Pandemic Impact Blog 7, Question 3 – Celebrities (March 26th)
How have
celebrities reacted to the pandemic? What do you think of celebrities’ efforts
to respond to the current situation? In such situations, do celebrities have
the power to influence fans? Limit: 7 responses
COVID-19 has created huge impacts across the world. People are practicing social distancing and learning how to stay home. “ In the U.S., panic levels are high, with health officials advising Americans to practice social distancing and take extra precautions to protect their health. Most major live events, TV productions, and movie releases have been canceled, while citizens grapple with postponing their own important gatherings to protect vulnerable, immune-compromised individuals” (Glamour). This is very challenging for everyone and it has created many trying to help in different ways. Celebrities have reacted to the pandemic as well. Everyone reacts differently to stressful situations but in this case some have gave back tremendously. I think the efforts from the celebrities have been extremely kind. It is nice they are using their money and fame to give back to the people in need. For instance, even though all NBA games have been canceled for the rest of the season, Zion Williams, player on the New Orleans Pelicans, announced he will help cover the salaries of the workers at the Smoothie King Center. He states, “My mother has always set an example for me about being respectful for others and being grateful for what we have, and so today I am pledging to cover the salaries for all of those Smoothie King Center workers for the next 30 days” (Glamour). Even Donatella Versace and her daughter are making an impact. They gave 200,00 euros to Milan’s San Raffaele hospital. Another positive idea, “Singer-songwriter MILCK (born Connie K. Lim) has raised nearly $3,000 for Feeding America so far via a weekly Livestream concert + conversation series” (Billboard Staff). This is a significant idea to interact via Livestream. This also shows how she is influencing her fans to increase interaction in a positive way. Many fans look up to celebrities so they can use their powers in creating virtual ideas. A strong example from the article is, “Because I Love You,” Lizzo wrote under a nearly 30-minute Instagram video in which she was surrounded by crystals. “A meditation and mantra to promote healing during the global crisis. Use at your own pace. Love you!” (Carras). This is a wonderful use of promoting healing during this global crisis. It is influencing many to learn meditation and relax. Natalie Portman even posts a video of herself cooking a healthy meal. She puts the recipe in the Instagram caption and explains it in great detail. Another positive idea, “On Friday, March 13, the actor lent his famous voice—you may recognize him as Olaf from Disney’s Frozen—to parents as “10 minutes of free daycare” by live-streaming a reading of his favorite children’s book, Olivia Goes to Venice, on Twitter” (Glamour). This connected to a different target audience which will be appreciated by a variety of people. Even OperaWire reports that the Metropolitan Opera will host a “Nightly Met Opera Streams” (Glamour). All these ideas are great and are showing the world to think positive and keep your head up. As a college student, I feel influenced by certain celebrities and like to hear what they have to say. This is a tragic time and I am going to continue to reflect in ways that will help others.
Works Cited
“'It's Okay to Cry': Celebrities Keep Their Distance to Cope with Coronavirus.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2020, www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2020-03-16/coronavirus-celebrities-social-distancing. Glamour. “Bethenny Frankel Is Donating 1 Million Medical Masks to Help With the Coronavirus Pandemic.” Glamour, Glamour, 23 Mar. 2020, www.glamour.com/story/how-celebrities-athletes-and-regular-people-are-giving-back-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic. Roiz, Jessica. “Shakira Praises Perfume Company Making Hand Sanitizer Amid Coronavirus.” Billboard, 25 Mar. 2020, www.billboard.com/articles/columns/latin/9342672/shakira-praises-perfume-company-making-hand-sanitizer.
Covid-19 is showing no signs of slowing down in the U.S. and has been the driving force between many schools shutting down, places of employment, professional sports leagues and even Hollywood. With Hollywood being shut down, it can be assumed that a lot of celebrities are trying to figure out their next moves behind the smiles, jokes and Tik Toks. According to Variety.com, some of the difficulties that people in Hollywood may face are that “studios can’t get a jump on rescheduling shoot dates [which is] sure to lead to a chaotic period of sorting out the schedules of in-demand actors, producers, showrunners and myriad crucial production personnel [and] some projects will simply be scrapped” (Cynthia Littleton and Elaine Low). But until things settle down, celebrities and everyone else will have to continue practicing social distancing and self-quarantine.
It seems that since the quarantine began, there aren’t many photos or videos of celebrities all glammed, going about their regular lives. Infact, a lot of celebrities have been revealing their ‘stripped-down authentic self’ to their social media, many rocking their grey hairs, no makeup to preach to the 99% about being positive and world peace.
While the CDC has been working hard to provide people with important resources and updates on Covid-19, some celebrities have been trying to use their platforms as a way to raise awareness about the symptoms and encouraging people to stay home. Just last week, Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams called for influencers to use their platform to “help folks understand that this is serious” and even directly called out Kylie Jenner in particular (Wagmeister 2020). Kylie then took to her Twitter to do her part stating “I hope everyone is feeling well! It’s so important right now to self quarantine to ensure we aren’t endangered ourselves or anyone who can’t handle this virus” and then reinforced the message on Instagram (Wagmeister 2020).
While Kylie Jenner did her part, other celebrities opted into singing John Lennon’s “Imagine” which did not sit well with the working class. To most, it came off as tone deaf and elitist that there were millionaires singing from their mansions; “Imagine no possessions I wonder if you can” when that is already the reality of many. According to the South Bend Tribune, one Twitter user tweeted ““How is this supposed to help lmao just open y’all damn purses” and that essentially summarized how most people felt about the gesture (Andrews 2020).
