Met Gala- Is it worth the hype?

The Met Gala, originally known as the Costume Institute Benefit, is an annual fundraising event benefiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute in Manhattan. It is widely recognized as the world's most prestigious and elegant fashion event. 

(image source by LA times)

I used to watch the Met Gala every year. 

I was mesmerized by the opulent night of fashion, with celebrities of multimillion net worths walking the steps of New York. I won't lie. I was one of them- among the crowds, gazing in awe, manifesting myself in their shoes, yearning for that Chanel dress to be in my wardrobes. 

Despite my obsession with the Met, I missed the livestream this year. It wasn't a big deal though, as my usual routine of morning reading gave me enough of this year's Met theme. 

 Skimming through the internet in search of recent resources for my paper, which addressed women's rights among war refugees, it soon became apparent that I failed to find any. The headlines were nailed with the fashion event. Not one of the thousands issued the ongoing tragedies. 

It was quite suffocating, in the heat of the debate about who was the 'best dressed' at the Met this year. 

Browsing through the comments praising, even worshipping the ostentatious clothes, an unfamiliar discomfort dawned on me. 

The nauseousness made me wonder- if those thousands of Swarovski diamonds on Anok Yai's dress were the so-called 'Blood diamonds.' 

Imagine all these cameras in Gaza.

Imagine all these people in the comments voicing out the truths of the genocides.

Imagine all these hands writing reality, rather than on the ridiculously gaudy event.

On the same day the Met Gala took place, the Israeli military ordered the evacuation of 100,000 Palestinians from Rafah to make way for what it called a “limited” military operation in a city where 1.5 million Palestinians are sheltering. On the same day, the IDF launched another attack against the Palestinians.

The majority of the media failed to portray these, nor did we fail to pay sufficient heed to them. 

We were once again blind, letting comfort outweigh reality.

I'm a passionate advocate for both art and fashion. I am well-acknowledged of the significance of it, as well as the economic and aesthetic benefits it brings. I am not denying its place in the society. I do not perceive the 'art' itself as a misuse for it is sometimes the sole source of optimism and salve for many in hard times. Yet this year, as I watched the 'arts' presented by the Met gala, I felt like I was circumventing. 

This year, I did not watch the Met. Instead, I canceled my subscription to Vogue.

This year, I chose not to stand in the crowds. The flashing lights and the metallic clicks of the camera seemed more like a diversion from the dystopian truth we were confronted with. 

And next year, I hope many others will too. It is my sincere desire that more heads will turn to what is 'worth' recognizing,

 to come to realize that these obtuse events in the time of unjust shouldn't be perpetuated.

" The future is already here – it's just not evenly distributed. "