Celebrities singing ‘Imagine’ amid coronavirus panic brings on the eye roll
You may say Gal Gadot is a dreamer for thinking a celebrity sing-along would help regular people feel better about a pandemic. But she’s not the only one.
On Wednesday, the “Wonder Woman” star enlisted a slew of her famous friends — including Will Ferrell, Natalie Portman, Zoë Kravitz and more — to film a tag-team cover of John Lennon’s “Imagine” and shared it on Instagram to millions of followers.
The video, inspired by viral footage of self-quarantined Italians making music together from their balconies, features each of its all-star participants relaying the classic tune’s inspiring lyrics via selfie cam to one another.
“Hey, guys,” ringleader Gadot said before starting the song. “Day 6 in self-quarantine, and I gotta say that these past few days got me feeling a bit philosophical. This virus has affected the entire world — everyone. Doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from. We are all in this together.”
Other celebs featured in the “Justice League” actress’ three-minute clip include Kristen Wiig, Jamie Dornan, Labrinth, James Marsden, Sarah Silverman, Jimmy Fallon, Sia, Amy Adams, Leslie Odom Jr., Pedro Pascal, Chris O’Dowd, Mark Ruffalo, Norah Jones, Maya Rudolph, Ashley Benson, Kaia Gerber, Cara Delevingne and Gadot’s “Wonder Woman” predecessor, Lynda Carter.
Not everyone was feeling the camaraderie, though, as many took to Twitter to drag Gadot and her prominent buddies for being, well, tone-deaf. And not just in the musical sense.
“What would I do without celebrities posting videos on social media telling us little people it’s going to be okay?” one user sarcastically wrote.
“Celebrities at home thinking ‘How can we stay relevant?’” another tweeted. “Ah yes — sing a song from our plush mansions talking about a world with no possessions! This video is worse than the actual virus!”
For others, the mini passion project had the intended uplifting effect.
“Always haters,” one person replied. “Its beautiful. Its about spirit. Grow up.”
Critics of the star-studded montage echo the frustrations of many who feel the rich and famous have received special treatment during the pandemic, pointing to the likes of NBA standout Kevin Durant and the rest of his Brooklyn Nets teammates.
The Nets players and other public figures have been able to get checked for the coronavirus — without showing symptoms, in some cases — despite a well-documented shortage of tests, raising concerns of inequality.
“We will get through it together,” Gadot wrote in her Instagram caption. “Let’s imagine together. Sing with us. All love to you, from me and my dear friends.”
Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, Pink, Idris Elba, Daniel Dae Kim, Andy Cohen and more have gone public with coronavirus diagnoses. And the list is growing.
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