With Hollywood being shut down and everyone having to practice social isolation and be quarantined, celebrities have chosen to use this as a time to show their social media followers a more ‘authentic’ version of themselves and using their specialties as a way to entertain and spread positivity.
The pandemic is something that just about everyone is aware of and when most people log onto social media, they are looking for an escape from the everyday update from the news. From there, it seems as though celebrities have taken it upon themselves to spread positivity and relieve themselves from their boredom. I think between some celebrities such as Ellen calling all of her celebrity friends and posting it on her Instagram, Kevin Hart telling his funny life stories on his Instagram and DJ Dnice playing a set throughout the week on his live is a great getaway from all of what’s happening. There have also been many celebrities that have been a little more hands on, donating and helping out where they can such as Russell Wilson and Ciara, Brad Paisley and more according to Billboard.com (Chan 2020).
Overall, I think that celebrities have very limited power to influence fans in situations like this because most people would rather take information from professionals in a situation like this. It would also come off as a little inconsiderate by asking their followers, most of which are probably not working right now, to donate to something when they also need the help. The little bit of influence they now have is just from being themselves online and is mostly over the younger demographic who tend to be more impressionable and willing to follow what their favorite celebrity tells them to do.
Andrews, Travis M. “Gal Gadot, Mark Ruffalo, Other Celebrities Asked Us to 'Imagine' in a Viral Video; It Did Not Go Well.” South Bend Tribune, 23 Mar. 2020, www.southbendtribune.com/entertainment/inthebend/entertainmentnews/gal-gadot-mark-ruffalo-other-celebrities-asked-us-to-imagine/article_4ad958b8-6d12-11ea-850c-e7800daa046f.html.
Chan, Anna. “Stars Who Are Giving Back During The Coronavirus Pandemic.” Billboard, 25 Mar. 2020, www.billboard.com/articles/news/9337427/stars-giving-back-coronavirus-pandemic.
Littleton, Cynthia, and Elaine Low. “Hollywood Braces for Coronavirus Financial Hit That Could Change the Industry Forever.” Variety, 19 Mar. 2020, variety.com/2020/biz/features/hollywood-coronavirus-financial-festivals-film-television-production-1203537442/.
Wagmeister, Elizabeth. “Kylie Jenner Can Urge Gen Z to Take Coronavirus Seriously, Surgeon General Says.” Variety, 19 Mar. 2020, variety.com/2020/tv/news/coronavirus-kylie-jenner-influencers-surgeon-general-1203538898/.
Corona Virus or, COVID-19 has completely changed the lives of Americans and people all over the world. It is a scary and disorienting time that we are living in right now. As an American college student, life as I know it has been completely halted due to this virus. Of course the news is telling everyone to stay home and practice social distancing to help slow the spread of the virus, however, it seems that my generation took that way too much as a suggestion. For the first few weeks of this outbreak, it seemed that everyone thought it was no big deal and continued to go on their spring break vacations and such. I think this has started to change and people my age are realizing the gratitude of the situation and the impact that their decisions could have on the rest of society. I think a big part of why millennials are now taking this seriously and staying home can be credited to celebrities and social influencers. Not only are celebrities and athletes around the world donating money to help people who may be out of a job but they are using their platform to spread the message to stay home. One example of this is Kylie Jenner. I personally have never been a huge fan of Jenner however she is doing an exemplary job using her platform right now. “Jenner, with almost 200 million followers across her social media platforms, is the one of the most influential members of the Kardashian-Jenner clan” (Variety). By using her platform on social media, she urged her followers (specifically gen z) to take this virus seriously and urged them to stay home. Another example of celebrities doing their part during the COVID-19 pandemic can be seen in athletes such as Kevin Love and Zion Williamson. Both of these people happen to play in the NBA and have both vowed to help financially to people that are out of work. Kevin Love, a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers was one of the first to step up, which sparked others to take action as well. “He promised $100,000 to benefit workers at Cleveland’s Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse (Glamour). On Instagram, Love also said, “Be kind to one another. Be understanding of their fears, regardless if you don’t feel the same. Be safe and make informed decisions during this time. And I encourage everyone to take care of themselves and to reach out to others in need—whether that means supporting your local charities that are canceling events, or checking in on your colleagues and family”. We need more of this. My hat goes off to anyone like Kevin Love or Kylie Jenner that is doing their best to use their platform for good right now. Celebrities like these have started a chain reaction too. Because of them acting as they did, others have started to follow suit. According to Vogue magazine, Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively have decided to donate a million dollars to Feeding America Food Banks. It is great to see them giving back and lending some help in a time of need. Another huge positive that comes from celebrities doing things like this is that I think it calms people down just a bit. Now is the time to be pro-active, not reactive. These celebrities have done a great job of that. It is super important to not panic and I think celebrities have a role to play in helping the American people avoid panic.
Works Cited
Staff, Billboard. “Stars Who Are Giving Back During The Coronavirus Pandemic.” Billboard, 25 Mar. 2020, www.billboard.com/articles/news/9337427/stars-giving-back-coronavirus-pandemic. Wagmeister, Elizabeth. “Kylie Jenner Can Urge Gen Z to Take Coronavirus Seriously, Surgeon General Says.” Variety, 19 Mar. 2020, variety.com/2020/tv/news/coronavirus-kylie-jenner-influencers-surgeon-general-1203538898/. Xidias, Angelica. “These Are the Biggest Celebrity Donations to Covid-19 Relief Efforts.” Vogue Australia, 18 Mar. 2020, www.vogue.com.au/celebrity/news/these-are-the-biggest-celebrity-donations-to-covid19-relief-efforts/news-story/1b6a2a848fed8afc2147098fb6f23824.
