The Met Gala, an annual extravaganza of wealth and excess, has once again sparked a heated debate about the divide between the ultra-rich and the rest of society. This year, the event was hosted by Jeff Bezos, the world's third-richest man, and his wife, Lauren Sánchez Bezos, who paid a mere $10 million for the privilege of attending. The event, a spectacle of self-indulgence and extravagance, has left many questioning the moral implications of such displays of opulence. The author, drawing on Charles Dickens' words, describes the gala as a 'pageant of decay' and a 'ritual celebration of the social order' that is 'intolerable by its own conduct'. The event, they argue, is a stark reminder of the stark inequality that exists in society, with the wealthy exploiting the labor of the working class to amass their fortunes. The author highlights the absurdity of the gala, from the custom Schiaparelli rubberized bodysuit with sculpted nipples to the Chanel gown that required 761 hours of atelier labor. They point out that while the wealthy indulge in such excess, the conditions outside the velvet rope are dire, with Amazon warehouse workers collapsing at injury rates that exceed those of the rest of the warehousing industry combined. The author also criticizes the hypocrisy of politicians and celebrities who attend the gala, such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who wore a 'Tax the Rich' gown, while simultaneously benefiting from the very system they claim to critique. The Met Gala, the author concludes, is a ritual that serves to make the rule of the billionaires appear glamorous and deserved, and it is a stark reminder of the need for the working class to separate the wealthy from their bank accounts. The author calls for the expropriation of the mega-millionaires and billionaires, arguing that the United States is controlled by an oligarchic ruling class that is as shameless as it is brutal.
