COVID-19 has, at least temporarily, changed the way the world operates. With a jettisoning of the frivolous in the face of uncertainty, has celebrity culture been rendered obsolete at such a serious time? 

There is something oddly refreshing about fear. It clears the mind of chaos and noise, focusing on what matters at the moment. However, when fear becomes a reality and not just a temporary obstacle, such as in our COVID-19 affected world, humans have to learn to navigate their fear and craft a new normal to prevent it from overpowering them. Though many are rightly choosing preparedness, planning, and preventative steps to alleviate panic, it’s undeniable that the current pandemic has altered how we go about our lives and subsequently the things that are important to us. One area of society that has been cast in a particularly negative light is celebrity culture. With the world in crisis, death counts rising, the economy at a standstill, and millions of jobs on hiatus, people have very real concerns to contend with. Does the vacuous realm of celebrity have a place in this new world we are living in?

The COVID-19 pandemic has aided in shining a light on just how frivolous, useless, and empty a lot of celebrity culture is. Certainly, there are wealthy and famous people who have donated money to different efforts to aid in the pandemic, but the majority of celebrities on social media show a different narrative. Although COVID-19 is affecting the entire world, celebrities seem to be taking it personally, lamenting the vacations they can’t go on as they quarantine from inside their luxurious mansions and dictate to their millions of followers not to go outside. It is becoming more and more evident just how out-of-touch with the world celebrities are, as many continue to still post topless photos and bikini shoots on their social channels as they complain about quarantine boredom and beg for attention and entertainment while others in the world fight to save lives and keep their own. The emptiness of celebrity vanity is truly being highlighted by their pandemic responses, and the world is not reacting with the same sycophantic admiration, as it becomes clear just how tedious, dull, and uninspiring endless narcissism truly is.

With fame and money often comes ego, and many rich and famous people don’t seem to grasp that just because they have platforms doesn’t mean they have relevant knowledge or expertise. Though it is beneficial to educate people on precautionary measures and share such messages, many celebrities can’t resist inserting their own opinions and adapting a preaching tone. When they sermonize that all people need to stay inside, they are failing to consider that not everyone has the luxury of doing so, as many have jobs that they must still attend, as well as families that they need to provide and care for. It also seems insulting that celebrities, who travel far more than the average person, are now preaching for everyone to stay in place as though they have the authority to do so. Now, more than ever, the people who are making a difference in the world are instead claiming our attention and earning our admiration as they should have been all along. In contrast to empty words from people cooped up in mansions, the gallant first responders, doctors, and scientists who are risking their lives to tend to patients and search for treatments are standing out. People are finally starting to see the parties that make a difference, and they are growing tired of those that have nothing real to add.

When you watch Vanessa Hudgens rant about the “bullshit” quarantine measures because she’s angry she can’t go on vacation and that Coachella is postponed, it’s easy to marvel at just how far removed celebrities are from the lives of average people. Despite the hoards of sick people failing to receive testing kits, plenty of celebrities seem to have been able to get tested without showing any symptoms. Yet, such rants and revelations shouldn’t be shocking. Celebrities live in the same world as everyone else only in the physical sense. We can’t diminish the fact that everyone has his or her hardships and demons to contend with, but it is undeniable that celebrities lead very different lives than us average people. When they become so enamored in their worlds of excess, wealth, clout chasing, and mass adoration, it can become impossible to see the world for how it is. However, such lavish lifestyles do little to inspire people who are out of toilet paper, out of work, worrying about their families, and facing the future with grave uncertainty. Celebrities need to get a grip and realize that there are worse things than spending two weeks in a private mansion.

To be fair, the category of “celebrity” is wide, and increasingly growing wider as influencers are made (and canceled) overnight these days. Not all celebrities offer nothing but bikini photos and empty words since many are involved in a myriad of entertaining and inspiring creative projects, as well as charities and educational ventures. Being a celebrity in no way dictates that one is corrupt, nor should having luxuries denote demonization. Rather than judge people by their social status or whether or not they have a blue check, people should be evaluated on their overall consideration and contribution. Not everyone is going to save the world, and that’s fine, but it’s high time we start rewarding the people who are trying to and shift our attention away from those who are selling nothing more than diet teas and haircare gummies. With media saturating society from all angles, it’s impossible to escape the glamorous veil that celebrity culture needs us to believe in, but if this pandemic can teach us anything, it’s to take things at face value and consider the greater good of society and not just the superficial self.

Overall, I don’t believe that celebrity culture can truly die out at this point, though I do believe it will take a hit. Millions of followers aren’t going to disappear overnight, especially since many of the numbers come from younger generations who aren’t even taking the pandemic seriously in the first place. However, I do think that the pandemic has highlighted just how little many celebrities have to offer the general public and just how much more qualified professionals provide. Celebrities have certainly lost some of their luster, and with the economy receiving a powerful blow, people all over will certainly hesitate before buying back into consumerism and product placement fueled social media. Eventually, the world will settle back, and many will rush to recreate the past in hopes of having a more certain future, but the truths we have learned during these trying times should not be so quickly forgotten.