Adelle Tedesco The coronavirus is rapidly spreading across the U.S., and while medical staffs are working hard to combat it, the public also has its part to play in slowing down the spread of the virus. One main way the public is being asked to slow the spread of the coronavirus is through social distancing. While social distancing can help slow the spread of the virus, there are people who are not completely complying with these suggestions, one group specifically being the younger generations who are less likely to be affected seriously by the virus. In modern trends with fashion, social media and music; younger people in the U.S. always look to their favorite celebrities to copy what they do and take inspiration from them. In the case of the new coronavirus, these celebrities who are looked up to by the public have the power to influence their followers to take the coronavirus seriously, and influence their followers to stay home and practice social distancing. (Wagmeister) One of the most influential celebrities, Kylie Jenner, has a huge part to play in this. Kylie Jenner has such a strong following with so many younger people constantly watching what she does and wanting to do the same; in the case of the coronavirus, Kylie Jenner expressing her own concerns for this serious disease and explaining to the public that she too is practicing social distancing, can make a huge impact. (Wagmeister) Along with Kylie Jenner, so many other celebrities have the power to influence people to change their actions and take charge with helping to slow the spread of the coronavirus. (Bryne) Along with being able to strongly influence the public on their actions, celebrities have been helping combat the coronavirus through donations helping with medical staffs and with those in the public who have been affected. (Glamour) While a lot of the populations is being affected by the coronavirus through the disease itself, there are a lot of people who have lost their job, money and reliable food sources due to closures of businesses and schools throughout the U.S. One way celebrities are helping in these situations is through making donations to food banks and groceries store, ensuring that people who have been put out of their luck are still able to eat, and so older populations can still go out in public to the grocery store without fear of being infected. (Chan) Celebrities have also set up organizations and made donations to relief funds for people who are unable to work during this time, ensuring that they are still able to purchase basic necessities and be able to pay their rent. (Chan) In this current time, most of the population is struggling, but these celebrities have taken the initiative to ensure that the general population is still able to go on through this difficult time. While there are celebrities who go out of their way to make donations and help the public year round, in this desperate time of need the help of these celebrities is helping to give the public some kind of hope about what is going on and what is going to happen.
Works Cited: Byrne, Suzy. “Daniel Dae Kim Tests Positive for COVID-19, Calls for End to Discrimination against Asians for Coronavirus.” Yahoo!, Yahoo!, 19 Mar. 2020, www.yahoo.com/entertainment/daniel-dae-kim-tests-positive-for-covid-19-calls-for-end-to-discrimination-against-asians-for-coronavirus-203937508.html.
Glamour. “Bethenny Frankel Is Donating 1 Million Medical Masks to Help With the Coronavirus Pandemic.” Glamour, Glamour, 23 Mar. 2020, www.glamour.com/story/how-celebrities-athletes-and-regular-people-are-giving-back-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic.
Staff, Billboard. “Stars Who Are Giving Back During The Coronavirus Pandemic.” Billboard, 25 Mar. 2020, www.billboard.com/articles/news/9337427/stars-giving-back-coronavirus-pandemic.
Wagmeister, Elizabeth. “Kylie Jenner Can Urge Gen Z to Take Coronavirus Seriously, Surgeon General Says.” Variety, 19 Mar. 2020, variety.com/2020/tv/news/coronavirus-kylie-jenner-influencers-surgeon-general-1203538898/.
The current COVID-19 health crisis has already proven it will fundamentally alter the ways we live our lives—in some ways, maybe permanently. As with most major tragedies, public figures and celebrities have been looked to for their responses and relief efforts; but this time it’s a little different, as celebrities aren’t any more immune to this virus as us regulars are. I believe that the way celebrities respond to the crisis in the next few weeks will define the public’s perception of them far into the future. This isn’t a situation we as a society (or a world) can push away and forget about, and that includes the actions of our biggest stars. I’d categorize the recent celebrity responses to the pandemic in three different ways: the Doers, the Helpers, and the Sayers (not great names, ok). The Doers are the celebrities that seemed to almost immediately step up and take physical action to help others. These include such celebs as Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, who together donated $1 million to be split between Feeding America and Food Banks Canada, “which are helping to feed people (especially elderly adults and low-income families) during the pandemic.” (Glamour). There’s also Donatella Versace and her daughter Allegra, who “donated about $216,000 to the intensive care unit of the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan”; Dierks Bentley, who “gave his 90 hourly employees $1,000 to help get them through this difficult time”; Brad Paisley, whose grocery store in Nashville, TN, “which provides free groceries to the needy -- would be making deliveries to seniors”; and Ciara, who announced her and her husband Russell Wilson would be “donating 1 million meals with Seattle @FoodLifeLine” (Chan). The Helpers are celebrities who may have donated time or energy, instead of tangible money or resources. Josh Gad, for example, pledged to read at least 10 minutes of a children’s book each day live on Twitter, in what he called “10 minutes of daycare” for families with small children (Glamour). Similarly, Lizzo performed a 30-minute long “meditation and mantra to promote healing during this global crisis” on her Instagram account, while Laura Benati took to Twitter to encourage student actors whose shows may have been canceled to to “send her videos of their songs and dances with the hashtag #SunshineSongs as a way to bring a little cheer to stressful times” (Glamour).
