the met gala theme this year is a book. i read it so you don't have to.

[@colinneagle4495]

Considering what an infamous bomb the conceptual "Camp" themed Met Gala was, I have a feeling that all of Jack's intellectual interpretations of this year's theme will go right over the heads of all the fashion people decked out in overly literal garden imagery.

[@KittyxKult]

I have a feeling maybe they picked the story simply bc it contains the word garden. It was just last year their theme was literally “famously racist, fatphobic, and misogynistic designer.” The Met Gala is famously known as “let’s act like we’re enlightened and love art but actually we stole this art and we just care about money and extravagance.” You can’t spread a message about environmentalism and society being increasingly isolated by class when you’re selling tickets for $75k, just for a start. The fashion never matches bc they can’t relate to the soul of the theme. They raised $22 million last year. An on-theme rebranding would be donating even half the proceeds to charity from now on.

[@gabrielametodieva8360]

70% garden, a bit of time and a bit of black and white presumable for creation and destruction? And the rest not following any theme and thinking they’re at the Oscar’s

[@Deborahblacoe]

And what if the “intellectual interpretations” do go over the heads of SOME of the “fashion people”? Art is personal. Understanding is not obligatory.

[@heatherkissick5776]

Seems you were correct, flowers for days.

[@Hungarycloud]

​@Deborahblacoe the "and what" is the fact that everyone shows up wearing the same thing which is boring. It's not a lack of understanding, it's the complete lack of an attempt to look beyond the surface. I'm certain that most of the celebrities didn't even read the 7 page book the theme is based on.

[@birdboy451]

Destroying the flowers in the garden reminded me of how we are depleting resources due to over-consumption. We are being greedy and taking way more than is needed. The rate at which humans consume is too fast for anything to have time to replenish, to regrow. Theres no balance. We're only thinking about the immediate, saving ourselves, and not the future. The couple in the story completely destroyed an entire ecosystem just to have a few extra moments of luxury before the inevitable .

[@FarisAlHussain1]

Is that what the book is about? Completely ironic for a met gala theme…

[@Rebeccal450]

8:38 I interpreted this story differently. I interpret the mob not as a clearly "bad" army, group of extremists, or realist movements, but rather as a movement of the the working class or general populace. The story describes the mob as a "vast throng of people, men and women, interspersed with a few soldiers in ragged uniforms" who were "laboured under heavy loads," and a "vast concourse of labouring humanity." Notably, Count Axel describes it as a "vanguard." Vanguard means "a group of people leading the way in new developments or ideas," but it has the connotation from Soviet Russia as proletariat/working class organizations rising up to oppose the bourgeoisie. Therefore, I interpret Count Axel as the bourgeoisie or colonialists desperately trying to prolong their hold on power as the general populace transforms from a disorganized group to a movement with collective consciousness.

[@morganmeadowes6861]

That’s really interesting, because it also paint a completely different picture of the couple cutting the flowers to buy time. Literally destroying nature despite knowing that it won’t grow back to prolong the inevitable. With your interpretation that suggests privileged people desperately clinging to the past and concepts that might have worked once but aren’t anymore (ie. the flowers buying time but not growing back).

[@safaiaryu12]

This is EXACTLY what I was thinking when Jack was summarizing the story. I do think there's value in the other interpretations, but the idea of these people sequestered in a fancy villa, clinging to their cozy lives when the rest of the world has already been destroyed... well, that makes the mob far more sympathetic to me.

[@safaiaryu12]

​@@morganmeadowes6861 Yep, the destruction of nature, basically using it up for selfish reasons until there's nothing left... it's not a very nice portrait for this Count Axel.

[@desmondhume]

makes it being the met gala theme even more ironic

[@Hippolyta.]

I read it the same!!!

