I have always felt like celebrities being outspoken about political views can be shady. Angelina Jolie? Bono? George Clooney? They might have helped bring serious issues to a wider audience, but isn’t it their personal brands that benefit from it the most? And as I watch J-Lo and Ryan Reynolds encouraging us to stay home during the Coronavirus crisis from their mansion and Manhattan loft, I’m forced to still ask myself the same question. But there’s one celebrity out there who surprisingly caught my attention (and warmed my heart) sharing Marxist slogans on social media: Britney Spears.
On March 23, the 2000’s pop icon shared a quote from writer Mimi Zhu on Instagram, which said, “we will feed each other, re-distribute wealth, strike”, with the caption “communion moves beyond walls”.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-FppKxAFxm/
Britney Spears also took part in the #DoYourPartChallenge, inviting fans to DM her if they needed financial help to buy groceries. And isn’t that the real help we need from celebrities right now?
We don’t want to see celebrities sing John Lennon’s “Imagine” (the most cringey thing we’ve witnessed in 2020) and ask us to donate. We need them to genuinely pitch in. Because the truth is, Covid-19 isn’t a “great equaliser”, as Madonna said from her bathtub. We’re not “all in this together” and in case you were still unsure: yes, pandemics still hit the poor the hardest. And while celebrities are chilling in their sprawling backyards and mansions having a rather pleasant time, millions are either loosing their jobs or working to optimise wealthy people’s health and comfort.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B9-VuoaAXU7/?hl=en
Cardi B—who’s been vocal about her socialist political views over the last few months, calling to raise the minimum wage and cancel student debts—also took to her Instagram to attack President Trump about the unequal access to tests and healthcare in the United States.
All over the world, the Coronavirus crisis is showing us that politics is a disappointing business. It’s time we ditch presidents and ministers if we’re expecting celebrity help and engagement. And as unlikely as it might sound to some, the alternative right now seems to be female pop stars. The establishment might be dismissing their disenfranchised populations, but Britney and Cardi B are willing to have theirs back.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-IpR_DgoTx/
