Madonna posts video calling coronavirus "the great equalizer" from a bathtub filled with rose petals
Madonna is facing backlash online after she posted a video to Instagram calling the coronavirus "the great equalizer," while sitting in a bathtub filled with rose petals and surrounded by candles. The clip garnered criticism from some, who accused her of being "out of touch."
"That's the thing about COVID-19," Madonna said in the video posted Sunday. "It doesn't care about how rich you are, how famous you are, how funny you are, how smart you are, where you live, how old you are, what amazing stories you can tell."
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"It's the great equalizer and what's terrible about it is what's great about it," she continued. "What's terrible about is it's made us all equal in many ways and what's wonderful about it is that it's made us all equal in many ways ... We're all in the same boat. And if the ship goes down, we're all going down together."
The video immediately prompted criticism from followers, who accused the star of being disconnected from the reality many across the world are dealing with amid the coronavirus pandemic.
"I love you, but this is just dumb.You come across as uneducated and painfully out of touch," wrote blogger Perez Hilton. "The rich have more resources and access to help than an average person affected with coronavirus ... No, not everyone is equal here, Madonna!"
"Except it's not equal. Except we see people with a lot of money and fame able to get tested very quickly," wrote user @shamey_ames. "Hollywood stars and NBA players MLB players etc while the rest of the normies struggle. While the medical field struggles."
Some Instagram users also criticized the video itself, commenting on the location she chose to film the video. "This points out that we are not the same!!" wrote user @lesroc. "I'm sure everyone has a beautiful bathroom with a tub full of luxurious flowers and oils in it. Wrong place and weird to do a message like that!"
While people around the world are all susceptible to contracting the disease, some may not be impacted by the pandemic in the same way as others. Some workers are able to work from home and collect a paycheck. Other workers, most in moderately and low-paying hourly jobs offering few benefits, have lost their gigs or received reduced hours due to the outbreak.
David Williams, a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health, told "CBS Sunday Morning" there are also fears that some will be less likely to receive the care and equipment they need as the pandemic continues.
"What we fear will happen, what is most likely to happen, is that persons who are poor, persons who are racial or ethnic minorities, are less likely to get ventilators than those who are wealthy and well-connected," Williams said, speaking of the United States specifically. "And what makes it even more challenging is that the disadvantaged groups we have just talked about, they are the ones who begin this process being more vulnerable."