Finally, the Sayers are those celebrities who I think are really missing the point during all of this. The most notable (and cringey) examples would have to be the group of 23 celebrities who joined together to make a video, each singing a snippet of John Lennon’s “Imagine”. Seemingly started by Gal Gadot, who claims her quarantine “has her feeling a bit ‘philosophical.’” (Rivers, Isador), the entire thing came off as tone-deaf, weird, and overall just supremely unhelpful. As this Vice article put it, “Super-wealthy celebrities including Natalie Portman, Jimmy Fallon, and Kristen Wiig are saving the world from coronavirus by... singing John Lennon's 'Imagine'?” (Rivers, Isador). Maybe the sentiment was there, but right now, real everyday working class people need a lot more than just sentiment. Videos of singing won’t stop people from dying. And honestly, it’s pretty arrogant of Gal Gadot and others to automatically assume we commoners are clamoring to get comfort and recognition from them—especially in the throes of a public health crisis. This is the time for celebrities to put their money where their mouth is. If everyday people across the nation are being expected to make sacrifices for one another, then damn it, celebrities, with their resources, should certainly be doing their part. After this is all over, people are going to remember the ones that helped, and the ones who sang at us.
Works Cited: Chan, Anna. “Stars Who Are Giving Back During The Coronavirus Pandemic.” Billboard, 25 Mar. 2020, www.billboard.com/articles/news/9337427/stars-giving-back-coronavirus-pandemic. Glamour. “How Celebrities, Athletes, and Civilians Are Giving Back During the Coronavirus Pandemic.” Glamour, Glamour, 23 Mar. 2020, www.glamour.com/story/how-celebrities-athletes-and-regular-people-are-giving-back-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic. Rivers, Taylor, and Graham Isador. “Gal Gadot's Celebrity 'Imagine' Video Is Just Too Cringe.” Vice, 19 Mar. 2020, www.vice.com/en_us/article/3a8yey/gal-gadots-celebrity-imagine-video-is-just-too-cringe.
Many celebrities have echoed the language that the CDC and the government is providing citizens with. Celebrities have been urging their fans to take the virus seriously, and to practice social distancing through self-quarantine. Most celebrities are providing tips to their fans on how to avoid the spread of the virus, such as consistently washing your hands or not touching one’s face. I feel as though people were not taking the virus 100 percent serious, and then America’s dad, Tom Hanks tested positive for Corona along with his wife. Although they were not in critical condition, it was still a shock to many of his fans, and it made them realize how serious this virus actually is. It proved that the Coronavirus does not discriminate between race or whether or not an individual is rich or poor. Recently, Josh Gaad posted a video of himself crying to social media in order to display to his fans that it is okay to cry in unprecedented times such as these. His message was that we are all in this together, and that it is okay to be emotional about the whole situation. Experts believe that celebrities can influence many people to follow the correct procedure during this difficult time. Elizabeth Wagmeister of Variety wrote about Kylie Jenner’s impact on her fan’s approach to stopping the spread of the virus. “Jenner said she has been self-quarantining for eight days. Her sister, Kim Kardashian West, who has 163 million Instagram followers, posted a photo with Khloe Kardashian, telling her followers that she hasn’t even seen her sisters because the family is taking their self-isolation seriously.” For younger kids and teenagers who might not be taking the virus seriously, it is essential that their favorite celebrities get the word out about the reality of the situation. If even the Kardashian’s are socially distancing from one another, many teens will view the social distancing policy as incredibly serious and essential to stopping the spread. Many celebrities have donated money to various causes during this time of need. In an article published by Billboard entitled, ‘Here’s How Celebs Are Helping Out During the Coronavirus Pandemic’ it gives an example, “Shawn Mendes and The Shawn Mendes Foundation donated $175,000 to The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) to provide the Toronto-based facility with emergency medical resources to combat Coronavirus and efficient care to patients, families, staff and the overall community.” Although many people say that celebrities are overpaid; it is nice to see them leading by example, and giving back in times of need. There are celebrities such as Cardi B who believe that celebrity chatter about the pandemic is just causing more confusion for fans. Janelle Griffith of NBC News wrote, “Rapper Cardi B says celebrities who have publicly disclosed that they have tested positive for the Coronavirus without having any symptoms are confusing the general public.” This is simply a matter of opinion, but some may argue that celebrities are better off staying quiet on this issue, and leaving the talking to the health professionals.
Griffith, Janelle. “Cardi B Says Celebrities Are Causing Confusion about the Coronavirus.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 26 Mar. 2020, www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/cardi-b-says-celebrities-are-causing-confusion-about-coronavirus-n1169011. Staff, Billboard. “Stars Who Are Giving Back During The Coronavirus Pandemic.” Billboard, 25 Mar. 2020, www.billboard.com/articles/news/9337427/stars-giving-back-coronavirus-pandemic. Wagmeister, Elizabeth. “Kylie Jenner Can Urge Gen Z to Take Coronavirus Seriously, Surgeon General Says.” Variety, 19 Mar. 2020, variety.com/2020/tv/news/coronavirus-kylie-jenner-influencers-surgeon-general-1203538898/.
