I ironed a shirt for the Sydney Opera House. Culture night. Big building. Big feelings. Bigger prices. Then I met the cheapest seat in Sydney – an online checkbox.
The page promised “Mob Tickets”.
A good thing. A necessary thing.
It said pick your seats and the special price appears in the cart…
No ceremony. No chat. No questions… the cart behaved like a confessional that also sells Beethoven.
Right then my moral compass did a little pirouette.
The devil on my shoulder whispered in perfect diction, “Art for all… and a bargain for some.” The angel held up a sign that read, “Mate, don’t.” Down below the browser asked me to confirm I wasn’t a robot and then gave me the chance to confirm I wasn’t a decent human either.
This is modern arts funding by vibes. Equity by box tick.
We push the hard work of fairness onto software and hope no one notices the loophole glowing like a neon EXIT.
The fix is not hard.
Let community channels distribute the offer first. Cap the allocation and say so loudly. Give front‑of‑house a process that protects dignity and doesn’t turn them into identity police.
Because if you can design a discount, you can design a decent gate.
Until then the Opera House has a new section. Stalls, circle and moral grey area. Best views in the house if you can live with yourself.
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