Coachella Cancels Gitmo-Themed Party

Did Zero Dark Thirty really make torture seem sexy? A Guantánamo-themed Coachella party—and potential PR disaster—was swiftly canceled on Monday, shortly after advertisements went out promising a “pop-up experience” with “pleasure torture.” The controversial event was planned by Flaunt magazine and LeBaron, with sponsors True Religion and Smashbox Studios. Within hours of the advertisement’s release, Smashbox issued a statement saying Flaunt would be changing the theme of the event, claiming they had agreed to sponsor a photobooth before knowing the theme. Flaunt issued a statement confirming the change, but defended its concept, claiming the magazine had never “shied away from controversy or provocation.” The “sorry not sorry” from Flaunt didn’t cut it for Smashbox—who pulled out entirely by 10 p.m. Monday.