[@Talia778]

I think this is so interesting and almost ironic because if the climate crisis is what he had in mind when writing, and the met gala is a showy display of fashion (an industry that is deeply destructive to the planet) then I’m surprised they chose it as a theme. Also an outfit idea I had is maybe a dress with wilting flowers going down the side and a singular glass like flower can sit on the hand of the wearer

[@rachel5399]

I had so many ideas and I WISH that I had the artistic capability to create the visions in my head. How there was nobody that wore an hourglass silhouetted dress depicting an actual hourglass with either new petals going down the glass to picture dead ones, or perhaps money gown down the glass to perhaps bones or ashes, both physical metaphors for either beauty to death or the fruitless chase of money, all to end up in ash at the end to visualize how life cannot defined by material means of just beauty of wealth, and how even those two things still die, IS BEYOND ME. Or literally ANY clock designs???? Just florals and see through diamond dresses?? So disappointed. Also, the exhibit was "sleeping beauties," to honor timeless pieces of fashion, and so many people came in new clothes? The world couldn't handle if I became famous and went.

[@nootnootd9450]

wisdom kaye did have an all-red wilted rose sort of vibe if u havent already seen it

[@DocKrazy]

They chose this story because they don't understand irony. Or they do and they're literally mocking us at this point.

[@amanmalhothra2474]

The story is an allegory about inevitable death, fleeting beauty and fall of aristocracy.

[@TheChocolatiie]

Tbh I couldn’t see the army/mob as the bad guys - the fact that there was a villa with a very privileged couple who had time to leisure and have a beautiful garden when there was a barren landscape surrounding it makes me think about how capitalism will destroy our planet in name of “progress”. I’m glad they run out of time and the mob reached them, it makes me think of “the revolution is coming”. Also, so hilarious to me that they’re making all these incredibly rich people cosplay this story… and we the mob, watch their lovely garden.

[@penniahchikaka9725]

I was waiting to see this - why are we villainised the mob without knowing why they are so angry at the couple. The couple used this beautiful garden for their own gain instead of trying to reconcile with the mob. To me the couple symbolise the rich and the mob is the rest of us

[@brunadeoliveira4586]

Exactly.

[@Hippolyta.]

100%

[@kikiki22022]

that was my immediate thought

[@areiarome5808]

Thank you!!! this is the interpretation I was waiting for

[@Hippolyta.]

I find the examples of the destruction metaphor really interesting because I interpreted it in the inverse. To me, Count Axel and his wife had all the luxuries afforded to the rich, including time and safety. Who will be the last people affected by climate catastrophe? The rich. The ones who will be affected the most are the people who contributed the least to climate change: the poor and impoverished. The couple can fend off the army for so long until, yes, it is inevitable. Maybe it's the current state of the world influencing my reading, but the mob to me represents the working class. Little by little we fight against oppression until one day, maybe we can topple oppressive regimes. That being said, the examples Jack provided, although depressing, also accurately represent the current climate. We do seem to be living through a slow but inevitable downfall.

[@ellenkarlsson9490]

The plot, the way you described it, made me immediately think about how we treat climate and the environment. We pretend everything is fine and when the threat gets closer we do a quick-fix and go back to pretending everything is fine again. We survive on all of these postponing solutions instead of addressing the root of the problem. It can also be a metaphor for the credit card debt that many people are living with today. People buy things on credit that they really can't afford. The debt grows and the collectors are closing in, in a panic they pay off a few bills to keep the credit companies happy. And then they go back to buying things on credit for money they don't have.

[@thewrongcrowd6311]

wait wait wait... you interpret this story as the mob being bad? and that we should be on the couple's side??? I always thought they were supposed to be rich bourgeois representing the ruling class, who keep all the riches to themselves, and eventually the system of hoarding all the garden and luxury is so unsustainable that revolution is meant to happen and the proletariat finally gains control... Like I always thought it was reverse psychology thing were you're meant to empathize for these people as you realize they are the villains of the story But I guess not everyone is a marxist and the author maybe didnt have this view, but as soon as I see two characters with NOBLE titles, who have all the riches, who are forced to share to try and appease a crowd but end up overthrown I'm not thinking n*zis and extremists I'm thinking SOCIALISM BABYYY

[@Hippolyta.]

I interpreted it the same as you!

[@lumensapace]

I agree with you. That’s the same interpretation I had. I’m guessing he didn’t want to say that because he doesn’t want to think about how everyone at the gala is the villainous couple

[@veronicamaine3813]

As someone whose family lived under socialism/communism- trust me, the rich stay rich - no one really gets over thrown, they just get new titles. It’s a fantasy that has no basis in reality- sorry to burst your Marxist bubble.

