The hit Netflix series Bridgerton is set in the early 1800s and pole dancing wasn’t invented until a century later but that wasn’t going to stop organizers from trying to incorporate the two.
An events company called Uncle & Me LLC threw a Bridgerton-themed ball in Detroit inside a beautiful mansion that seemed like the perfect setting.
According to reports, organizers promised an “evening of sophistication, grace, and historical charm” filled with “music, dance and exquisite costumes.”
They forgot to add: “And a stripper pole.”
Fans allegedly paid between $150 and $1,000 for the event, according to The Guardian, where they were reportedly served raw chicken, the decorations appeared to be from a dollar store, one violinist served as the musical component, and a bikini-clad woman on a stripper pole provided the so-called dance.
The performer hired for the disappointing event, Tink or “Tink the Fairy,” told New York Magazine’s The Cut that she knew nothing about the show before she was hired, just that they “specifically asked for pole dancing.”
Organizers approved a costume she had worn for another similar event, but even she thought it was odd.
“I didn’t really think about it too much because of the Great Gatsby event I did; they had pole dancing there,” she noted.
“But now, thinking about it, Great Gatsby is in the ‘20s. Bridgerton is in the 1800s,” she said.
“But I just had a role to play, and they were paying me, so I did it.”
Tink, who received $800 for about an hour of work, tinkered with her character and went as a “Bridgerton Fairy.”
She explained that her performance began with two classical songs from the show for the first two stage performances, but for her third and final performance, “they put on ‘Moves Like Jagger,’ which was very uncomfortable.”
Tink said they were “trying to switch up the vibe of the event” to make it more “upbeat,” but she thinks it backfired.
“I was just thinking, ‘When is this going to be over?’”
When Tink wasn’t dancing, she said organizers “had me walk around and say, ‘Hello, I’m your Bridgerton fairy.’”
She added: “It was weird.”
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Tink left the event after her hour’s work and had no clue how the whole thing was perceived until the following day.
Tink said she was actually “impressed” with what the organizers accomplished, but fans disagreed, with one attendee telling WXYZ it was “complete chaos.”
Another fan said they were “really angry” because their expectations were high and the tickets were pricey, accusing organizers of trying to “copycat off a successful event but they had absolutely no idea what they were doing or they just didn’t care and had no problem taking people’s money.”
Uncle N Me LLC apologized to frustrated customers, telling the outlet in a statement, “Our intention was to provide a magical evening, but we recognize that organizational challenges affected the enjoyment of some guests. We take full responsibility and accountability for these shortcomings.”