This year’s Met Gala was a fever dream — and not in a good way

So, what is the Met Gala? Seriously though, is it a dinner? Does Anna Wintour give a speech? Does Tim Gunn dole out awards (oh wait, Anna banned him years ago).There has to be a live auction at some point in the night, right? Rich people love their auctions. No other event earns such impressive media attention and social engagement yet is still so shrouded in mystery. The Met Gala is such an experiential anomaly that it’s basically in a class entirely of its own. We know the glitterati gather on the Upper East Side to have their photos taken on cheap carpet under a plastic tarp, but why? Exhibit A This last week in New York was exhausting. From the US Open and 20th anniversary of 9/11, to the return of NYFW and the VMAs, we’re just. so. tired. Throwing in the Met Gala on a rainy Monday night in the middle of all of this chaos felt both unusual and perhaps unnecessary. Traditionally, the gala’s magic is best defined by the title of its 2016 documentary, The First Monday in May. It’s the perfect time of year. Pop culture addicts have recovered from awards season and fashionistas are...