The theme was severely out of touch
Every Met Gala has a dress code, a theme that guests are required to adhere to in exchange for being invited. This yearâs guests were asked to dress in âGilded Glamourâ or rather fashion that emerged from this historical era.
Look up the Gilded Age and youâll find it described as: âThe period in American history from about 1870 to 1900, during which rapid industrialization, a labour pool swelled by immigration, and minimal governmental regulation allowed the upper classes to accumulate great wealth and enjoy opulent lifestyles.â
Anyone else feeling like this is a weird parallel to whatâs currently unfolding around the globe?
At a glance, inflation is rising steadily as we (try to) ignore the pandemic ever happened, countless numbers of people are being forced to migrate due to war or climate change, and the pro-abortion bill Rowe v. Wade is being debated and subsequently overturned in numerous states across America.
On top of this, itâs common knowledge that the growth and success during Americaâs Gilded Age wouldnât have been possible without the exploitation of immigrant workers, many of whom are still affected today by those same negative socio-political attitudes.
Attendee Riz Ahmed, a British-Pakistani actor and musician, appeared to be the only guest who chose to showcase this dark reality of the Gilded Age. Instead of donning a luxurious getup like most other guests, he arrived wearing a navy worker jacket with matching trousers and rubber boots.
Iâm not the first to suggest the Metâs theme was out of touch. Many have suggested passing the theme-choosing baton to someone new.
Itâs worth noting that tasteful themes have been selected in the past, with the âCAMPâ being a particularly great one. And surely those tasked with deciding on a theme could have attempted to be a little less tone deaf, given the current social, political, and economic landscape?
The mystique of the Met is waning
Itâs highly possible that the once majestic allure surrounding the Met Gala has simply begun to fade.
Once upon a time, the Met Gala was an event attended to by the worldâs most talented and famous. Guestlist status was off-limits for reality television stars, for example, who Anna Wintour is known to have refused to recognise as being in the A-list category.
In recent years though, TV personalities, TikTok stars, and YouTubers have slowly found their names added to the guestlist. Meanwhile, iconic celebrities like Rihanna, Beyonce, Ariana Grande, and Zendaya have noticeably opted out of attendance.
Making things more shambolic is the attitudes of those granted attendance, who donât seem honoured to be there. Comedian Amy Shumer called the event âridiculousâ and said that she was  âonly there for the drinks.â Haha.
Sure, the glitz and glamour of a Met Ball might feel a little over the top in 2022. But considering the event is an esteemed tradition, started in 1948 and aimed at raising funds for the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, these comments do feel a little disrespectful.
Finally, the overwhelming media saturation of the Met Gala could be causing public apathy.
Gone are âbehind the scenesâ photos of models sneaking a cheeky fag in the bathroom together. Even the novelty of the star-studded bathroom selfie seems to have worn off, as our patience with celebrities has gone downhill, exasperated by the pandemic.
Perhaps weâre sick of seeing the worldâs wealthiest gather together, giving us nothing fashion-wise, and not even sticking to the theme. Perhaps weâre simply sick of celebrity – A, B, or C-list. Or perhaps itâs all of the aforementioned factors coming together, making the Met Gala appear more lacklustre with each year.
I donât have the answers, but perhaps you do. Can the Met Gala ever get its magic back?
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