I’ve been watching tone-deaf celebrities causing a social stir over coronavirus

People have become far less forgiving of wealthy A-listers in unprecedented and stressful times. In this brave new world, even Britney Spears is a socialist, writes Clémence Michallon

One World: Together at Home was a success, even for a CEO of cynicism like me (Getty)

It’s been a turbulent few weeks for celebrities. Well, it’s been a turbulent few weeks for just about everyone, but celebrities have put their respective feet in their respective mouths at a higher frequency since the coronavirus crisis started. Which is why I wasn’t sure what to expect when I was assigned to cover all eight hours of One World: Together at Home, the massive remote concert put together by Lady Gaga and nonprofit Global Citizen.

Back when many countries across the world first went into lockdown (it feels like it’s been 10 years, though it has, in fact, only been a month or so in the US and the UK), our favourite A-listers seemed unsure how to react. They tried their best to show support, but when these attempts failed, they failed hard.

First, there was Gal Gadot’s oft-maligned group rendition of “Imagine”, in which a bunch of wealthy celebrities sang a tune that’s all about picturing a world without possessions or greed. Then, Pharrell Williams was criticised for asking fans to donate to a GoFundMe for medical staff, when many found themselves in dire financial straits due to the very crisis he was trying to spotlight. And I would be remiss if I failed to mention Ellen DeGeneres jokingly comparing coronavirus isolation to jail – a zinger she delivered from the beautiful mansion she’s currently confined in.

The common denominator here is wealth. People have – understandably – been far less forgiving of celebrities in these unprecedentedly stressful conditions. There is no room for being tone-deaf. Yes, we’re all in this together, but lockdown only magnifies inequalities. Simply put, it’s easy to misspeak and look like a villain from The Hunger Games at the moment. Better to go the other way, perhaps, and declare yourself a socialist on Instagram a la Britney Spears (whose adoring fans hopped right on board with the idea of “Comrade Britney”, much to the delight of left-wingers across the world).

As an avid over-thinker on celebrity culture, I went into One World with tingling antennas. But as artists such as The Rolling Stones, Taylor Swift, Jennifer Hudson, Elton John, and many, many more sang one after the other, even I, the president, chairwoman and CEO of cynicism, had to admit the concert was a success.

Crucially, viewers weren’t asked for donations. Fundraising efforts happened ahead of the event, raising $127m (£103m) for the World Health Organisation. Global Citizen has highlighted contributions from “world leaders, corporate partners and philanthropists”, and Jimmy Kimmel astutely joked that much of the night’s fundraising efforts had consisted in “shaking [Jeff Bezos] for loose change”.

Thanks to that approach, One World: Together at Home managed to strike the right chord at a tense time. I tuned in for the six-hour pre-show as well as the two-hour main event and I can’t say I was ever bored. It was a joyful event and a much-needed cultural celebration at a time when the entertainment industry has ground to a screeching halt.

In the words of ABBA’s Agnetha Faltskog, thank you for the music.

Yours,

Clémence Michallon

US culture writer