Performative Activism, Billionaire Art Shows, and the Myth of Meritocracy

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In this episode of Messy Liberation, hosts Becky Mollenkamp and Taina Brown dive into the tone-deaf spectacle of the Met Gala, unpacking what celebrity wealth displays reveal about economic inequality and performative activism. They also explore the myth of meritocracy in higher education, the emotional labor of parenting during high-stakes testing, and how to find joy and rest when everything feels heavy.

In This Episode, We Get Into:

• Why the Met Gala feels like a "let them eat cake" moment during skyrocketing inflation and wealth inequality
• The difference between art as subversion and art as "sucking the dick of power"
• Performative activism vs. real protest (looking at you, Sarah Paulson's dollar bill accessory)
• How billionaires like Jeff Bezos hosting the Met Gala undercuts any claim of artistic rebellion
• The myth that going to Harvard (or other elite schools) is the secret to wealth
• How legacy admissions and cronyism maintain class hierarchies in higher education
• Supporting kids through stressful standardized testing without reinforcing toxic achievement culture
• Processing grief, finding dopamine hits in gamified productivity, and giving yourself permission to rest
• The slow, steady growth of creative projects you do just because you love them
• Why we keep showing up for these conversations (and thank you for listening)

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