Hypocrisy knows no bounds — at least, not for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who wore a dress emblazoned with “tax the rich” to party at Hollywood’s most exclusive social event of the year. Ocasio-Cortez displayed the designer piece as she strutted down a red carpet Monday night at the annual Met Gala.
The Met Gala, which former Vogue fashion director André Leon Talley called the “Super Bowl of social fashion events,” is a fundraising ball regularly attended by millionaire A-listers, including Marc Jacobs, Tom Ford, Anna Wintour, the Kardashians, Lady Gaga, and around 600 more Hollywood elites. Tickets are priced at $30,000 per guest, with each table costing a steep $275,000.
“Tax the Rich”……But first I’m gonna go have the time of my life partying with them all at the most extravagant over the top party of the year that is essentially a celebration of richness. pic.twitter.com/ZkSUnRkqGs
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) September 14, 2021
Posing for a photo-op, the self-described democratic socialist, whose annual congressional salary is $180,000, discussed what it meant to be a “working-class woman of color at the Met.”
“And we said, we can’t just play along, but we need to break the fourth wall and challenge some of the institutions, and while the Met is known for its spectacle, we should have a conversation about it,” Ocasio-Cortez said as Kris Jenner passed behind her.
In a red carpet interview with the elusive fashion magazine Vogue, Ocasio-Cortez beamed with pride as a fur coat-clad interviewer fawned over her dress.
“Tax the rich. What. A. Model, AOC. What a model. I didn’t know you model as well! Damn.” the Vogue interviewer exclaimed.
NEW – Democrat Rep. AOC wears a "Tax The Rich" dress at #MetGala, where a ticket costs $30,000 to attend.pic.twitter.com/V9B7UGoGX5
— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) September 13, 2021
Despite Ocasio-Cortez’s support of fascist mask and vaccine mandates for the plebs, regardless of vaccination or immunity status, it appears she neglected to wear a mask or social distance at the event. Meanwhile, AOC’s district in New York has outlined mask requirements for public school children, no matter their vaccination status or risks from infection. In August, Gov. Kathy Hochul told New Yorkers to expect mask mandates and vaccine requirements as children return to school.
https://twitter.com/ellencarmichael/status/1437579435478294532
Ocasio-Cortez’s shining moment among Hollywood elites was enough to grab Twitter’s attention Monday night, as the platform slammed the politician for her hypocritical message.
“What makes AOC a bigger fraud: The ‘tax the rich’ dress while she’s hanging out with a bunch of wealthy leftwing elites or the lack of masks after spending the past 18 months as one of the biggest authoritarian mask Karens in the country?” Donald Trump Jr. tweeted Monday.
What makes @AOC a bigger fraud:
The "tax the rich" dress while she's hanging out with a bunch of wealthy leftwing elites or the lack of masks after spending the past 18 months as one of the biggest authoritarian mask Karens in the country? https://t.co/pE84Pjquh1
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) September 14, 2021
A darker interpretation is that it’s not about hypocrisy, but a naked display of power and hierarchy: AOC can party without covering her face, but you can’t. This is what the socialism Ocasio-Cortez espouses always leads to: a system in which the rich are the politically well-connected.
Kyle Mann, editor-in-chief of the satirical Christian news website The Babylon Bee, tweeted a screenshot of an article posted in December 2020, titled “AOC Now Selling ‘Tax The Rich’ Caviar For Just $10,000 A Can,” captioning it “Another one of our prophecies fulfilled.”
Another one of our @thebabylonbee prophecies fulfilled pic.twitter.com/7zcJ6yp8TN
— Kyle Mann (@The_Kyle_Mann) September 13, 2021
Ocasio-Cortez came under fire earlier this year when she posted a photo of her grandmother’s poor living conditions, saying she was unable to financially help her grandmother at the time. Another user scoffed at the ticket price, wondering why Ocasio-Cortez could obtain $30,000 to spend on a Gala ticket but couldn’t help repair her grandmother’s battered home.
Why didn’t AOC help her abuela instead of spending 30K+ to go to the Met Gala?
— Jordan Rachel (@TheJordanRachel) September 14, 2021
The irony of Ocasio-Cortez’s “Tax the Rich” message was laughable, one Twitter user pointed out.
AOC wears a dress reading “tax the rich” meanwhile lives in a luxury apartment, housing two gyms, a peloton room, golfing simulator, rooftop pool, and sits above Amazon owned Whole Foods… awkward. pic.twitter.com/5eHLLR9I5b
— Samantha T. Feigelson (@samanthatfeigel) September 14, 2021
Aurora James of Brother Vellies, the dress’s designer, said the Met Gala was the perfect venue to unveil the congresswoman’s message.
“We can never get too comfortable in our seats at the table once they’ve been given,” James told Vogue. “We must always continue to push ourselves, push our colleagues, push the culture and push the country forward. Fashion is changing, America is changing. And as far as this theme goes, I think Alexandria and I are a great embodiment of the language fashion needs to consider adding to the general lexicon as we work towards a more sustainable, inclusive, and empowered future.”
The revolution will be commoditized. Those at the top get the profits while telling the little guys they’re working for us.
