Gal Gadot’s ‘Imagine’ fell flat but sport fights back with toilet paper challenge and cash

I will admit, I was nervous about the coronavirus. And then to my utter delight, a bunch of rich, pampered celebrities made a compilation video from the comfort of their multimillion-dollar mansions, wearing expensive clothes and singing John Lennon’s Imagine horribly out of key, and posted it to Instagram. And then I felt way better, like a million times better. Phew, thank goodness for celebrities, how would we ever make it through this without them sweet serenading us into acceptance that we are smack in the middle of the biggest global pandemic in decades? View this post on Instagram We are in this together, we will get through it together. Let’s imagine together. Sing with us All love to you, from me and my dear friends. #WeAreOne ....... #KristenWiig #JamieDornan @labrinth @james_marsden @sarahkatesilverman @eddiebenjamin @jimmyfallon @natalieportman @zoeisabellakravitz @siamusic @reallyndacarter @amyadams @leslieodomjr @pascalispunk @chrisodowd @hotpatooties #WillFerrell @markruffalo @norahjones @ashleybenson @kaiagerber @caradelevingne @anniemumolo @princesstagramslam A post shared by Gal Gadot (@gal_gadot) on Mar 18, 2020 at 4:49pm PDT Wonder Woman herself, Israeli superstar actress Gal Gadot got a bunch of her bourgeois Hollywood friends together and made a video thinking it would help us get through this ordeal, which fell flatter than a B-flat. Seriously, petrol engines don’t backfire this badly. Not only did we get more than three minutes of the most cringeworthy version of Imagine since Yoko Ono butchered it at Giants Stadium back in 1986 for an Amnesty International fundraiser, we also got reminded why Ricky Gervais hosting the Golden Globes this year was so utterly brilliant. “If you do win an award tonight, don’t use it to make a platform to make a political speech, you’re in no position to lecture the public about anything,” Gervais said. “You know nothing about the real world.” Gadot’s intentions were sincere, sure, but one wonders where the PR handlers were when this thing started coming together and before it got rightfully murdered on Twitter (the comments are hilarious, go check them out for some laughs). For the 99 percenters, Covid-19 is not a chance to hang around in our expensive flats and get “philosophical” as Gadot said she was feeling. Gal, I loved you in Wonder Woman, but seriously, I don’t care if you are OK right now, no offence. The people I do care about are the millions of hourly workers living pay cheque to pay cheque, and have now found themselves out of work and in financial ruin. Grocery store clerks, bartenders, waiters, retail employees, small business owners and anyone who is now either facing bankruptcy or mounting debts. Gadot’s out of touch video is even worse when you go back one more Instagram post, where she offered advice to people on how to stop the spread of coronavirus, from her walk-in wardrobe, which is bigger than 75 per cent of the flats in Hong Kong. I am a journalist, I have a bachelor’s degree in nothing useful, I am not smart and I am not an expert in anything. I am not an epidemiologist, nor am I a scientist. When it comes to the coronavirus, or anything for that matter, do not listen to me. Do not feel sympathy for me, I am not a frontline nurse or doctor pulling a 24-hour shift, getting crease marks dug into my face from wearing a mask and goggles all day while I watch people die helplessly because of a lack of medical supplies and adequate hospital facilities. Try being OK with listening to experts, medical professionals and people who have studied viruses extensively. Try not telling us common folk from your walk-in wardrobes full of expensive clothes we could only dream of purchasing we all need to hunker down and wait this virus out as countless people default on their loans, mortgages and bill payments. Try silence. Luckily, my faith in celebrity humanity has been restored by none other than athletes. Instead of singing John Lennon off-key, New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson opened his wallet to pay the Smoothie King Center staff at his team’s arena while the NBA season is suspended, one of many financial gestures of goodwill from NBA stars. View this post on Instagram #StayAtHome #ITrainAtHome A post shared by R I C A R D P U I G (@riquipuig) on Mar 15, 2020 at 6:28am PDT And instead of telling people a little philosophising will make due, Dallas Mavericks owner and billionaire Mark Cuban has not only pledged to pay his staff, but also day care expenses and offered to reimburse employees who buy food at local area businesses around Dallas. Of course, it’s not always about money. The 10-touch toilet paper challenge, started by Barcelona’s Riqui Puig, features stars including Lionel Messi himself, juggling toilet paper rolls with their feet. This social media challenge is super silly – and exactly what we need from our celebrities right now. Escapism. Escapism from the fact that the rich still control this planet with an iron fist, and those with money are getting tested for Covid-19 while the working poor are forced to wait. ‘10-touch toilet paper challenge’ no match for Messi Escapism from the reality that countless people will not recover financially from this economic recession and it will undoubtedly ruin their lives. Escapism from the fact that people are dying. Dear celebrities, take it from your athletes, put your money where your mouths are, juggle some toilet paper, or just keep your expensive yaps shut, thank you very much. Purchase the China AI Report 2020 brought to you by SCMP Research and enjoy a 20% discount (original price US$400). This 60-page all new intelligence report gives you first-hand insights and analysis into the latest industry developments and intelligence about China AI. Get exclusive access to our webinars for continuous learning, and interact with China AI executives in live Q&A. Offer valid until 31 March 2020.