Was that the worst MET Gala ever?
It's Been a Minute
NPR
4.7 • 9.2K Ratings
🗓️ 5 May 2026
⏱️ 28 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Beyoncé made her first MET Gala appearance in ten years. Rihanna showed up (very late). And there were many incredible fashion moments: from Emma Chamberlain to Nicole Kidman to Lena Dunham. But the whole affair was overshadowed by the sponsorship of Jeff and Lauren Sánchez Bezos. Plus, other tech billionaires, Mark Zuckerberg and Sergey Brin, made their MET Gala debuts. All calling into question...what is this event (and art) really for?
To get into it, NPR Music's Anamaria Sayre is joined by culture critic Marjon Carlos and culture writer Shelton Boyd-Griffith. Together they rate the best and worst of fashion's biggest night and explain why the MET Gala feels like it's in decline.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Okay, Marjohn, Shelton, let's get right to it. |
| 0:07.6 | Who were the best dressed at this year's MetGala? |
| 0:12.4 | I know. |
| 0:13.4 | We're starting off a little bit strong. |
| 0:16.5 | I mean, I have to say I was really shocked by Emma Chamberlain in a great way. |
| 0:22.6 | Okay. |
| 0:23.6 | I was really, I mean, she was one of the first to arrive on the red carpet and I felt like |
| 0:27.6 | she really nailed it. |
| 0:29.6 | And I was really, like, visually drawn to her look. |
| 0:33.6 | And then there was like a reveal and into kind of a shorter length and I was like I |
| 0:38.8 | okay yes I'm living I think Nicole Kidman looks stunning as well I mean she was not on theme |
| 0:45.6 | but we're gonna give Nicole Kidman a pass because she's Nicole she's Nicole Kid exactly. I was really impacted by Chase Infinity, |
| 0:58.0 | but I think that she, Chase and Emma Chamberlain are also in conversation. Their looks are |
| 1:03.9 | anatomical and colorful and really, like, artistic and visual. |
| 1:12.3 | So they kind of speak to one another. |
| 1:14.2 | So I think maybe that's something that my eye is really, like, drawn to this evening. |
| 1:21.0 | So those were some of my faves. |
| 1:24.6 | And I also loved Lena Dunham. |
| 1:28.9 | Shocked, shocked, but I really liked her leg |
| 1:31.2 | I was like okay let's do it |
| 1:33.0 | okay Shelton |
| 1:34.2 | we're kind of on the same |
... |
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