When “Bridgerton” becomes “A Series of Unfortunate Events”

💬 Quoted: “[A]n evening of sophistication, grace and historical charm.”

Those attending the “Bridgerton Ball” experience, a recent event held in Detroit unaffiliated with Netflix but based on its show carrying the same name, were promised a night of elegance and opulence – and what they received was…not that.

Attendees, who paid between $150-$1,000 for tickets, say they expected classical music with Regency dancing, a good dinner, and plenty of prizes that would be given away. Instead, they received a sparsely decorated room with limited seating, raw food, no prizes, and a stripper for live entertainment.

• The event organizer, Uncle N Me LLC, issued a statement this week apologizing for the poor experience.

👥 Zoom out: Though the disastrous Bridgerton event was unaffiliated with Netflix, the streaming giant has increasingly been leaning into in-person events and experiences, with plans to open two large entertainment venues in the Dallas and Philadelphia areas.

📹👻 Stat of the Day: If there's something strange, in your neighborhood – who you gonna call? Your doorbell camera provider, of course. On Tuesday, Ring unveiled a nationwide competition to submit the most compelling paranormal activity captured by a Ring device – staged or otherwise – with a cash prize of $100,000 *Vince Vaughn voice* on the line. Judges, including Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard, will choose the winner based on visibility of the “ghost,” uniqueness, entertainment value, and engagement.

🤔 Did You Know? More than 85% of the world’s canned pumpkin is produced at a single Nestlé USA/Libby’s plant in Morton, Illinois.

📰 Worth a Read: The crypto bros who dream of crowdfunding a new country → (BBC)