[@Monfalim]

Being French, that was also my first interpretation. The nobles buying themselves time before the nation finally removed their privileges. A old way of life slowly coming to an end. I'm surprised to see how it can be interpreted in a completely different way. I guess this is because people tend to empathize with the protagonists.

[@ghost8974]

i was disappointed that jack didnt mention the class theme tbh, especially as thats incredibly relevant to the elitism of the met gala

[@fabrisseterbrugghe8567]

Based on the photos, Janelle Monae understood the brief best. The recycled plastic bottle flowers captured both the crystal flowers and the renewal theme.

[@sassas4919]

I found this summary very interesting because at first I was sure the people in the villa were the villains. I thought: " The mob might be people seeking justice against these privileged people for whatever reason." Because the cutting of the flower seemed so sad and because they had all these advantages I saw it as a metaphor of people with enough resources having the possiblity to kind of bend their reality to their will, to seclude themselves from any and all things they don't want to see or hear about. Which I think could still fit. Then the Shirt-Story could be a metaphor for how people try to seek justice and how this can lead to violence cycles and how ultimately it is the beautiful nature that suffers most from this.

[@theLore2000]

Interesting! To me this was about the arrogance of the aristocracy to push back their fates by spending finite resources, I thought we were meant to be the mob, not the couple, and feel like perhaps they deserved it. Wild how you can get such different things out of the same story!

[@leenanorms]

THIS IS SO EXCITING I can't wait to see your outfit. I thought no one could persuade me to return to Ballard after the trauma of reading the Drowned World but you have got me curious. Fab video x

[@MariannesStudio]

Oh why was that a traumatizing read? 😅

[@notevenfunny_]

Very ironic that this year’s Met Gala theme is this particular novel considering current events and the current protests happening across US universities (including a very famous ivy league university located in the same city). Feels almost dystopian, but then again, dystopian fiction is always inspired by current events so what’s new🤷🏾‍♀️

[@sabitras3725]

Honestly, at this point it feels like the rich are mocking us, like they are very well aware of what’s happening right now, so it’s very insane that this was the theme, while real people are dying in horrific ways. It’s giving the zone of interest.

[@monazaneefer]

@@sabitras3725 i know it's ridiculous

[@mangoliys]

it’s horrific to know we live in a world where an opulent gala, filled to the brim with millionaires, can be themed on a story that is easily interpreted as a critique of the wealthy. these same people who are ignorant of the ‘mob’ and dismissive of the impending consequences falling upon the world are the ones dressing to the nines, carelessly spending and leading the world into greater turmoil.

[@sometimesmyarmsbendback]

Its a 6 page long short story not a fucking novel

[@manarkarabela9585]

I'm surprised he didn't adress that at all

[@olayceesay20]

I'm a disapoointed you didn't talk about what seemed to the obvious theme of class, the mob aren't the bad guys to me at all, there the lower class who are unable to afford the opulence and protection and art of the garden like the couple is, kind of like those who attend the met gala, though I assume that's why you didn't want to bring it up

[@emnabenhamza-j6x]

Jack beating his big book fear and enjoying the met gala book was not on my bingo card this year but here we are

[@christinac4197]

The met gala book is a short story! about 7 pages long

[@Nopadope]

He read a seven page story, calm down

[@emnabenhamza-j6x]

@@christinac4197 I commented before watching the video

[@fairsaa7975]

​@@emnabenhamza-j6xYeah, but it was only 7 pages

[@ellu_otd]

Being this early feels like a crime... and I stand guilty

[@musicfreak6834]

This comment is so "this book is full of red flags... but for you, I'm colorblind" coded hahaha

[@beccaaa.x]

tyla's hourglass sand timer dress was so smart!!

[@Crazy_OWANDA]

I now need a video of him just going through the Met Gala dresses and criticizing the HECK out of them. I mean show me the rage he must have felt when he saw that they absolutely butchered the beauty of this book, but also praise and show us the ones that did put time, and effort and actually TRIED to understand the book.

[@BettyWhite2171]

They definitely disappointed. They couldn't have just read a short story to understand? So lazy. There were so many cool things they could've done with this.