COVID-19 has created huge impacts across the world. People are practicing social distancing and learning how to stay home. “ In the U.S., panic levels are high, with health officials advising Americans to practice social distancing and take extra precautions to protect their health. Most major live events, TV productions, and movie releases have been canceled, while citizens grapple with postponing their own important gatherings to protect vulnerable, immune-compromised individuals” (Glamour). This is very challenging for everyone and it has created many trying to help in different ways.
ReplyDeleteCelebrities have reacted to the pandemic as well. Everyone reacts differently to stressful situations but in this case some have gave back tremendously. I think the efforts from the celebrities have been extremely kind. It is nice they are using their money and fame to give back to the people in need. For instance, even though all NBA games have been canceled for the rest of the season, Zion Williams, player on the New Orleans Pelicans, announced he will help cover the salaries of the workers at the Smoothie King Center. He states, “My mother has always set an example for me about being respectful for others and being grateful for what we have, and so today I am pledging to cover the salaries for all of those Smoothie King Center workers for the next 30 days” (Glamour). Even Donatella Versace and her daughter are making an impact. They gave 200,00 euros to Milan’s San Raffaele hospital. Another positive idea, “Singer-songwriter MILCK (born Connie K. Lim) has raised nearly $3,000 for Feeding America so far via a weekly Livestream concert + conversation series” (Billboard Staff). This is a significant idea to interact via Livestream. This also shows how she is influencing her fans to increase interaction in a positive way. Many fans look up to celebrities so they can use their powers in creating virtual ideas. A strong example from the article is, “Because I Love You,” Lizzo wrote under a nearly 30-minute Instagram video in which she was surrounded by crystals. “A meditation and mantra to promote healing during the global crisis. Use at your own pace. Love you!” (Carras). This is a wonderful use of promoting healing during this global crisis. It is influencing many to learn meditation and relax. Natalie Portman even posts a video of herself cooking a healthy meal. She puts the recipe in the Instagram caption and explains it in great detail. Another positive idea, “On Friday, March 13, the actor lent his famous voice—you may recognize him as Olaf from Disney’s Frozen—to parents as “10 minutes of free daycare” by live-streaming a reading of his favorite children’s book, Olivia Goes to Venice, on Twitter” (Glamour). This connected to a different target audience which will be appreciated by a variety of people. Even OperaWire reports that the Metropolitan Opera will host a “Nightly Met Opera Streams” (Glamour).
All these ideas are great and are showing the world to think positive and keep your head up. As a college student, I feel influenced by certain celebrities and like to hear what they have to say. This is a tragic time and I am going to continue to reflect in ways that will help others.
Works Cited
“'It's Okay to Cry': Celebrities Keep Their Distance to Cope with Coronavirus.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2020, www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2020-03-16/coronavirus-celebrities-social-distancing.
Glamour. “Bethenny Frankel Is Donating 1 Million Medical Masks to Help With the Coronavirus Pandemic.” Glamour, Glamour, 23 Mar. 2020, www.glamour.com/story/how-celebrities-athletes-and-regular-people-are-giving-back-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic.
Roiz, Jessica. “Shakira Praises Perfume Company Making Hand Sanitizer Amid Coronavirus.” Billboard, 25 Mar. 2020, www.billboard.com/articles/columns/latin/9342672/shakira-praises-perfume-company-making-hand-sanitizer.
Covid-19 is showing no signs of slowing down in the U.S. and has been the driving force between many schools shutting down, places of employment, professional sports leagues and even Hollywood. With Hollywood being shut down, it can be assumed that a lot of celebrities are trying to figure out their next moves behind the smiles, jokes and Tik Toks. According to Variety.com, some of the difficulties that people in Hollywood may face are that “studios can’t get a jump on rescheduling shoot dates [which is] sure to lead to a chaotic period of sorting out the schedules of in-demand actors, producers, showrunners and myriad crucial production personnel [and] some projects will simply be scrapped” (Cynthia Littleton and Elaine Low). But until things settle down, celebrities and everyone else will have to continue practicing social distancing and self-quarantine.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that since the quarantine began, there aren’t many photos or videos of celebrities all glammed, going about their regular lives. Infact, a lot of celebrities have been revealing their ‘stripped-down authentic self’ to their social media, many rocking their grey hairs, no makeup to preach to the 99% about being positive and world peace.
While the CDC has been working hard to provide people with important resources and updates on Covid-19, some celebrities have been trying to use their platforms as a way to raise awareness about the symptoms and encouraging people to stay home. Just last week, Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams called for influencers to use their platform to “help folks understand that this is serious” and even directly called out Kylie Jenner in particular (Wagmeister 2020). Kylie then took to her Twitter to do her part stating “I hope everyone is feeling well! It’s so important right now to self quarantine to ensure we aren’t endangered ourselves or anyone who can’t handle this virus” and then reinforced the message on Instagram (Wagmeister 2020).
While Kylie Jenner did her part, other celebrities opted into singing John Lennon’s “Imagine” which did not sit well with the working class. To most, it came off as tone deaf and elitist that there were millionaires singing from their mansions; “Imagine no possessions I wonder if you can” when that is already the reality of many. According to the South Bend Tribune, one Twitter user tweeted ““How is this supposed to help lmao just open y’all damn purses” and that essentially summarized how most people felt about the gesture (Andrews 2020).
