After four years of drought in California, people have turned to Twitter to vent about their frustrations toward water wasters—especially celebrities—with the hashtag #DroughtShaming.
Drought shaming is state sanctioned after last summer when California instituted water fines of up to $500 a day if someone watered their lawn excessively or hosed down sidewalks. This has led to lawns in poorer areas to go brown while in California’s wealthiest enclaves the grass remains green.
Now, in addition to financial sanctions, the celebrities who are keeping their lawns watered face #DroughtShaming, a hashtag trend that shows their green lawns while the drought continues. Targets include Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, Sean Penn, and hotels like the Ritz-Carlton that mist their guests.
@maggiebeauchamp @NoreenR1 @ChristiChat @cher here’s commie lover Sean penn’s lush green lawn #DroughtShaming pic.twitter.com/hHnTyzbDwO
— Lisa (@Rockprincess818) May 11, 2015
https://twitter.com/OhMo/status/597612800836382720
Dear @RitzCarlton #RanchoMirage, love u but w constant misting, please don’t force us into #droughtshaming…with @amykavanaugh @shoreen
— Gail Becker (@gailfbecker) May 3, 2015
The New York Post even got in on the act, with photo-heavy story showing what celebrity lawns look like during the drought. But the ire is not only for celebrities and big brands, it’s for anyone with the wealth to waste water. There’s apps to track the waste, and even a company, TurfTerminators, that has a water drop mascot going around #DroughtShaming and promoting their lawn-replacement services.
H/T Gizmodo | Screengrab via The Weather Network
