Janet Lewis

Are we living in a real-life version of The Hunger Games? Because lately… it’s starting to feel that way. The extravagance and costumes of the Met Gala have inspired this post.

The Capitol celebrates excess.

Billionaires throw lavish parties.

Workers struggle to survive.

And the people doing the actual labour are told to be grateful just to be in the arena.

Listen — I have zero issue with people making money, building companies, or becoming wildly successful. Get your bag. Build your empire.

But there is a problem when wealth is built on the backs of workers who can barely afford to live while executives celebrate in castles, penthouses, yachts, and Met Galas.

The protests surrounding Jeff Bezos and the Met Gala hit a nerve for a reason. People are exhausted. They are stressed. They are working harder than ever and falling further behind.

And honestly? It felt incredibly tone deaf.

What struck me most was the Amazon worker saying the employees should be “celebrated” at the Met Gala. Personally, I don’t think workers need a seat at a billionaire gala. I think they deserve fair pay, dignity, stability, and respect for the work they do every single day. Imagine if just a portion of what Amazon paid to sponsor the Met Gala was spread amoungst their lowest paid employees and what an impact that could have had? And, not just for the employee, but also the work culture at Amazon.

And maybe the most interesting part of all? Many major celebrities reportedly chose not to attend this year. That matters. Because whether people like it or not, influence is power. Choosing where you show up, who you align with, and what you endorse says something.

Meanwhile, others are still scrambling for a seat at the table — desperate to be seen in “The Capitol” without asking what it costs humanity to maintain it.

“May the odds be ever in your favour” was supposed to be satire… not a business strategy.

We all have choices.

Where we spend.

Who we support.

What we normalize.

And what we stay silent about.

The real power has always been with ordinary people. The question is whether we remember it.

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“All working-class people deserve better." During the 2026 Met Gala, activists projected a video of 72-year-old warehouse worker Mary Hill on to Jeff Bezos’ New York penthouse. The group behind the stunt, @everyonehateselon_, has criticised the Gala's acceptance of a $10m donation from the Amazon founder amid widespread allegations of worker exploitation in the company's factories. “The people that need to be celebrated at the Met Gala are the workers," Hill said in the video. "People like me.” Meryl Streep and Zendaya are among invitees reportedly boycotting the event this year in response to Bezos’ involvement.