By Erin Free
We’re all in lockdown, and it’s not easy…but it’s certainly easier for some than it is for others. With this in mind, you’d think that the world’s celebrities would keep their whining to themselves. But no, we’ve had Justin Timberlake bemoaning how difficult it is to raise a child in isolation (“We’re mostly commiserating over the fact that just 24-hour parenting is just not human,” JT said of he and missus Jessica Biel from one of his homes in Montana); wussy Sam Smith posting photos of himself crying during an isolation inspired meltdown; Madonna dramatically moaning in a series of weird video posts; Vanessa Hudgens sulking about not being able to go out and party; and a cigar chomping Arnold Schwarzenegger wagging his finger at everybody for not doing the right thing from the comfort of a jacuzzi on his massive rural property.
The online backlash, not surprisingly, has been vicious. With people out of work, thousands of people dead, and the global economy in tatters, the complaints of celebrities (many of whom, admittedly, have merely been responding to direct questions about their lockdown experience) have been falling on a very unsympathetic public. Hilariously leading the charge, meanwhile, has been celeb-bashing maestro, Ricky Gervais, whose jokes at The Golden Globes are continuing to look less like barbs and more like nuclear strikes. As always, Gervais knows exactly what – pardon the pun – the temperature of the room is, and how to measure it. “After this is over, I never want to hear people moaning about the welfare state again,” he said during an interview to promote the second series of his cracking Netflix series, After Life. “I never want to hear people moaning about nurses again. Or porters. These people are doing 14-hour shifts and not complaining. Wearing masks, and being left with sores, after risking their own health and their families’ health selflessly. But then I see someone complaining about being in a mansion with a swimming pool. And, you know, honestly, I just don’t want to hear it.”
As we all quietly quiver in fear about what the future might hold for us and the rest of the world, the last thing that we need to hear is how the world’s very well paid actors, actresses, filmmakers, pop stars and so on are having difficulties dealing with the spacious expanses of their gilded cages. As these celebrities are, for the most part, entertainers, what they really need to be doing is entertaining us. And some of them have…or have at least been trying to. Gal Gadot attempted to spread a little positivity by roping in her famous friends for a video version of “Imagine”, which didn’t exactly go down too well. More successfully, a whole host of famous folk (including actors Jack Black, Jason Segel, Awkwafina and co-organiser Lady Gaga) will be taking part in the One World: Together At Home event on April 18, while there have been several lesser but equally welcome happenings, including the reunion of the screen band The Wonders from Tom Hanks’ directorial debut, That Thing You Do, and Alec Baldwin’s joining in the recent Australian-produced live read of the play Orphans. Pierce Brosnan will be participating in a social media watch along of his debut James Bond movie Goldeneye on April 19.
Matthew McConaughey, meanwhile, has been one of the busiest celebs of all, releasing a collection of alternately very serious and very funny Public Service style videos filled with information about COVID-19. “We are at war with a virus,” he says in one. “And health care workers and first responders are on the frontline fighting it every day. Let’s join the fight by staying home. Staying home is not a retreat. It’s the most brave and aggressive weapon we have against this enemy ‘cause when we do stay at home, we help prevent overwhelming our hospitals while buying time for our scientists to find a vaccine.” In another, he offers up a technique for creating a bandit-style face mask for those without proper PPE. McConaughey has also donated 80,000 surgical masks to medical professionals, and hilariously engaged in an online bingo call for a group of senior citizens.
This is exactly what the world’s entertainers need to be doing, rather than complaining about the horrors of being holed up in their mansions. Singers should be doing free livestreams of concerts from their lounge rooms, and actors, actresses and directors should be doing the same kind of thing. How about getting together virtually for a live commentary over one of their films? Mmmm, could someone corral the cast of The Mighty Ducks? What are all of those kids up to now? Or how about indulging in lengthy Q&A sessions with their fans? Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Jennifer Lawrence, and anyone that’s ever been in a Marvel movie…the world needs to have a chat with you! What about actors staging live reads of their favourite plays and poems from their homes, like the legendary Sam Neill has been doing to much online applause? There is so much that the famous film folk of the world could be doing right now to help keep the rest of us entertained. After all, that’s where their strengths lie…and not in sitting around and complaining.
If you liked this story, check out our features on the response to Gal Gadot’s “Imagine” video; movies to freak you out during self-isolation; and movies to make you feel better while in isolation.
