You could be forgiven for thinking the theme of this year’s Met Gala was “Fashion from the Capitol of Panem” with celebrities on the red carpet looking like they stepped straight out of the Hunger Games. This year’s display of wealth was shown live on many social media platforms, TikTok included, and I took some time to watch some of the show and see the outfits.
The theme of 2024 was 'The Garden of Time', which is inspired by the J.G. Ballard short story of the same name (For those interested the story is about a 15min read and can be found here https://cultureinjection.wordpress....lard-james-graham-the-garden-of-time-1962.pdf). Interestingly, the story is about a rich couple living in a lavish mansion surrounded by beautiful gardens with crystal flowers growing inside. When one of these flowers is picked, it turns back time for a period. A huge angry mob is seen advancing over the horizon running towards the villa, and in the evening the man picks a flower to turn back time and have the army retreat back buying them a day or two. The number of flowers dwindles and the army gets closer and closer till the last day where the couple spend their time cleaning and securing their material possessions. When there are no flowers left, the mob breaches the walls of the villa and the time catches up. The villa is transported into an abandoned state, ruined and ravaged by time, and the couple are turned to stone, immortalised as statues beneath the balcony
I can’t help but think that this is symbolic of the elite feeling the pressure of time running out before the masses turn on them out of desperation. The celebrities of the Met Gala existing in a lavish world of their own while the world burns around them, the objective reality of the world they have had a hand in creating advancing closer and closer to their bubble.
The disparity between the haves and the have nots was not missed by those on social media. A ticket to the Met Gala reportedly cost $75,000 and tables ranged between $200,000 and $300,000. South African singer, Tyla wore a dress made of sand glued to her body (representing the sands of time) so fitting she could neither walk nor step up the main stairs. A team of men had to carry her into the event.
Singer/songwriter Camila Cabello carried a $22.5k “ice purse” which was a Swarovski crystal encrusted rose embedded in block of ice (the handle of which broke off before she even reached the red carpet). The explanation was that “everything is fleeting”. A flagrant display of wealth at the same time as most of the population are struggling to put food on the table.
The straw that broke the camels back though, was model and influencer Haley Kalil who arrived at the event to report from the outskirts dressed in a Marie Antoinette themed dress who proceeded to film and post a TikTok of herself miming to a trending sound from the 2006 movie Marie Antoinette starring Kirsten Dunst where she says the famously (mis)quoted line “let them eat cake”. The video has since been taken down, but here is a clip along with part of her “apology” video.
en.wikipedia.org
This ignited the anger of many people online who were disgusted with the “tone deaf” post made while much of the internet were using their platforms to protest about Israels war against Palestine. Thus, sparking the movement #blockout2024 “where it calls for social media users to block celebrities and influencers who are remaining silent about Israel's war against Palestine.
While the number of followers lost by these celebrities as a result of this seems like a drop in the ocean compared to the millions of people (and paid bots) who still follow them it’s a sign that people are fed up and close to breaking point. Things are certainly shaking up.
The theme of 2024 was 'The Garden of Time', which is inspired by the J.G. Ballard short story of the same name (For those interested the story is about a 15min read and can be found here https://cultureinjection.wordpress....lard-james-graham-the-garden-of-time-1962.pdf). Interestingly, the story is about a rich couple living in a lavish mansion surrounded by beautiful gardens with crystal flowers growing inside. When one of these flowers is picked, it turns back time for a period. A huge angry mob is seen advancing over the horizon running towards the villa, and in the evening the man picks a flower to turn back time and have the army retreat back buying them a day or two. The number of flowers dwindles and the army gets closer and closer till the last day where the couple spend their time cleaning and securing their material possessions. When there are no flowers left, the mob breaches the walls of the villa and the time catches up. The villa is transported into an abandoned state, ruined and ravaged by time, and the couple are turned to stone, immortalised as statues beneath the balcony
I can’t help but think that this is symbolic of the elite feeling the pressure of time running out before the masses turn on them out of desperation. The celebrities of the Met Gala existing in a lavish world of their own while the world burns around them, the objective reality of the world they have had a hand in creating advancing closer and closer to their bubble.
The disparity between the haves and the have nots was not missed by those on social media. A ticket to the Met Gala reportedly cost $75,000 and tables ranged between $200,000 and $300,000. South African singer, Tyla wore a dress made of sand glued to her body (representing the sands of time) so fitting she could neither walk nor step up the main stairs. A team of men had to carry her into the event.
Singer/songwriter Camila Cabello carried a $22.5k “ice purse” which was a Swarovski crystal encrusted rose embedded in block of ice (the handle of which broke off before she even reached the red carpet). The explanation was that “everything is fleeting”. A flagrant display of wealth at the same time as most of the population are struggling to put food on the table.
The straw that broke the camels back though, was model and influencer Haley Kalil who arrived at the event to report from the outskirts dressed in a Marie Antoinette themed dress who proceeded to film and post a TikTok of herself miming to a trending sound from the 2006 movie Marie Antoinette starring Kirsten Dunst where she says the famously (mis)quoted line “let them eat cake”. The video has since been taken down, but here is a clip along with part of her “apology” video.
Let them eat cake - Wikipedia
This ignited the anger of many people online who were disgusted with the “tone deaf” post made while much of the internet were using their platforms to protest about Israels war against Palestine. Thus, sparking the movement #blockout2024 “where it calls for social media users to block celebrities and influencers who are remaining silent about Israel's war against Palestine.
Celebrities and influencers lose followers as TikTokers call for a mass block against them
While the number of followers lost by these celebrities as a result of this seems like a drop in the ocean compared to the millions of people (and paid bots) who still follow them it’s a sign that people are fed up and close to breaking point. Things are certainly shaking up.
