The ‘eat the rich’ response to the LA fires is ugly
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Online coverage of the celebrities whose houses have burnt down in the horrendous Los Angeles wildfires this week was met by a dismaying but predictable symbol: the laughing emoji. Paris Hilton, Billy Crystal and Adam Brody are among the stars reported to have lost their Californian homes in affluent neighbourhoods of the city, like Pacific Palisades.
![[Paris Hilton On Capitol Hill To Urge Lawmakers To Pass The Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/GettyImages-2190427597.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
James Woods even broke down in tears on CNN describing the destruction of his property. But while some of the people posting comments on social media extended compassion, what sympathy could be found was muted – along the lines of ‘It’s sad, but what about others who are not rich and famous’ – and overshadowed by a deluge of schadenfreude.
![[Fire personnel respond to homes destroyed while a helicopter drops water as the Palisades Fire grows in Pacific Palisades, California]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/GettyImages-2192316305.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
Follow the latest on the LA wildfires with our live blog. ‘Awwww poor rich people,’ wrote one follower of the BBC News Facebook page. ‘Lol good, zero sympathy for rich celebs,’ added another. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video.
![[Powerful Winds Fuel Multiple Fires Across Los Angeles Area]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/GettyImages-2192342657.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
Up Next. ‘Can you imagine losing your 4th house! Must be hard. Thoughts and prayers,’ posted a third. There were many ironic references to setting up Go Fund Me campaigns, while some of the responses claimed that the LA celebrities lamenting the burning of their properties were responsible for their misfortune.
‘Meh, hard to feel sympathy for those who create and benefit from the policies that result in these kind of disasters,’ said one Facebook user. This dismissive – even gleeful – reaction to Hollywood A-listers losing their homes is disheartening, but not surprising: look at the trolling that followed the loss of the Titan sub, for example.
