Met Gala high on religion, low on compassion

I always get a kick out of the Met Gala. But this year’s event was shameful. As a Christian (though not Catholic) I consider the “Heavenly Bodies” theme out of place.

It’s not the near-naked creations or mockery of the papal crown (worn by Rihanna) that bothered me, it was the price of each garment. If the Metropolitan Museum wanted to create an inspired event, the participants should have been asked to contribute a small percentage of their outfits’ cost to charity. Exclusive get-ups by Tom Ford, Balmain, Versace and Carolina Herrera are expensive. How fitting if a small portion of their retail cost went to charity. That would have made the Catholic-themed event palatable.

I love the museum, and the Met Gala is creative and provides terrific publicity. But realize when it holds an event based on piety, a little compassion for the less fortunate is in order. Rosalind Ellis Heid

Baltimore