The Meta Gala has become the event of the year. Those invited to walk the carpet represent the biggest names in culture.
In past years, many creators were invited including: Addison Rae, MKBHD, Mark Rober, Dixie D’Amelio, and Emma Chamberlain.
This year? Only 3 got invited: Chamberlain, Khaby Lame, and Quinta Brunson (that is, if you still consider the ex-BuzzFeed employee turned Emmy winner a creator)
Sure, many creators still covered the event from the sidelines.
But the decline in invites is especially odd as Hollywood and the creator economy get closer together.
So what’s the deal? And does this represent a bigger trend?
Influencers Were Banned, Right?
No, no. Put your tin foil hat down.
A TikTok went viral last year claiming that A-list celebrities threatened to boycott The Met due to how many influencers attended in past years.
But that's not true. It's more about the money - namely, the brands paying for tables at The Met and deciding who to invite on their behalf.
Spending $350,000 For A Table
Tables cost $350,000. Individual tickets? $75,000. And everyone has to be approved by Vogue Editor-In-Chief Anna Wintour.
Last year, TikTok bought a table — and invited creators like Wisdom Kaye.
"The only reason I went last year was because TikTok literally bought a table," Kaye explained. "I don’t think they even want social media people there."
TikTok isn’t the only platform that ponied up. Instagram bought a table in 2022 and invited their creators.
This year? TikTok didn't buy a table. So fewer TikTokers.
Marketing, Marketing, Marketing
A few years ago, TikTok sold the dream that anyone can make it on their platform.
One day, you're dancing in your bedroom.
The next, you're walking the red carpet at The Met. Then, you're on Jimmy Fallon.
Just like Dixie D'Amelio. But you realize that TikTok's PR team was behind that, right?
Take it from someone who worked on the inside.
Platforms are hungry to find their rags-to-riches stories and celebrate the shit out of them so younger creators flock for a chance to do the same.
But now, that narrative is well understood: TikTok has "graduated" many of its creators into superstardom. As have YouTube and Instagram.
So the pressure to pay for them to appear at The Met isn't as needed as before.
There's More To The Story
Some creators were invited like Kai Cenat but declined.
Why? Because he didn't want to represent the brand who invited him. See what we mean? Money and marketing play an untold role here.
That said, many creators were active on covering The Met, pulling in bigger numbers than traditional press.
Even Kai went to Pharrell's afterparty and live streamed the experience instead.
The Return of Creators?
Pendulums swing from one extreme to another.
This year, The Met returned to its roots: A-listers and fashion icons.
But expect the pendulum to swing back to creators next year with one big exception: it'll be more "platform agonistic" creators like Chamberlain and Brunson who started on social but are doing much more.