[@prishakhosla2767]

I can't explain why I grin so absolutely wide each time I watch jacks videos

[@anzib3271]

Crash was also made into a movie in 1996. It was directed by David Cronenberg, which is perfect. Cronenberg brings his weird science fiction vision to Ballard's weird story.

[@zinialee]

Omg I’m attending TikTok’s Met Gala Watch Party and I’m so glad I get to watch this as I get ready!! I read the book as well, I’m so glad the Met introduced me to it! I love that you put the effort in to read it as well ❤

[@louisebrown2511]

Rich people playing dress up....."look how rich and important I am".

[@the_erin_zone]

13:30 OMFG YOU’RE GONNA LOOK SO GOOD CONGRATS JACK

[@springsdiy3436]

To me it felt like how we keep wasting time and push the due works for later. But we need to remember that we may push time further but the future is inevitable and one day we have to face the consequences of our actions

[@xoxnikafox2669]

as a 10 year old growing up in shanghai (even though it was the 2010's), empire of the sun BROKE me and terrified me so much I still think about it regularly.

[@redmagelibra2897]

It was a beautiful, sad story, although I don't understand why you wouldn't cut a few of the flowers to store and then flee the mob. The mob had a very French Revolution vibe.

[@Rebecca-hm6pw]

The “creation and destruction” theme reminds me a lot of Kalpa Imperial, by Angélica Gorodischer. It’s a collection of short stories all about the rise and fall and various iterations of this fictional empire, and the whole creation and destruction theme is huge in that too. The author is Argentinian, so it was originally written in Spanish and translated by Ursula k. Leguin which is pretty cool- would highly recommend if you’re interested in more spec fic/sf with this same theme!

[@Mia-rr1xv]

I love all your videos! I'd love to see a video on short story collection recommendations! My recommendations would be 'Revenge' by Yoko Ogawa, 'The Thing Around Your Neck' by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, 'The Yellow Wallpaper' by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, and anything by Shirley Jackson.

[@kefinkamed]

Based on the story, it's very clear that no one really bothered to read it before picking their outfit for the Met Gala 😂

[@nafiseh2408]

This video is one of my favorite videos of you. You give me joy and excitement to read different books and trying to live my best life. Thank you for sharing all of this.

[@fernandaks8882]

First influencer that made me understand that there is a theme for the exhibition AND a theme for the gala 😂 Now it makes more sense. Thank you hahaha

[@mochikitten745]

but tbh judging people's outfit out of context is superior. vibes only. (still love this video. always up for a book review.)

[@A.H._]

vibes only is chaos and silly fun, i do love it

[@nataliekaye8708]

Oh, how about a series speculating on what you would wear to the MET if it was themed around different books/short stories?

[@ohmyoswald]

closed twitter as soon as i saw the first look from the met gala so that i can watch your video first and critique them better™

[@gillisjournal]

can’t wait to see your outfit, the description is already gorgeous

[@melsyoutube]

the theme of this year’s metropolitan museum exhibit is “reawakening fashion” - it details the preservation of garments throughout history and the impact that nature has upon textiles, and features some pieces from the archives that have never been on display before. it’s pretty cool. as for the garden of time theme for the red carpet - the best dressed people were mona patel, chloe sivevney, gwendoline christie, harris reed, jordan roth, tyla and zendaya.

[@Zer0.th0ughts]

Honestly I won't be surprised if some of them use the sleeping beauty theme instead of the actual theme

[@nl3064]

This was a pleasant surprise. I have that very book - Ballard is my favorite author. I always wondered if Jack had ever read him, since he's never mentioned him. Super-Cannes is my favorite novel from him, Empire of the Sun I would say was probably his best, and The Unlimited Dream Company is Ballard's most fun.

[@federicapiottoli6922]

A few months ago I tackled The Atrocity Exhibition; DFd because I went through a burnout that gave me reader's block, but sometimes it comes back to my mind because I've never read anything like it

[@khushalishah29]

this is the earliest I've ever been for jacks video...this feels illegal

[@Personwhosings]

I would really like to see outfits as an ode to the couple turning to stone 😅

[@Personwhosings]

OFC Jack did it

[@melliexcx]

Yessssss! If I was a celebrity I would go with this interpretation instead

[@Personwhosings]

@@melliexcx You'd be a cool celebrity then :)

[@Melissa-sx9vh]

Tyla did it with her sand dress!

