The annual Met Gala is coming up on Monday, May 2, and this year’s announced theme — Gilded Glamour — has social media buzzing about just how tone-deaf the organizers must be.
“The Met Gala returns Monday. The fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute draws pop culture’s biggest stars to its red carpet — the true event of the evening,” The Associated Press reported. “This year’s theme? ‘Gilded glamour.’”
The Met Gala returns Monday. The fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute draws pop culture's biggest stars to its red carpet — the true event of the evening.
This year's theme? “Gilded glamour.” https://t.co/3RuconlUVq
— The Associated Press (@AP) April 28, 2022
According to the Associated Press’ report, the 2022 gala will be hosted by Regina King, Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Vogue Magazine’s Anna Wintour will be running the show as she has for decades, joined by honorary co-chairs designer Tom Ford and Instagram’s Adam Mosseri.
The gala is always a who’s who of the richest and most famous from Hollywood, fashion, sports, politics, and every other possible arena — and while the glitz and glamour are kind of the point, a number of critics wondered whether saying so out loud was a little too on the nose.
“Gilded Glamour? They’re begging for the pitchforks, aren’t they?” RealClearPolitics co-founder and president Tom Bevan tweeted.
Gilded Glamour? They're begging for the pitchforks, aren't they? https://t.co/WOWmI3XNNo
— Tom Bevan (@TomBevanRCP) April 28, 2022
“I don’t see the word Equity here anywhere,” Washington Free Beacon contributor Noah Pollak added.
Amy Curtis joined a number of Twitter users who referenced “The Hunger Games,” adding, “We are living in Panem.”
Mark Hemingway, senior writer for RealClear Investigations, noted that the timing of the event made the optics even worse. “The WHCA and Met Gala just a few days apart, right after today’s economic news. Just absolutely perfect optics for all involved,” he tweeted.
“Impeccable timing,” David Burge agreed.
Some noted that only a few months had passed since the 2021 Met Gala, which was delayed from it’s regular date — the first Monday in May — until November due to ongoing concerns about the spread of COVID-19.
The guest list — which is kept largely quiet until the red carpet is rolled out and the celebrities start rolling in — is predicted to be around 400. That’s similar to the turnout from last November’s gala and slightly below the pre-COVID attendance of 500-600 guests.
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) raised eyebrows when she attended the November gala — which is estimated to cost over $30,000 per attendee — wearing a dress with the words “Tax the Rich” emblazoned on the back.