Seattleites To 'Gently Caress' Amazon Spheres On New Year's Day

SEATTLE, WA — If you don't have New Year's Day plans, consider heading down to South Lake Union for a celebration of Amazon's ... success. A Seattle musician has created a Facebook event inviting Seattleites to "gently caress" the famous Amazon spheres, and so far close to 7,000 people have expressed interest.

Omar Rashan, 30, created the event (the full name is PG-13, but you can see it here) to draw attention to the polarization of wealth in Seattle. It's a serious problem, but Rashan wanted to use humor to draw attention to the topic of income inequality.

"People would naturally want to share it," Rashan said of the 7,000 people "interested" in the event.

It's also a comment on the recent Republican tax bill, which is rooted in trickle-down economics, which relies on generating wealth from the top down.

"[We must gives the spheres] the warmth and the love they deserve to demonstrate our appreciation for our glorious corporate overlords until the wealth graciously trickles down. So stretch those arms and give Jeff [Bezos] a big hug! We will never let go. Prime members welcome," the Facebook invite reads.

This is the second such event involving Amazon's spheres Rashan has created. Originally, the event invited Seattleites to come out and slowly headbutt the spheres until they broke. Facebook deleted that event citing its community standards, Rashan said.

Amazon's spheres contain rare and endangered flora, but also work and retail space for Amazonians.

Rashan, who plays in the Seattle band Charlatan, works as a photographer and admits he doesn't have much money. Rashan moved to Seattle from Chicago over three years ago. Living in far north Seattle near Shoreline puts physical distance between Rashan and the city's music scene. Rent has gone up $100 per year since moving, but moving farther south into Seattle is too expensive.

"I appreciate living here," Rashan said. "I just hope it's someplace I can remain in for a while longer."

Amazon isn't the only big tech company creating wealth in Seattle, but it might be the most conspicuous. Amazon has also directly affected the real estate market. A recent Zillow study showed that rents increased in South Lake Union and surrounding neighborhoods in line with Amazon's workforce growth between 2011 and 205.

Aside from rent prices, some locals who have been here since before Amazon built its spheres hate the way the company has changed the landscape.

At least one person has already taken Rashan up on sphere-caressing. One man posted a photo on Facebook of himself on Christmas Eve caressing one of the spheres.

It's important to note, Rashan isn't actually planning to go caress the spheres on Monday, but some people probably will.

"It's social commentary," Rashan said. "When it's done through humor, it's a good way to engage folks."

Image by Elaine Thompson/Associated Press