"REALLY ROUGHING IT"
A spoof video of celebrities in quarantine made by a now-out-of-work Louisiana wedding photographer has attracted more than 12 million views in a week. Dalton Smiley, 20, said the video was inspired by celebrities posting about how bored they were.
"We are really roughing it out here. The bowling alley broke on Sunday, the ice-skating rink melted and we can't get anyone to fix it," Smiley says in the video, posing in a pool and drinking a cocktail.
"I don't think they are necessarily doing it to have a pity party. They are trying to be relatable," Smiley told Reuters. "But most of America is really struggling on how to pay the rent and get food on the table."
Sehdev said celebrities received the best reception when they stuck to messages that urged people to follow official and scientific guidelines, or shared personal stories in an authentic way, like when actors Tom Hanks and Idris Elba announced they had the virus.
Some are going further. Swift and fellow pop star Ariana Grande have quietly handed out thousands of dollars to fans in dire straits. R&B singer Lizzo donated lunches to hospitals to thank medical staff for their work.
Rihanna and Jay-Z donated $2 million to help undocumented workers, the children of health workers and first responders, and the homeless. Rihanna's foundation donated a further $5 million to a range of relief efforts.
And Americans found perhaps their most unlikely coronavirus celebrity cheerleader in pop star Britney Spears, who last week re-posted a message calling for the redistribution of wealth and for workers to support each other.
