watching the met gala during an apocalypse
+ a bomb threat at the Gaga concert, trump wants to reopen alcatraz, and i met cody simpson 𓆩♡𓆪
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Angels, I have an crazy newsletter for you today - first of all, this morning I attended the most insane Met Gala viewing party. Why was it insane, you say? Well, because it was hosted in the presidential suite of the Crown hotel in Sydney, which is not only where Taylor Swift stayed when she did her Sydney shows for the Era’s Tour, but also where this iconic Drake v Drone moment happened:
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Also… Cody Simpson performed and even though I thought I’d be really chill about it, I was giggling and kicking my feet, and you wouldn’t believe it but… it turns out he’s a SYSCA fan??? Iconic.
Anyway, while everyone else was having a gorge time all dressed up and enjoying the vibes, I was doing what I always do at these influencer-y events - sitting in the corner, watching, taking it all in, and posting Met Gala content like a maniac - but perhaps not the content you’d expect.
When I think of the Met Gala, I really can’t move past 2022, when, as celebrities were walking the carpet, a leaked Supreme Court draft opinion confirmed that Roe v. Wade was on the chopping block. Since then, I’ve always found it a weird day to cover on SYSCA, because I’m just like the rest of you - I love fashion and want to see the fits - BUT - there’s so much else to be thinking about at the same time that I never wanted another 2022 distraction situation. So, this year, I thought I’d combine them both.
Over the past few weeks, I've been compiling ‘bad’ news headlines (a disappointingly easy task) to attach to photos of celebrities’ looks - that way when you’re scrolling through fits (which you are allowed to do) you are also getting a bit of news that shouldn’t be forgotten. Call me the queen of Trojan Horsing!
I’m giving you the content you want, deserve, and need, and now I’m going to go and sleep xxxx
Trump literally wants to reopen Alcatraz
This weekend, Donald Trump declared that he wants to reopen Alcatraz - yes, the infamous island prison that closed in 1963 and now sells souvenir fridge magnets.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote that the U.S. has become too soft on “vicious, violent, and repeat Criminal Offenders” and that it’s time to “substantially enlarge and rebuild” Alcatraz to house the “most ruthless and violent Offenders.” It’s giving war-on-crime cosplay and a total misunderstanding of infrastructure and national park law.
Luce note: The prison was shut down because it was crumbling and extremely expensive to operate (everything had to be shipped over by boat), and since then, it’s become a protected landmark, run by the National Park Service and visited by over a million tourists each year.
So why is he doing this?
According to Trump, it's because “radicalized judges” keep insisting that people - even those facing deportation - receive due process. It’s in the same vein of his other cooked ideas, like sending federal prisoners to a supermax in El Salvador or expanding Guantanamo Bay to hold 30,000 “criminal aliens.”
All these things are likely unconstitutional, but they do make headlines, and that’s probs the point.
Brazilian police stopped a bomb attack at Lady Gaga’s concert
Over the weekend, more than two million people gathered on Rio’s Copacabana beach for a record-breaking, city-funded, free Lady Gaga concert. But what fans didn’t know was that police had quietly thwarted a bomb plot targeting the event.
The plot, which police say involved improvised explosives and a motive rooted in online notoriety, was uncovered just in time, after an anonymous tip led authorities to a group reportedly spreading hate speech, particularly targeting children, teens, and the LGBTQ+ community.
Two people have been arrested: the alleged mastermind (who had an illegal firearm) and a teenager (who was also found with child sexual abuse material). Police say the pair were using online spaces to radicalise young people, pushing violent and self-harming content in what they described as a “form of belonging and challenge.” It’s bleak. And deeply disturbing.
The operation - chillingly called “Fake Monster”, a nod to Gaga’s fanbase, the “Little Monsters” - led to searches across four Brazilian states. Authorities seized electronic devices and say the investigation is still unfolding.
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The Alcatraz comment: it's akin to claiming that U.S. cruise ships are no good anymore, so we should salvage the Titanic because it was such a good ship. So good.
I get the whole idea of met gala being grossly excessive in times of strain, but I think this is unfair given it’s a fundraiser and allowing access to the arts is crucial. Also one of the first times Black culture is being celebrated in this forum