Shane McCauley
// Neither performative nor hypocritical //
By attending the 2021 Met Gala in a dress emblazoned with the words “tax the rich,” Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) successfully furthered her agenda by spreading awareness about America’s flawed taxation policy. However, many progressives have criticized AOC from the left, insisting that the move stimulates no actual change and is merely an example of performative activism. Given that it was executed by someone who fights day after day in Congress for taxing the uber-rich and reallocating benefits to the working class, Ocasio-Cortez’s move was a necessary protest, not performative. Labeling her dress as such is unfounded and counterproductive to initiating change because it feeds into the narrative of the right.
The dress spread Ocasio-Cortez’s message of taxing the rich, which will bring her plans closer to fruition. According to Google Trends data, which measures the frequency of Google searches, the popularity of the phrase “tax the rich” spiked by a factor of fifty within a day. Since those watching the Met Gala are more likely to be politically disengaged, as it is a widely reported fashion event rather than a political one, the congresswoman undoubtedly brought knowledge of her agenda to new demographics. By doing so, she normalized the idea of taxing the rich and avoided her proposal’s misrepresentation by informing the public that such a tax only affects incredibly wealthy individuals. For this reason, the 70 percent marginal tax rate on those earning more than ten million dollars per year supported by AOC now has a better chance of permeating mainstream politics and, ultimately, becoming law.
Despite these benefits, many on the left have unjustifiably deemed Ocasio-Cortez’s dress performative. Performative activism describes an instance in which someone pretends to support a movement, but does not follow through with an effort to make change. As a member of Congress, Ocasio-Cortez fights every day to increase taxes on the wealthy and encouraged fellow New York politicians to implement the policy, advocating especially for the taxation of billionaires in the state. Therefore, it is impossible for the congresswoman to be a performative activist or engage in performative activism, because she actually campaigns to bring forth her agenda. Furthermore, as AOC has a large platform and ability to influence, wearing the dress was not a superficial act but a substantive one.
When not labeled performative, Ocasio-Cortez is dubbed a hypocrite for wearing the dress. Misinformation on Facebook surfaced last year purporting her net worth to have reached one million dollars, portraying her as a member of the very elite that she targeted. However, public financial records reveal that AOC is still paying off student debt and relies on the $174,000 she earns as a member of Congress. In fact, AOC’s proposed tax hikes would only target those earning over $10,000,000 per year, nearly 60 times her salary.
Others have pointed to the $30,000 entry fee required to attend the Gala as an example of AOC’s hypocrisy, but they fail to understand that Ocasio-Cortez was invited without charge to represent her constituents as a New York politician. Plus, other Democratic politicians have frequently attended in years past without facing backlash. Some may still argue that the congresswoman should not have attended an event promoting the elite in such a way, but Ocasio-Cortez’s display at the event was clearly a meaningful protest that will support her quest to combat inequality.
Ultimately, the negative press created by AOC’s dress distracts from the dress’ point and fails to consider AOC’s situation. While the dress was successful in spreading awareness, many leftists have blunted its effect by focusing on the dress rather than its message. Doing so plays into the motives of conservatives who seek to prevent wealth taxes. Instead, progressives must unite under a single banner. They must set aside their personal views of AOC and remember the issues making them progressives in the first place. Only then can America move to create a more equitable tax system.
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez shows off her “Tax the Rich” dress. (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/15/style/aoc-met-gala-dress.html)
Ocasio-Cortez poses with dress and its designer, Aurora James (https://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/article/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-met-gala)