In the midst of the global pandemic that is the coronavirus, many people are finding solidarity with one another in being quarantined in their own homes for days on end. In order to lift the spirits of the many who are being plagued by anxieties and boredom, Wonder Woman actor, Gal Gadot, coordinated a video compilation of herself along with many other high profile celebrities singing the John Lennon song, “Imagine.”
In a video, which was first posted to Instagram, Gadot explained that she was in the sixth day of her self-quarantine and “feeling philosophical” about the crisis.
She continued, “I ran into this video of an Italian guy playing a trumpet on his balcony… He was playing ‘Imagine,’ and there’s something so powerful and pure about this video,”
After stating, “we’re all in this together,” Gadot sings the song’s first line, and is followed by Kristen Wiig. The video also features stars such as, Jamie Dornan, Mark Ruffalo, Amy Adams, James Marsden, Will Ferrell, Sia, Labrinth, Pedro Pascal and Zoe Kravitz, as well as others.
While the intentions of this video were clearly good, many felt as if it backfired, as the reception was not necessarily positive. Many felt as if the initiative was out of touch, as many are facing serious financial circumstances at the hands of this crisis. Many pointed out that the attempt to equalize all experiencing this crisis only brought more attention to the disparity between the celebrities involved and regular people.
Others also pointed out that the video concluded with no commitment to action regarding the crisis, as none featured appeared to be donating to the cause. While those involved may have chosen to do so privately, bringing attention to a charitable cause was certainly not the intention of the video.
In response to the video, a group of Youtube comedians called The Try Guys, put together a parody video, which they posted on Twitter. They and many other Youtubers, such as Grace Helbig, James Charles and Hannah Hart, among others followed the same format, but instead sang the song “Party in the U.S.A.” by Miley Cyrus, and linked to Global Giving’s Coronavirus Relief Fund, also committing to donate, themselves.
The crowd-funding page states, “The COVID-19 pandemic marks an unprecedented time in modern history that will require the best of humanity to overcome. The new coronavirus has taken thousands of lives and spread to nearly every country in the world. Your donation to this fund will support immediate and long-term relief and recovery in vulnerable communities during one of the most challenging times we have collectively faced.”