[@Personwhosings]

@@Melissa-sx9vh I just checked it out!!! So gorgeous and the hourglass to symbolise the passage of time

[@salomevallo05]

I think I have a good idea for an outfit: a dress with recycled watches, each watch with petals around it, a slit that gets bigger towards the bottom and represents destruction The flowers are colourful at the top, but the colour fades until they are colourless at the bottom

[@maryseptihet]

this combines two of my three favourite things!!! which are fashion, literature and food !!!!!!!! ARGH SO EXCITED FOR YOU JACK EEEK

[@miriamlevenson9430]

update: as usual, the celebs did NOT deliver

[@EmilySC23]

Alternative interpretation: Anna Wintour fighting against influencers attending the Met gala.

[@mar-cas3]

jack is about to have the most accurate outfit at the met gala

[@parmijohnoreggiano]

can you please do a video explaining how best to annotate and/or read a book critically? I'm new here (hi) and just love the passion you have for reading. I also have a smilier passion but would like to be much better at it. pls help (s.o.s) :)

[@connie.anahata]

*pause video, open Goodreads, add all JG Ballard books into my TBR, resumes video*

[@alexandyulie]

yes we must come prepared

[@melyibarra809]

Lana del Rey had the best dress. She wore dead branches representing the empty stems in the story. Also she had a red rose in her left hand, just like the wife of Count Axel at the end of the story❤️

[@Z_pixel]

All lot of people are talking about how the mob wasn’t a bad thing and the story’s about the revolution. This is what I thought while jake explained, but after reading it I think those other explanations make a lot of sense too. It really is applicable to a lot of things

[@Fangirl222]

I’m so excited to see the fit!!!

[@Pinky-zz5jl]

Mind blowing.

[@lucy-elenkrystallis4179]

You should rate the outfits afterwards. I saw some already and they are really cool, and I think it would be very interesting to see how you would interpret them.

[@ameliaretter8120]

There was a great interview with Ballard’s daughter on BBC radio (don’t remember the channel) in December last year. Super fascinating.

[@veronicasmemories]

Thank you for linking the story so we can all enjoy it 🌸💐🌻

[@_bebeboudeur_]

the protesters outside of the met gala demanding a ceasefire for the war that's happening : on theme

[@roxanat]

oh wow, have the best time at the MET!!!!

[@haneulyoon1408]

I wonder if any celeb read the book to get a good outfit in, like, that would be so iconic

[@mudgetheexpendable]

Saw Dan Levy after this video...pretty surprising take on the blah black suit!

[@ranimeRAT]

I want to read this book now... and judge dresses

[@ReadAndThrift]

The met Gala gave us absolutely nothing. What a snooze fest

[@ariadnapereztineo8288]

Needed this review because I was confused about some of the looks but now they make sense!

[@meredithvaughan5946]

have fun at the met gala!

[@haruka.h560]

Thank you for posting your insight and sharing your thoughts. I appreciate your hard work and although I only started watching your videos recently I find your recommendations very fitting for my own taste of reading. My only remark is the background music: it's very anticlimactic and doesn't go well with the theme/subject of the video. If you can change or even remove it at all would be better. Thank you again for the video ❤

[@bibinoojen]

Loved this! Not holding my breath but I hope a lot of people go with literary interpretations esp after hearing what the book is about

[@chocolateoreo6489]

The iconic Jack❤ I’m sending you love (:

[@ada-iw9ms]

The music in the background is burning my brain.

[@fabrisseterbrugghe8567]

I hope we see crystals, deconstruction, and colors that range from vibrant to desaturated in the same piece.

[@melaineeyh]

this video absolutely brightened up my day, thanks jack!!

[@larakaraman5375]

im so happy for you jack♡♡♡♡♡ and i already love the outfit just by the way you described it

[@sarahwhite7046]

i loved this video! reminds me why i picked english for uni

[@madeleinedarnoco5190]

I just checked and your outfit looks amazing!!! The concept you explained fits really well

[@alvafairchild13]

The theme was so freaking ironic and an excellent short story

[@earnestlanguage4242]

this story sounds really good

[@anya.wix.]

