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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the Met Gala Statement Dress

For the 2021 Met Gala, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wore a white gown that had “Tax the Rich” painted on the back. A bold statement such as this created a lot of controversy on social media and throughout new outlets. Different headlines the next day read “Why A.O.C. 's Met Gala Dress Made People Mad”, “The Controversy Over AOC’s ‘Tax the Rich’ dress”, and “AOC ripped for attending Met Gala in ‘Tax the Rich’ dress”.  On social media people were divided as some supported her bold message while others felt it was obnoxious and not the proper setting. Later two Conservative groups filed ethical complaints against Ocasio-Cortez citing that “she flouted House rules…”, according to the New York Post. They also cited that the gown was an “impermissible gift” because she didn’t pay for it. After the complaint was filed though Ocasio-Cortez did pay for the gown and additional service but news outlets still circulated the story. Ocasio-Cortez defended her choice to wear the gown by stating “Ultimately the haters hated and the people who are thoughtful were thoughtful,” she wrote. “But we all had a conversation about Taxing the Rich in front of the very people who lobby against it, and punctured the fourth wall of excess and spectacle.”. Her unapologetic attitude and confidence rallied her supporters and gave her access to an even larger audience. While she did receive negative feedback and critiques she stood by her fashion statement to tax the rich. 


Citations:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/15/style/aoc-met-gala-dress.html


https://nypost.com/2023/03/02/aocs-met-gala-appearance-likely-violated-law-house-ethics-chair/


https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2021/09/15/the-controversy-over-aocs-tax-the-rich-dress-explained/?sh=44655f906c07

Comments

  1. African Americans in PoliticsNovember 27, 2023 at 6:52 PM

    Let me begin by saying I absolutely love Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez! I aspire to have her boldness once I start my political career. This dress is a prime example of how bold she is and she looked absolutely stunning while getting her message across (not too many people can do that). Honestly, I can't believe that some people thought that it was "obnoxious" because it is literallyTHE MET GALA, people are known for wearing their most out of the box attire.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Roman leeNovember 28, 2023 at 5:42 PM

    Great post Kendalyn! I think its amazing that AOC would be so bold to showcase to everything in a fashion show that political policies are important. Anyone who knows who AOC is, knows her political beliefs and how she goes about portraying them to everyone. Its especially bold, as the font that was used on the dress, is reminiscent of the same font that many anarchists or freedom fighters use in graffiti. There is obvious negative feedback from detractors of her policies, but to bring about political messages to a whole new audience who may have never been exposed to it before, is a great thing. Great post!

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