The Met Gala raised more than just millions of dollars this year. Eyebrows across the country and the world shot so high above hairlines last Monday night, some may be lost forever. The extravaganza did not waste any time trying to avoid controversial statements. Aside from the event raising money for a nonessential organization, the theme – “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination” – simply added to the controversy of the night.
Let’s jump right into the deep end. When someone says ‘fundraiser’ or ‘for a good cause,’ minds immediately race to concerns of those in need. Organizations fighting hunger, for example, or supporting medical research or even assisting in the prevention of animal abuse are all things that qualify as ‘good causes.’ The fashion world, as indicated by the Met Gala, cares about one thing, and one thing only: itself.
All the money goes to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to support the Costume Institute (a.k.a. the fashion department). The New York Times said this is only because “it is the only one of the Met’s curatorial departments that has to fund itself, fashion having been an iffy proposition as an art form when the Costume Institute was established.”
Tickets this year cost $30,000 per person, leave the average American’s mouth agape. The cost of one ticket alone is more than half of what the average American makes in an entire year. It is not ethical to spend that massive an amount of money for the sake of fashion.
Fashion is without a doubt a beautiful and articulated art form, but so is humanity. It is hard to imagine that in preparation for the Met Gala, hundreds if not thousands of homeless individuals struggling in New York City were kicked to the curb to make way for the red carpet.
Instead of propping up old musty dresses in glass boxes, we should help fellow humans buy a new, clean outfit and a warm meal. So many Americans are left without such minor privileges, it hurts to see so much money being thrown at seemingly frivolous organizations.
It is clear the money should have been sent towards those fighting to gain any type of footing in life. But if this is the case, then why do so many celebrities, who carry so much influence and prestige, participate in such an event? Of course parties are exciting and everyone who is anyone just has to attend, but at what cost. Social media is ablaze with backlash against the theme of this year’s gala.
The National Review described the night as “a stark reminder of who has the power in our culture and who does not.” Choosing a theme as controversial as religion was the first mistake. In a world where politics and society are in a turmoil about controversial issues, one would think an event as influential as the Met Gala would know better than to stir the pot. Apparently not.
This mistake has caused an uproar in conversations about the double standard surrounding cultural appropriation and the brutal history Catholicism has in regards to colonization and forced religious conversion.
The decision to make the theme not only religious, but overwhelmingly Catholic was distasteful and easily could have been performed better. While the cultural appropriation side of things is a bit of a stretch, the double standard surrounding the event stared everyone right in the face.
In an article by the Huffington Post, Piers Morgan said, “if it was any other religion, all hell would be breaking loose,” which is exactly why people are upset. It is not the celebrities following dress code, but the insensitivity weaved into the theme of this year’s event.
With so much leverage and influence, the Met Gala has left massive amounts of followers and admirers disappointed, hurt and lost in looking for their sociopolitical savior.
