Gawk Away At The 'Coldplay Affair' – But Don't Pretend It's Justice

The pair on a kiss camI am not going to pretend that I, too, haven’t been sucked in by the Coldplay “affair” drama. The moment, which occurred at the band’s Massachusetts concert after singer Chris Martin joked that a camera-dodging duo were “having an affair,” has all the ingredients necessary for a viral hit, after all. A clip showed a cosied-up couple displayed on the concert’s jumbotron during the “kiss cam” section of the night; as soon as they realised their faces were being broadcast across the stadium, they ducked, horrified, out of frame. Internet sleuths soon claimed not only that they were sure each party was cheating (which we do not, in fact, definitely know), but also that they knew who each member of the couple was (they allege that he is the CEO of tech and AI company Astronomer and she is its HR lead).It is perfect gossip. It’s been spun into an office drama, which is rarer as more of us work from home; most of us aren’t involved in it, so speculation doesn’t cost us any professional face. It’s also juicy, if unverified, and it would be hypocritical of me to say that anyone who’s gotten drawn into the drama is wrong to do so. But come on – let’s not pretend, as I fear too many of us are, that base speculation about two people who appear to have gotten caught in a mistake in front of millions of viewers is a form of justice.That misconception risks harming potentially already-injured parties far more than the suspected perpetrators. @instaagraacetrouble in paradise?? 👀 #coldplay#boston#coldplayconcert#kisscam#fyp♬ original sound - graceThe wife of the suspected CEO, for instance, had her Facebook page bombarded with pictures and comments about the moment from people who, I’m sure, told themselves they were doing it “to make her aware”. She has since deleted her profile, likely not finding the “deluge” of comments about what may be a life-altering, devastating situation if true to be of particular use (at least not after the hundredth or so entry). LinkedIn snoops have suggested that a woman who they believe to have been present with the pair (on the left in the video, who also seemed mortified by the cam), was complicit in the arrangement, despite little concrete evidence.The company’s Senior Director of People, if involved, would be left in a tricky power dynamic were that claim even to be true; but no matter, some fans tell themselves, while on what they delude themselves into thinking is a moralising quest. Some commenters’ misplaced sense of justice has allowed them to question a private individual’s position, assume malicious intent, and publicly insult her integrity on her LinkedIn profile. Chris Martin of Coldplay in last night's concertBut does this do any of the things self-righteous commenters think it will?Does it make the CEO’s wife, should the allegations be true, feel better? Did she need reminder after possibly nauseating reminder of what has the potential to be one of the most mortifying days of her life posted on her social media en masse? Does it make what would be a complicated relationship between a CEO and his underling, if true, fairer to the person with less power when we accuse them of hush-hushing their way to the top? If it did, when would the “help” end? Would “justice” be realised on the millionth TikTok forward, or the hundredth comment? I do understand the impulse to both watch the spectacle and attach it to real names and faces; we’re only human. And I am not “poor-me”-ing a CEO who, if found to have done what TikTokers suspect him of, will certainly have been in the wrong. Nor do I think cheating is good. I understand that people who have been hurt in similar ways feel a certain schadenfreude in a proxy getting caught, and I don’t even see much wrong with finding that perversely enjoyable.I’m onboard with any broader discussions of power dynamics the moment might have launched, too, and I will never deny it’s all very entertaining. But I think it’s time we become honest with ourselves: we’re all watching the Coldplay drama because of the spectacle, the speculation, and the “car crash” impulse that makes other people’s potential mistakes so compelling. This is a popcorn moment on social media, for better or worse. Pretending it’s a crime that online vigilantes must personally avenge makes some behave in a they wouldn’t want blasted over thousands of audience members on a giant screen, either.Related...Tech CEO Gets Caught On Kiss Cam With His Head Of HR At Coldplay ConcertMaura Higgins And Danny Jones' Alleged Kiss Has Split Fans. But What Officially Counts As Cheating?'My Girlfriend Tried To Catch Me Cheating. Was My Reaction Unfair?'

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Gawk Away At The 'Coldplay Affair' – But Don't Pretend It's Justice

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