With Hollywood being shut down and everyone having to practice social isolation and be quarantined, celebrities have chosen to use this as a time to show their social media followers a more ‘authentic’ version of themselves and using their specialties as a way to entertain and spread positivity.
The pandemic is something that just about everyone is aware of and when most people log onto social media, they are looking for an escape from the everyday update from the news. From there, it seems as though celebrities have taken it upon themselves to spread positivity and relieve themselves from their boredom. I think between some celebrities such as Ellen calling all of her celebrity friends and posting it on her Instagram, Kevin Hart telling his funny life stories on his Instagram and DJ Dnice playing a set throughout the week on his live is a great getaway from all of what’s happening. There have also been many celebrities that have been a little more hands on, donating and helping out where they can such as Russell Wilson and Ciara, Brad Paisley and more according to Billboard.com (Chan 2020).
DeleteOverall, I think that celebrities have very limited power to influence fans in situations like this because most people would rather take information from professionals in a situation like this. It would also come off as a little inconsiderate by asking their followers, most of which are probably not working right now, to donate to something when they also need the help. The little bit of influence they now have is just from being themselves online and is mostly over the younger demographic who tend to be more impressionable and willing to follow what their favorite celebrity tells them to do.
Andrews, Travis M. “Gal Gadot, Mark Ruffalo, Other Celebrities Asked Us to 'Imagine' in a Viral Video; It Did Not Go Well.” South Bend Tribune, 23 Mar. 2020, www.southbendtribune.com/entertainment/inthebend/entertainmentnews/gal-gadot-mark-ruffalo-other-celebrities-asked-us-to-imagine/article_4ad958b8-6d12-11ea-850c-e7800daa046f.html.
Chan, Anna. “Stars Who Are Giving Back During The Coronavirus Pandemic.” Billboard, 25 Mar. 2020, www.billboard.com/articles/news/9337427/stars-giving-back-coronavirus-pandemic.
Littleton, Cynthia, and Elaine Low. “Hollywood Braces for Coronavirus Financial Hit That Could Change the Industry Forever.” Variety, 19 Mar. 2020, variety.com/2020/biz/features/hollywood-coronavirus-financial-festivals-film-television-production-1203537442/.
Wagmeister, Elizabeth. “Kylie Jenner Can Urge Gen Z to Take Coronavirus Seriously, Surgeon General Says.” Variety, 19 Mar. 2020, variety.com/2020/tv/news/coronavirus-kylie-jenner-influencers-surgeon-general-1203538898/.
Brett DiSalvo
ReplyDeleteCorona Virus or, COVID-19 has completely changed the lives of Americans and people all over the world. It is a scary and disorienting time that we are living in right now. As an American college student, life as I know it has been completely halted due to this virus. Of course the news is telling everyone to stay home and practice social distancing to help slow the spread of the virus, however, it seems that my generation took that way too much as a suggestion. For the first few weeks of this outbreak, it seemed that everyone thought it was no big deal and continued to go on their spring break vacations and such.
I think this has started to change and people my age are realizing the gratitude of the situation and the impact that their decisions could have on the rest of society. I think a big part of why millennials are now taking this seriously and staying home can be credited to celebrities and social influencers. Not only are celebrities and athletes around the world donating money to help people who may be out of a job but they are using their platform to spread the message to stay home. One example of this is Kylie Jenner. I personally have never been a huge fan of Jenner however she is doing an exemplary job using her platform right now. “Jenner, with almost 200 million followers across her social media platforms, is the one of the most influential members of the Kardashian-Jenner clan” (Variety). By using her platform on social media, she urged her followers (specifically gen z) to take this virus seriously and urged them to stay home.
Another example of celebrities doing their part during the COVID-19 pandemic can be seen in athletes such as Kevin Love and Zion Williamson. Both of these people happen to play in the NBA and have both vowed to help financially to people that are out of work. Kevin Love, a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers was one of the first to step up, which sparked others to take action as well. “He promised $100,000 to benefit workers at Cleveland’s Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse (Glamour). On Instagram, Love also said, “Be kind to one another. Be understanding of their fears, regardless if you don’t feel the same. Be safe and make informed decisions during this time. And I encourage everyone to take care of themselves and to reach out to others in need—whether that means supporting your local charities that are canceling events, or checking in on your colleagues and family”. We need more of this. My hat goes off to anyone like Kevin Love or Kylie Jenner that is doing their best to use their platform for good right now.
Celebrities like these have started a chain reaction too. Because of them acting as they did, others have started to follow suit. According to Vogue magazine, Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively have decided to donate a million dollars to Feeding America Food Banks. It is great to see them giving back and lending some help in a time of need. Another huge positive that comes from celebrities doing things like this is that I think it calms people down just a bit. Now is the time to be pro-active, not reactive. These celebrities have done a great job of that. It is super important to not panic and I think celebrities have a role to play in helping the American people avoid panic.
Works Cited
Staff, Billboard. “Stars Who Are Giving Back During The Coronavirus Pandemic.” Billboard, 25 Mar. 2020, www.billboard.com/articles/news/9337427/stars-giving-back-coronavirus-pandemic.
Wagmeister, Elizabeth. “Kylie Jenner Can Urge Gen Z to Take Coronavirus Seriously, Surgeon General Says.” Variety, 19 Mar. 2020, variety.com/2020/tv/news/coronavirus-kylie-jenner-influencers-surgeon-general-1203538898/.
