Juan Salinas II
campus editor
The Met Gala is where ultra-wealthy celebrities, fashion designers and billionaires play dress-up for their egos. If you have an extra $35,000 to burn, you could attend.
Every year there is a tone-deaf attempt of activism from a celebrity. But this year, a U.S. representative decided it was her time in the spotlight.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wore a white dress that had “tax the rich” in big red lettering across her dress. She received praise for being quote, unquote, “brave” for spreading awareness and bringing populist ideas to the mainstream.
As if Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign didn’t exist.
Outside the event, Black Lives Matter demonstrators were protesting the death of Mike Rosado, while AOC sat on a comfortable chair inside, sipping away at expensive wine.
She is a U.S. representative of New York’s 14th congressional district. Back in 2018, she upset incumbent Joe Crowley, the fourth rank House Democrat at the time. A potential Speaker of the House candidate was unseated by a Hispanic woman that never ran before and was outspent by $3,054,370. She was the first of four women to be elected that ran on progressive policies and promised to shake up Washington, D.C., becoming The Squad, a progressive caucus of the democratic party.
AOC began her time in office with a splash by protesting with climate activists outside of Nancy Pelosi’s office, demanding direct action to fight climate change. She also proposed the Green New Deal, a congressional resolution that lays out a grand plan for tackling climate change.
Hill/Teen Vouge
Kaia Gerber’s Oscar de la Renta outfit was a homage to style icon Bianca Jagger, who wore a similar dress to the Met Gala.
But after some time, The Squad has become nothing more than virtue-signaling politicians. She tweeted about how we should have Medicare for all, raise upper-class taxes, more COVID relief and a $15 minimum wage while having the power to apply pressure to the Biden administration to do so. But, The Squad refused to do anything, for it would upset the Democratic Party and threaten their chances of being accepted into the elite.
The progressive caucus could change strategies and take a page out of the tea party playbook and refuse to vote for any Biden administration agendas until progressive legislatures are passed or put up for a vote.
Unfortunately, they care more about being celebrities than actually making a change.
