AOC's 'Tax The Rich' dress at the MET Gala 2021 caused controversy on Twitter (2023)

The United States CongresswomanAlexandria Ocasio-Cortezis quite firm in its stance on taxing the rich. She has repeated those words in her campaign addresses, in Congress, and on every platform she is given. Now she has also brought these words to the back of her white dress at the MET Gala 2021. However, this time it seems soAOCsThe "Tax the Rich" dress at the MET Gala 2021 has caused controversy on Twitter, even in left-wing circles.

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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez rocked a Tax the Rich gown at the 2021 MET Gala

AOC has served as the US Representative for New York's 14th congressional district since 2019 and has been something of a rock star ever since. She is one of the young new faces to emerge in the Democratic Party giving a voice to the working class in America. One of the many policies it encourages is higher taxation of the top 1%, apart from thatGreen New Deal, and other advanced agendas. But this time, AOC has taken it to another level as far as the slogans go.

Invited to the 2021 MET Gala, she wore a dress that has once again split Twitter over political lines. It was a gorgeous white strapless dress from Brooklyn-based designer brand Brother Vellies, but with a big political statement on the back. Scrawled in red was "Tax the Rich." It was certainly an eye catcher as this dress seems to be the one that got the most traction on social media.

Later, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also shared the purpose behind the dress as well as the design team and continued writingInstagram:

Proud to be collaborating with Aurora James, a sustainability-minded black immigrant designer who went from founding her dream Brother Vellies in a Brooklyn flea market to winning the CFDA against all odds — and then working together to open the doors of the Met to open.
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The time is now for childcare, health care and climate protection for all. Tax the rich.

(Video) Met Gala 2021: AOC’s ‘Tax the Rich’ dress creates firestorm of controversy

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Her dress received criticism – from the left and from the right

Now, Tax the Rich has always drawn plenty of criticism from those on the right who don't believe in progressive taxation. The difference this time, however, is that AOC also received criticism from the left for the dress. Many Twitter users stressed that this was merely "performative activism" and that AOC had no intention of doing anything meaningful by wearing this dress. Many emphasized that the only AOC with migrant workers promoted with this stunt was a Canadian fashion designer, as some of the tweets said:

Additionally, many users pointed out that AOC wore an expensive dress to a gathering of the wealthiest elite in the United States while saying "Tax the Rich." To her, that was just blatant hypocrisy. A ticket to the 2021 MET Gala alone cost around $35,000, making her dress utterly tongue-in-cheek. Even Piers Morgan called her a hypocrite and wrote about it in hispillar:

The socialist congresswoman has spent the last few years lecturing the world on the planet-destroying evils of materialistic, bland, obscenely ostentatious capitalism.
But here she danced the red carpet in front of the most materialistic, empty, obscenely ostentatious example of capitalism imaginable - surrounded by hundreds of the richest and most privileged people in American society.

However, it is important to note that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has been invited to the 2021 MET Gala. She clarified in a tweet:

And before haters run wild, elected New York officials are routinely invited to and attended the Met because of our responsibility in overseeing and supporting the city's cultural institutions to the public. I was one of several present that evening.

Some also supported AOC and their Tax the Rich dress, but most people thought it was superficial

Despite the outrage, there was a fair share of her supporters as well. Many people believed that this outrage at a mere dress that nevertheless conveyed his message indicated sexism. Also, even if it's performative, it didn't really hurt anyone and most just walked by unmolested.

However, there was a general acknowledgment from most of those on the left that this political statement from AOC felt a little unmusical and performative at best. They went on to say that AOC only wanted to be in the "Party of the Rich". They weren't particularly outraged by what she said, but they understood how shallow the message came across.

AOC responds to the criticism

Unlike other politicians, AOC does not shy away from criticism and tries to face it head-on. For someone who has faced harsh criticism in the past, this is nothing new to her. She said she was used to being "relentlessly monitored" from across the political spectrum but was not cautious about her actions. She said on her Instagram story:

I thought about the criticism I would get, but honestly, since the moment I won my election, I and my body have been so heavily and relentlessly politically monitored on all sides that it's kind of expected and has become normal for me . The irony is that when women in power embrace the prospect of criticism in order to act cautiously, they are then criticized for being "inauthentic" and "too calculated." Ultimately, the haters hated and the people who think were thoughtful. But we all had a conversation about taxing the rich in front of the very people who oppose it, and broke the 4th wall of excess and spectacle.

Additionally, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was critical of American culture, saying she was particularly hateful towards women, especially women of color. Pointing out the hypocrisy of people who do not criticize men for similar acts, she continued:

Frankly, our culture is deeply disdainful and unsupportive of women, particularly women of color and working class (and LGBTQ/immigrant/etc.) women from the ground up — be it a lack of childcare support or, particularly, reserving the pillory for elected ones women and female persons. The more crossings one has, the deeper the contempt. I'm so used to doing exactly the same thing as men - including popular male progressive elected officials - and getting a completely different reaction. All I can do is acknowledge this reality and make choices about who I am and how I will grow throughout my life!

Congresswoman reveals she wasn't the only elected official at the 2021 MET Gala

AOC also then announced that she was just one of many elected officials at the 2021 MET Gala. And that NYC residents can attend the gala for very little money, and concluded her response with:

For example, did you know that many elected officials attend regularly due to our responsibility to keep cultural venues open to the public? That I was one of many yesterday? Did you know that if you live in the NYC area, you can go to the Met (including the same costume show the rich saw last night) for as little $ as you want?

As the discourse on socialism in America increases every day, it is difficult to get away with such escapades. As the public becomes more aware of this, they will hold their leaders to a higher standard than the rest. So if Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is to continue her agenda of taxing the rich, she must do so through meaningful channels, not through an expensive dress worn at an event exclusive to the elite.

However, the criticism she received seemed extraordinarily vile compared to other elected officials.

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