Xidias, Angelica. “These Are the Biggest Celebrity Donations to Covid-19 Relief Efforts.” Vogue Australia, 18 Mar. 2020, www.vogue.com.au/celebrity/news/these-are-the-biggest-celebrity-donations-to-covid19-relief-efforts/news-story/1b6a2a848fed8afc2147098fb6f23824.
Adelle Tedesco
ReplyDeleteThe coronavirus is rapidly spreading across the U.S., and while medical staffs are working hard to combat it, the public also has its part to play in slowing down the spread of the virus. One main way the public is being asked to slow the spread of the coronavirus is through social distancing. While social distancing can help slow the spread of the virus, there are people who are not completely complying with these suggestions, one group specifically being the younger generations who are less likely to be affected seriously by the virus.
In modern trends with fashion, social media and music; younger people in the U.S. always look to their favorite celebrities to copy what they do and take inspiration from them. In the case of the new coronavirus, these celebrities who are looked up to by the public have the power to influence their followers to take the coronavirus seriously, and influence their followers to stay home and practice social distancing. (Wagmeister) One of the most influential celebrities, Kylie Jenner, has a huge part to play in this. Kylie Jenner has such a strong following with so many younger people constantly watching what she does and wanting to do the same; in the case of the coronavirus, Kylie Jenner expressing her own concerns for this serious disease and explaining to the public that she too is practicing social distancing, can make a huge impact. (Wagmeister) Along with Kylie Jenner, so many other celebrities have the power to influence people to change their actions and take charge with helping to slow the spread of the coronavirus. (Bryne)
Along with being able to strongly influence the public on their actions, celebrities have been helping combat the coronavirus through donations helping with medical staffs and with those in the public who have been affected. (Glamour) While a lot of the populations is being affected by the coronavirus through the disease itself, there are a lot of people who have lost their job, money and reliable food sources due to closures of businesses and schools throughout the U.S. One way celebrities are helping in these situations is through making donations to food banks and groceries store, ensuring that people who have been put out of their luck are still able to eat, and so older populations can still go out in public to the grocery store without fear of being infected. (Chan) Celebrities have also set up organizations and made donations to relief funds for people who are unable to work during this time, ensuring that they are still able to purchase basic necessities and be able to pay their rent. (Chan)
In this current time, most of the population is struggling, but these celebrities have taken the initiative to ensure that the general population is still able to go on through this difficult time. While there are celebrities who go out of their way to make donations and help the public year round, in this desperate time of need the help of these celebrities is helping to give the public some kind of hope about what is going on and what is going to happen.
Works Cited:
ReplyDeleteByrne, Suzy. “Daniel Dae Kim Tests Positive for COVID-19, Calls for End to Discrimination against Asians for Coronavirus.” Yahoo!, Yahoo!, 19 Mar. 2020, www.yahoo.com/entertainment/daniel-dae-kim-tests-positive-for-covid-19-calls-for-end-to-discrimination-against-asians-for-coronavirus-203937508.html.
Glamour. “Bethenny Frankel Is Donating 1 Million Medical Masks to Help With the Coronavirus Pandemic.” Glamour, Glamour, 23 Mar. 2020, www.glamour.com/story/how-celebrities-athletes-and-regular-people-are-giving-back-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic.
Staff, Billboard. “Stars Who Are Giving Back During The Coronavirus Pandemic.” Billboard, 25 Mar. 2020, www.billboard.com/articles/news/9337427/stars-giving-back-coronavirus-pandemic.
Wagmeister, Elizabeth. “Kylie Jenner Can Urge Gen Z to Take Coronavirus Seriously, Surgeon General Says.” Variety, 19 Mar. 2020, variety.com/2020/tv/news/coronavirus-kylie-jenner-influencers-surgeon-general-1203538898/.
The current COVID-19 health crisis has already proven it will fundamentally alter the ways we live our lives—in some ways, maybe permanently. As with most major tragedies, public figures and celebrities have been looked to for their responses and relief efforts; but this time it’s a little different, as celebrities aren’t any more immune to this virus as us regulars are. I believe that the way celebrities respond to the crisis in the next few weeks will define the public’s perception of them far into the future. This isn’t a situation we as a society (or a world) can push away and forget about, and that includes the actions of our biggest stars.
ReplyDeleteI’d categorize the recent celebrity responses to the pandemic in three different ways: the Doers, the Helpers, and the Sayers (not great names, ok). The Doers are the celebrities that seemed to almost immediately step up and take physical action to help others. These include such celebs as Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, who together donated $1 million to be split between Feeding America and Food Banks Canada, “which are helping to feed people (especially elderly adults and low-income families) during the pandemic.” (Glamour). There’s also Donatella Versace and her daughter Allegra, who “donated about $216,000 to the intensive care unit of the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan”; Dierks Bentley, who “gave his 90 hourly employees $1,000 to help get them through this difficult time”; Brad Paisley, whose grocery store in Nashville, TN, “which provides free groceries to the needy -- would be making deliveries to seniors”; and Ciara, who announced her and her husband Russell Wilson would be “donating 1 million meals with Seattle @FoodLifeLine” (Chan).
The Helpers are celebrities who may have donated time or energy, instead of tangible money or resources. Josh Gad, for example, pledged to read at least 10 minutes of a children’s book each day live on Twitter, in what he called “10 minutes of daycare” for families with small children (Glamour). Similarly, Lizzo performed a 30-minute long “meditation and mantra to promote healing during this global crisis” on her Instagram account, while Laura Benati took to Twitter to encourage student actors whose shows may have been canceled to to “send her videos of their songs and dances with the hashtag #SunshineSongs as a way to bring a little cheer to stressful times” (Glamour).
