The SBA's SVOG grants were intended for struggling small artists. But big stars like Post Malone and Chris Brown got $200M in pandemic ​r​elief funds.

The SBA’s SVOG grants were intended for struggling small artists. But big stars like Post Malone and Chris Brown got $200M in pandemic ​r​elief funds.

  • _wintermute@lemmy.world
    252·
    1 year ago

    PPP loans must be one of the largest transfers of wealth over a short period of time in history. So much of our money funneled into the already rich and corporations. And in classic American fashion those “loans” will be forgiven.

    Fucking country is a circus.

    • Phoenixz
      28·
      1 year ago

      Poor people’s loans obviously wint be forgiven or forgotten

      • Stoneykins [any]@mander.xyz
        11·
        1 year ago

        To be clear, the thing being talked about in the article was not a ppp loan, but a grant. There is no indication anyone, intended recipient or not, is supposed to pay this one back

        • Burn_The_Right@lemmy.worldEnglish
          51·
          1 year ago

          Grants have rules, and it looks like these rich fucks (who never needed any of that money) just pocketed it. People are fucking losing their homes and are starving and these goddamned talentless conservative grifters are profiting from the misery.

      • WhatAmLemmy@lemmy.world
        111·
        1 year ago

        Why would the oligarchy allow proles to have any taste of financial freedom? The point of their existence is indentured servitude…

    • bean@lemmy.worldEnglish
      10·
      1 year ago

      But student loan debt is shackled to you for life with little relief. When we fought for it we were told to fuck off by republicans. Cool. So PPP loans for millionaires are a-okay. But not the average citizen; who pays the taxes in the first place btw. Cool. Cool cool cool.

  • Wollang@sh.itjust.works
    105·
    1 year ago

    Other stars like Bonnie Raitt and Justin Bieber paid their production crews from their own pockets when the pandemic canceled their concerts, Arko noted.

    Fuck me. Never thought I’d ever have even a speck of respect for Bieber, but I guess I do now.

    • WhatAmLemmy@lemmy.world
      582·
      1 year ago

      Bieber actually turned into a surprisingly down to earth adult after being a massive douche in his teens. It was around the Comedy Central roast I started to respect him and he’s continued to come across as a genuinely good person since then. Even in candid clips.

      • thedrivingcrooner@lemmy.worldEnglish
        152·
        1 year ago

        I’m not gonna pretend like he’s doing great things and all but I also have a strong suspicion he’s got a reputation reversal PR team that controls every aspect of his social life and that’s why he’s always hanging out with the mega church pastors that wear their swimming trunks down to their ankles in public to show off their pelvic tans and have only positive news clips where he’s praying for Africa and throwing wads of cash into subway station crowds. He’s becoming the new Ellen.

        • prole@sh.itjust.works
          9·
          1 year ago

          Many of them don’t make it through.

          I feel like Jason Bateman is a great example of child star who became a douche, then survived and grew out of it.

  • vlad@lemmy.sdf.org
    491·
    1 year ago

    Every time I see Chris Brown’s name, I’m reminded that this piece of shit is still rich and famous. People are disappointing.

    • Dark Arc@social.packetloss.gg
      22·
      1 year ago

      Yeah… I bailed on him when just how awful he was came out. Granted, I bought some Chuck Berry stuff recently and he was no saint from the looks of it… People are complicated

      • mommykink@lemmy.world
        72·
        1 year ago

        People are complicated, yeah, but there’s nothing complicated about deciding to not support people who have been beating and sexually assaulting women for decades. There are so many good, independent artists out there, I have no idea how you people settle for these algorithm-endorsed scumbags at the top

  • Redditiscancer789@lemmy.world
    401·
    1 year ago

    Well we know what post Malone did with some of it. He bought that stupid magic the gathering card for like $2 million.

    • killeronthecorner@lemmy.worldEnglish
      5·
      1 year ago

      As a magic fan I’m pretty sour at Posty for this. Loved that he brought more mainstream attention to magic, but not like this. Mr Down To Earth is counting his beans just like the rest of them I guess.