Jack - " there is this inevitable moment of doom waiting for us" Music - 😄🌻🎶🌞

[@aprilsauce574]

There's something so satisfying about the way he says gala

[@KimAshLove]

It would be a sin to not read MOMO by Michael Ende! It is my favorite book of all time. It’s about this little girl who lives in an abandoned amphitheater, a magic turtle and a scientist. The story is magical and fantastic, it has your mind making complete circus acts❤

[@gabrielleduplessis7388]

First, I need pictures of your look. Second: based on what you explained, there are so many creative ideas that they could have done with this. My cliche idea is having a two sided look: the garden full of flowers on one side and the other is just ice or dust when that fades away Maybe a tapestry dress of the story. Almost like Muai’s back tattoos but in different cultural styles. I am reminded of the asian tapestries of the myths they have. Your idea for an outfit made me think of something. A couple costume of the couple becoming dust. It has a melt with you (song) kind of ring to it. They can incorporate that. Some suggested incorporating Alice and Wonderland and your ideas about the different clocks can tie into the second film and how Alice thought of time as a villain, but also realizing it is precious. The clocks can be weaved through the different flowers and fading throughout the dress or suit. I don’t understand the lack of creativity here. I would at least read it first before creating something or talking to people about the story to gain mew ideas.

[@carmengee6701]

The Drowned World by Ballard was the most bizarre book I’ve ever read

[@Cloudy9891x]

I have never been happier to be scrolling through the top reviews on a book i just finished (on goodreads) and to see his 5 star review. The book was a psalm for the wild built btw Btw

[@ilariarossi2707]

I read the story when it came out, and thinking about the connection with the exibition I interpreted the whole thing completely diffrent. I thought that somehow the Villa represented beauty (the dresses that can never be touched again), an the fact that the mob was coming represented the destiny of the Villa to be ruined...

[@wwhat]

Omg a couples outfit as the statuesssss

[@_smolSam]

After hearing about the theme of the short story it seems deeply ironic that this authors work be used in an industry that is so wasteful and contributing to the climate crisis. And also when such destruction is happening in our world right now and people are gathering together to celebrate clothes. And I believe that fashion is artistry. It just feels very this is the dystopian timeline.

[@maryseptihet]

AND HE IS GOING TO BE AT THE FUCKING #METGALA AS WELL YOU GUYS !!!

[@melsyoutube]

1:49 MOTHER SPOTTED

[@shima39944]

omg not a single celebrity mentioned the book last night 😭😂

[@emmal7510]

I haven't read that story, but I have read Ballard. Probably a better choice for a theme than Crash.

[@popando]

great video!! very video

[@junainahrahman4156]

Jack's Met Gala outfit is the only one I'm looking forward to. The concept behind his fit is immaculate. Congratulations, Jack 🤍

[@MrsMonet]

The current situation is reminiscent of what is happening now, where individuals in the entertainment industry are facing the consequences of their actions. It's about TIME that people are being held accountable for the terrible things they have done to children, women, and men. Their money, power, and fame are no longer enough to conceal their true depravity from the world. It was inevitable that the truth would come to light. 😢😮My PRAYERS are with all the victims. May our HEAVENLY FATHER🙏🏾Bless them with healing, strength, and peace, while dealing with this traumatic experience❤😢

[@marineharmse778]

Now a lot of the outfits make more sense 😂😂😂

[@ritikagupta9760]

You look great without the hair colour

[@alliethetheatreswiftie]

this is gonna be a wild ride

[@angelinabvby]

petition for jack to host the met gala

[@Dera7101]

Thanks for the explanation Jack! Also the description of your outfit sounds lovely 😊 Shout out to the designer

[@LavenderLydia]

PLEASE give a review of the looks. I know you are a booktuber, but I need this content from you.

[@AlanoudMot]

I don’t care about the met especially this year but i still watched this video because i’m curios about the book 👀

[@cosmic.elixir]

the moment i heard the theme i knew i needed this video😌