Finally, the Sayers are those celebrities who I think are really missing the point during all of this. The most notable (and cringey) examples would have to be the group of 23 celebrities who joined together to make a video, each singing a snippet of John Lennon’s “Imagine”. Seemingly started by Gal Gadot, who claims her quarantine “has her feeling a bit ‘philosophical.’” (Rivers, Isador), the entire thing came off as tone-deaf, weird, and overall just supremely unhelpful. As this Vice article put it, “Super-wealthy celebrities including Natalie Portman, Jimmy Fallon, and Kristen Wiig are saving the world from coronavirus by... singing John Lennon's 'Imagine'?” (Rivers, Isador). Maybe the sentiment was there, but right now, real everyday working class people need a lot more than just sentiment. Videos of singing won’t stop people from dying. And honestly, it’s pretty arrogant of Gal Gadot and others to automatically assume we commoners are clamoring to get comfort and recognition from them—especially in the throes of a public health crisis.
DeleteThis is the time for celebrities to put their money where their mouth is. If everyday people across the nation are being expected to make sacrifices for one another, then damn it, celebrities, with their resources, should certainly be doing their part. After this is all over, people are going to remember the ones that helped, and the ones who sang at us.
Works Cited:
Chan, Anna. “Stars Who Are Giving Back During The Coronavirus Pandemic.” Billboard, 25 Mar. 2020, www.billboard.com/articles/news/9337427/stars-giving-back-coronavirus-pandemic.
Glamour. “How Celebrities, Athletes, and Civilians Are Giving Back During the Coronavirus Pandemic.” Glamour, Glamour, 23 Mar. 2020, www.glamour.com/story/how-celebrities-athletes-and-regular-people-are-giving-back-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic.
Rivers, Taylor, and Graham Isador. “Gal Gadot's Celebrity 'Imagine' Video Is Just Too Cringe.” Vice, 19 Mar. 2020, www.vice.com/en_us/article/3a8yey/gal-gadots-celebrity-imagine-video-is-just-too-cringe.
Brent Costantino
ReplyDeleteMany celebrities have echoed the language that the CDC and the government is providing citizens with. Celebrities have been urging their fans to take the virus seriously, and to practice social distancing through self-quarantine. Most celebrities are providing tips to their fans on how to avoid the spread of the virus, such as consistently washing your hands or not touching one’s face. I feel as though people were not taking the virus 100 percent serious, and then America’s dad, Tom Hanks tested positive for Corona along with his wife. Although they were not in critical condition, it was still a shock to many of his fans, and it made them realize how serious this virus actually is. It proved that the Coronavirus does not discriminate between race or whether or not an individual is rich or poor. Recently, Josh Gaad posted a video of himself crying to social media in order to display to his fans that it is okay to cry in unprecedented times such as these. His message was that we are all in this together, and that it is okay to be emotional about the whole situation. Experts believe that celebrities can influence many people to follow the correct procedure during this difficult time. Elizabeth Wagmeister of Variety wrote about Kylie Jenner’s impact on her fan’s approach to stopping the spread of the virus. “Jenner said she has been self-quarantining for eight days. Her sister, Kim Kardashian West, who has 163 million Instagram followers, posted a photo with Khloe Kardashian, telling her followers that she hasn’t even seen her sisters because the family is taking their self-isolation seriously.” For younger kids and teenagers who might not be taking the virus seriously, it is essential that their favorite celebrities get the word out about the reality of the situation. If even the Kardashian’s are socially distancing from one another, many teens will view the social distancing policy as incredibly serious and essential to stopping the spread. Many celebrities have donated money to various causes during this time of need. In an article published by Billboard entitled, ‘Here’s How Celebs Are Helping Out During the Coronavirus Pandemic’ it gives an example, “Shawn Mendes and The Shawn Mendes Foundation donated $175,000 to The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) to provide the Toronto-based facility with emergency medical resources to combat Coronavirus and efficient care to patients, families, staff and the overall community.” Although many people say that celebrities are overpaid; it is nice to see them leading by example, and giving back in times of need. There are celebrities such as Cardi B who believe that celebrity chatter about the pandemic is just causing more confusion for fans. Janelle Griffith of NBC News wrote, “Rapper Cardi B says celebrities who have publicly disclosed that they have tested positive for the Coronavirus without having any symptoms are confusing the general public.” This is simply a matter of opinion, but some may argue that celebrities are better off staying quiet on this issue, and leaving the talking to the health professionals.
Works Cited
DeleteGriffith, Janelle. “Cardi B Says Celebrities Are Causing Confusion about the Coronavirus.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 26 Mar. 2020, www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/cardi-b-says-celebrities-are-causing-confusion-about-coronavirus-n1169011.
Staff, Billboard. “Stars Who Are Giving Back During The Coronavirus Pandemic.” Billboard, 25 Mar. 2020, www.billboard.com/articles/news/9337427/stars-giving-back-coronavirus-pandemic.
Wagmeister, Elizabeth. “Kylie Jenner Can Urge Gen Z to Take Coronavirus Seriously, Surgeon General Says.” Variety, 19 Mar. 2020, variety.com/2020/tv/news/coronavirus-kylie-jenner-influencers-surgeon-general-1203538898/.