      • Redditiscancer789@lemmy.world
        1·
        1 year ago

        The whole thing is a stain tbh on MTG. Clearly just a way to make money moving sealed product as people hoped to pull it and instantly resell it.

  • some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org
    391·
    1 year ago

    Not like they’d already made tons of money or anything.

    ETA: they should have to give it back.

  • CoolSouthpaw@lemmy.worldEnglish
    23·
    1 year ago

    What the fuck is going on here? Fucking bullshit. These fucking pieces of shit need to rot in jail. Especially Chris Brown for beating up Rihanna smh.

    • Bakkoda@sh.itjust.works
      5·
      1 year ago

      Hey hey how you got those handful of stimulus payouts which were totally responsible for all the problems we now face. People still haven’t gone back to work after they got all that money for free

      /s

    • dlhextall@sh.itjust.works
      401·
      1 year ago

      A verbal argument ensued and Chris Brown pulled the vehicle over on an unknown street, reached over Robyn F. with his right hand, opened the car door and attempted to force her out. Brown was unable to force Robyn F. out of the vehicle because she was wearing a seat belt. When he could not force her to exit, he took his right hand and shoved her head against he passenger window of the vehicle, causing an approximate one-inch raised circular contusion.

      Robyn F. turned to face Brown and he punched her in the left eye with his right hand. He then drove away in the vehicle and continued to punch her in the face with his right hand while steering the vehicle with his left hand. The assault caused Robyn F.'s mouth to fill with blood and blood to splatter all over her clothing and the interior of the vehicle.

      Brown looked at Robyn F. and stated, ‘I’m going to beat the shit out of you when we get home! You wait and see!’

      The detective said Robyn F. then used her cell phone to call her personal assistant Jennifer Rosales, who did not answer.

      Robyn F. pretended to talk to her and stated, ‘I’m on my way home. Make sure the police are there when I get there.’

      After Robyn F. faked the call, Brown looked at her and stated, ‘You just did the stupidest thing ever! Now I’m really going to kill you!’

      Brown resumed punching Robyn F. and she interlocked her fingers behind her head and brought her elbows forward to protect her face. She then bent over at the waist, placing her elbows and face near her lap in [an] attempt to protect her face and head from the barrage of punches being levied upon her by Brown.

      Brown continued to punch Robyn F. on her left arm and hand, causing her to suffer a contusion on her left triceps (sic) that was approximately two inches in diameter and numerous contusions on her left hand.

      Robyn F. then attempted to send a text message to her other personal assistant, Melissa Ford. Brown snatched the cellular telephone out of her hand and threw it out of the window onto an unknown street.

      Brown continued driving and Robyn F. observed his cellular telephone sitting in his lap. She picked up the cellular telephone with her left hand and before she could make a call he placed her in a head lock with his right hand and continued to drive the vehicle with his left hand.

      Brown pulled Robyn F. close to him and bit her on her left ear. She was able to feel the vehicle swerving from right to left as Brown sped away. He stopped the vehicle in front of 333 North June Street and Robyn F. turned off the car, removed the key from the ignition and sat on it.

      Brown did not know what she did with the key and began punching her in the face and arms. He then placed her in a head lock positioning the front of her throat between his bicep and forearm. Brown began applying pressure to Robyn F.'s left and right carotid arteries, causing her to be unable to breathe and she began to lose consciousness.

      She reached up with her left hand and began attempting to gouge his eyes in an attempt to free herself. Brown bit her left ring and middle fingers and then released her. While Brown continued to punch her, she turned around and placed her back against the passenger door. She brought her knees to her chest, placed her feet against Brown’s body and began pushing him away. Brown continued to punch her on the legs and feet, causing several contusions.

      Robyn F. began screaming for help and Brown exited the vehicle and walked away. A resident in the neighborhood heard Robyn F.'s plea for help and called 911, causing a police response. An investigation was conducted and Robyn F. was issued a Domestic Violence Emergency Protective Order.