The Met Gala is known for many things: celebritiesâ insane outfits, men who donât follow the theme, and some of our favorite looks of all time. However, the Met Gala is also the perfect place to find yourself in some new drama, if youâre a celebrity (or influencer) like Haley Kalil â or @haleyybaylee, if youâre on TikTok.
Haley Kalil, who has 10 million followers on TikTok, is now surrounded by controversy after she posted a TikTok in her Met Gala outfit with a sound that says âLet them eat cake.â The sound â and Haleyâs hair â were clearly inspired by Marie Antoinette, who is known for saying âLet them eat cakeâ regarding the peasants in France who were starving and had no bread.
While itâs most likely that Haley just wanted to use the sound to accompany the iconic Marie Antoinette style, it still caused a bit of chaos. Some Met Gala viewers were quick to point out that as Baley was making and posting this content, people were fleeing Rafah in extreme fear and anxiety due to the ongoing war. Her Campus reached out to Kalil’s team for comment, but did not hear back at the time of publication.
In the U.S., the median household income is $74,580 while tickets for the Met Gala are âaround $75,000,â which is more than the median household income. Given the extreme difference in wealth between those who can afford a ticket and those who cannot, the Met Gala has been labeled as âThe Capitol,â in reference to the out-of-touch, elite, bourgeoisie in The Hunger Games.Â
Haley isnât the first celebrity to come under fire for flaunting extreme wealth during the Met Gala. Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) faced controversy for her âTax the richâ dress a few years ago, but her fans argued that the dress wasnât ironic (as only the ultra-rich attend the Met) because AOC hadnât paid for the dress and she was invited to the event for free.
Haley posted multiple videos from throughout the night like ones of her posing for her team with Bridgerton sounds in the background. Multiple TikTok users commented things like âWelcome to the 76th Hunger Games vibes,â or âWatching from District 12.â Baley also posted videos with other Met Gala attendees like Karlie Kloss, Janelle MonĂĄe, and Tyla.Â
Although I think we can all agree that Haley probably didnât mean to take the Marie Antoinette vibes so literally, she definitely didnât make things easier for herself. One TikTok user commented âWatching from District 9,â and Baley replied with âOMG CRYING,â so the reference may have gone over her head.Â
The Met Gala traditionally gives off The Hunger Games/ Capitol vibes, but it might not be fair to blame one person, like Haley Kalil, for that. But I will admit, watching all the celebrities walk up the Met Gala steps definitely does remind me of Effie Trinket and her insane outfits.Â