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Inequality is not a state of mind: it's a reality, and here's an app that can finally calculate its true cost. One dinner at a time.
EquiTable is an app created by comedian and general mastermind Luna Malbroux, who wanted to demonstrate the everyday reality of male white privilege in a hilarious way.
Luna, along with her team, collected data from the Bureau of Labour Statistics in the US, and calculated how much each person should pay.
Or another way she put it: taking 'Affirmative Fractions'.
The app also has a built in 'diversity tracker' that allows you to see how diverse your friendship group is.
And if you don't agree with how much you ought to pay?
You can claim less privilege.
Luna spoke to indy100 about the app.
What gave you the idea?
Besides being a comic, I also work as an anti-bias educator. I spend a lot of time talking about the intersections of identity, privilege and discrimination. I heard about Cultivated Wit's Comedy Hack Day and thought of a bill splitting app as the perfect entry into a conversation around how race and gender play a role in economic discrimination.
What would you say to people who argue that racism is a thing of the past?
It's hard to know what to say to someone who is that in denial. Research, news, facts, etc, all point that racism, sexism, exploitation, classism, are still real issues that affect many people to varying degrees.
Here's the video explaining the app in full:
At the moment, the app is to launch in America. Any plans to bring it over the pond?
I've been pleasantly surprised at how much this has resonated in Europe and I would love exploring those possibilities.
I feel so lucky to work with a wonderful team of people who are committed to combining comedy and tech.
Watch this space.
You can find Luna on Twitter here
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