It’s time to peg the patriarchy again. 2022’s Met Gala hearkens all the way back to 2021’s Met Gala with the theme “In America: An Anthology of Fashion.” This year’s theme is a spiritual continuation of “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion,” which birthed looks like AOC’s “Tax the Rich” wedding gown and Kim Kardashian’s black morphsuit. Regina King, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Blake Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, will preside over the festivities, which means we may be privy to a Regina King slay, a choreographed musical number, and at least one or two quirky Instagram posts. In May, the Met Gala will work with film directors to craft cinema-inspired scenes of America within the rooms of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The cinema angle provides ample room for interpretation; some stars may channel Old Hollywood, as Billie Eilish did in her pink Oscar de La Renta gown. But the theme’s openness means celebrities will still be able to wear anything they want. Now all we need is for Reynolds to bring along his 12-year-old self from The Adam Project, as Frank Ocean did with his tiny green alien baby. At this point, the theme might as well be “Watching Rihanna Eat Everyone Else Up,” but then we would be deprived of that timeless American hobby: Seeing the ultrawealthy perform activism on the steps of the Met Gala.
