Catholics can cope with ‘cultural appropriation’

The Met Gala is among the most iconic nights of the fashion calendar. Every year, A-list celebrities flock to New York City to attend the annual fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. There’s always a theme. This year it was, ‘Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.’

Getting into the spirit of things, Rihanna took to the red carpet with a jewel-encrusted papal hat and robe, showing off lots of boob and leg. Olivia Munn wore a gold and sparkly ‘chainmail dress’ – inspired by the crusades, naturally. Actress Lena Waithe (don’t worry, I hadn’t heard of her either) showed up in a rainbow pride cape; a statement which, I’m sure, is considered quite radical in certain circles.

All this apparently sparked outrage among some Catholics who felt this was ‘religious appropriation’. The term is an extension of ‘cultural appropriation’, the idea of stealing or exploiting the intellectual property of another, usually minority, group.