We prepared ourselves for all kinds of tone-deaf costumery from the rich and famous, and thankfully there weren’t too many offensive getups. Of course, there were a few celebs who probably should have thought a bit more critically (or at all) when it came to their outfits.
Emma Roberts was an early offender, posting an image of her hair and makeup to Instagram before making her way over to the Met. She decided to wear chopsticks in her hair, because, why not?
Funny when the world world freaks out when white/black people wear indian feathers but no one freaks out when people wear asian lewks
— bryanboy (@bryanboy) May 4, 2015
You get all these white people putting them chopsticks in their hair like props little they know they mean death in the family
— bryanboy (@bryanboy) May 4, 2015
If there was any time to avoid a headdress, it was this year’s Met Gala, but Sarah Jessica Parker was all like, whatever, I’m going to rock this questionable head gear. Of course, the Twitterati did not hesitate to call her out on her problematic accessory.
I’m going as the Siamese cats from Lady & the Tramp, which is somehow less racist than Sarah Jessica Parker’s outfit. pic.twitter.com/gh1ObiZcQa
— ariana pequeño (@nahtzen) May 4, 2015
Regardless if you’re team Beyoncé or team Rihanna, I think we can all agree Sarah Jessica Parker looked ugly and racist af night
— Jessica (@jesseroni) May 5, 2015
Looks like Sarah Jessica Parker said to herself “nothing tastes as good as cultural appropriation feels!” #racist #MetBall
— Jon (@messybarbarian) May 5, 2015
Poppy Delevingne said she went as opium because lol remember when opium addiction was a huge problem in China and Chinese people died in wars over it? Yeah, that was a hoot. Who better than to illustrate such a time in history than a well-to-do Briton?
Image: Getty
SMH. But the Gala wasn’t all cultural appropriation and uncomfortable references. Rihanna positively shut the red carpet down with a massive yellow fur-trimmed embroidered piece created by Chinese designer Guo Pei. Riri was actually one of the few who went with a Chinese designer for the affair, and oddly enough it wasn’t difficult for her to find an appropriate outfit for the event. “I love this dress so much,” she told Vanity Fair. “It’s Chinese couture and it’s made by Guo Pei. It’s handmade by one Chinese woman and it took her two years to make. I found it online.” Wow! And how, pray tell, did Rihanna find out about a Chinese couture designer little known to us westerners? “I was researching Chinese couture on the Internet and I found it.”
Wow, a simple internet search is all it takes to find an appropriate outfit that’s not offensive? WHO KNEW?
