THE TRUTH: Why Once Popular Events Such As ‘Blankets And Wine’, ‘The Mingle’ And ‘The Circle’ Are Dying A Quick Brutal Death

Of late, the attendance figures for once-popular events such as ‘Blankets And Wine’, ‘The Mingle’ and ‘The Circle’ have reached an all-time low. Fewer people are showing up than ever before.

Though such upheaval might seem unexpected, the wheels of these inglorious declines have been in motion for quite some time. Other events have taken over mostly because they offer something tasty. . Though initially this changing of the guard was insignificant, the growing disparity between traditional events and that of other emerging events has become quite substantial.

A myriad of explanations for the precipitous drop in popularity have been theorized: though in my opinion, I think these are the most practical.

Reduction of ratchetness

The wild gods of these events have moved elsewhere because there are too many boring people attending nowadays. Even CEOs of companies started going to ‘Blankets And Wine’. They didn’t want to be left out of the hype but then the hype was left to them. Things became too mature. “You can have that Sir”, we all say as we ran away. As a young man, you surely wouldn’t love to be caressing a mamii while a potential future employer is looking at you like you are the Antichrist. Back then, when it was all ‘wild and free’ the events that unfolded ranged from weird to possible contenders for Ripleys Believe It Or Not. And that’s how people liked it

The current pace of these parties simply do not mesh with the younger generation’s style of entertainment consumption. ‘Blankets’ And Wine’ and ‘The mingle’ bled out all the ratchetness that was their hallmark and as a result, people lost interest. The Minge was once notorious for people who couldn’t adhere to the phrase “Get a room”. Guys would shag anywhere and everywhere.

In an age of instant gratification, today’s revellers desire entertainment that is fast-paced and out of this world. Unfortunately, our traditional events are now characterized by slow, novel-like, amusement whose power lies in the accumulation and appreciation of moments. Casual fans are no longer willing to devote the requisite mental energy demanded by the now ‘hazy’ settings. Though the setting up of these events requires efficient strategy, the planning has been unsatisfactory. The kind of fun plus the restrictions being put just aren’t suitable for the short attention span of the modern reveler

….everything is lame, same and tame

Traditional events haven’t been flexible Going somewhere to have fun while knowing exactly how everything will turn out is not something cool. People want to experience the unexpected. The very idea of paying a lot of money for the same old stuff, is not what most people, even hard core rave fans, would find riveting. The usual idiosyncrasies, though eternal tradition to some, are tedious and boring for most.

And the luxury of choice…..

The truth of the matter is that all these popular events, though structured to remain a touchstone of Kenyan merriment, will continue to be marginalized in a culture of instant gratification. An event might be hot now but in future it will likely remain just one of the countless entertainment options available to the public. Everyone wants to be in the game hence everyone is creating new kinds of events because that’s where the gold rush is. Though there is enough nostalgia and pageantry to persuade even the casual party lover to still attend Blankets, in a culture of more choices and less time, no party shall forever remain in it’s prime.