no, it isn't as awful in real terms as that I have seen back home. And that's just fact. I don't see kids walking barefoot because the only one pair of shoes they have are for school and events for e.g.

It's weird to be defensive about people criticising pretty stark inequality just because it's your country and no, not all poverty is the same. I'm broke, I have a ton of bills I can't pay, virtually no savings (god knows what would happen if the fridge or Washing machine broke down) but I have roof over my head (precariously true, but it's there) easily accessible clean running water, clean sanitary amenities, and if I really need it, access to a food bank.

That isn't the same poverty level as someone who doesn't even have that. These are the basics on the Maslow hierarchy. To give a great ostentatious display of wealth when the inequality is that stark is disgusting. End of. Who cares where it is? And why compare as if to say, well it doesn't matter, don't criticise because you have inequality toooooo

*in line

Oh the racism is strong in this one...

Because poverty doesn't stop existing because we (or the various billionaires) can't see it. We and they all know it's there.
Vast inequality is always wrong. Being in India doesn't make it more wrong.

Actually, I think the poor of Mumbai would rather the family had had a smaller wedding, or had had it in Westminster, given the complaints about, eg, road closures for the wedding worsening monsoon flooding, etc. A wedding that huge is massively disruptive of normal people’s everyday lives.

@Walkaround

Actually, I think the poor of Mumbai would rather the family had had a smaller wedding, or had had it in Westminster, given the complaints about, eg, road closures for the wedding worsening monsoon flooding, etc.

How would the poor of Mumbai be affected by the road closures?

And how did the wedding affect monsoon flooding?

@marcopront - you can access all the news reports for yourself.