Britney Spears calls for wealth redistribution amid coronavirus crisis, fans wonder if she embraced socialism
As the world continues to remain on lockdown and celebrities continue to use their social media to entertain, inspire and make direct donations to those in need, one pop diva is using her time in self-quarantine to spread joy, positivity and...socialism?
Britney Spears has been consistently uploading posts to bring some light into people's days. This has ranged from shots of the singer doing yoga by the beach to images from the animated movie, 'Alice in Wonderland', as well as short clips from photoshoots she did last year, including lighthearted captions about her changing color preferences: "This was done 10 months ago …. oh how time flies !!!! Red used to be my favorite color but now with pink involved ….. I think hot pink may be my new favorite!!!! Just something to brighten your day !!!!"
Over the last 24 hours, Spears has been posting much more frequently than usual. One shot of the setting sun includes the caption, "Look up we’re all under the same sky ... !!!" and in a video she uploaded she says, "During this time of quarantine I hope you all are being strong and lifting each other up. My prayer is with you."
Spears also put up a selfie with the caption, "Today we should reflect on the positive things in life !!!! So many of us get stir crazy about what’s going on and although I don’t have all the answers .…. I do know how to try to stay strong and positive and show courage !!!!! Keep your heads up my friends !!!!!" and shared a personal workout record: "Ran my first 5 !!!! Getting over your fear of pushing it in the beginning is key …. once I did that I hit 5 !!!!! Usually I run 6 or 7 …. my first try was 9 …. and now I did it whoop !!!!! 100 meter dash !!!!!"
The pop diva's posts have been getting fans to share their own positive messages of support. But the singer did raise some eyebrows with one she shared a few days ago which caused many to wonder whether Spears was, in fact, a socialist at heart - or maybe even a communist.
The post in question featured a quote that reads, "During this time of isolation, we need connection now more than ever. Call your loved ones, write virtual love letters. Technologies like virtual communication, streaming and broadcasting are part of our community collaboration. We will learn to kiss and hold each other through the waves of the web."
The quote thus far seems innocent enough in its call for community and togetherness during a time of isolation. But it continues, "We will feed each other, redistribute the wealth, strike."
The idea of social reorganization that involves having the means of production, distribution and exchange be owned and regulated by a community as a whole is the basis of socialism, while communism takes this a step further by stating all property must be owned by the community with each member contributing and receiving based on their individual abilities and needs. So in calling for wealth redistribution and community reorganization, the star is definitely implying, at least to some extent, that she might lean towards socialist ideals.
The quote concludes with more calls for togetherness, stating "We will understand our own importance from the places we must stay. Communion goes beyond walls. We can still be together."
Mimi Zhu, the queer Chinese-Australian writer, who is author of the quote, says she was stunned that the star resonated with her work. Speaking about the quote itself, she said, "I wrote this with the intention of — honestly writing it for myself and my communities, because we are in such a time of confusion, disconnect, and despair that I felt it really important and necessary to write about that for my own sanity and mental health. To talk about togetherness, and to talk about how we are going to cope with all the ongoing shifts. At least in New York, all of my friends got pretty much laid off [due to coronavirus shutdowns]. A lot of people are stressing about rent, basic necessities, and how to live and just kind of carrying all that."
She continued, "With all that anxiety and confusion I knew I had to write what I wrote, and there were definitely socialist undertones, because in general that is what I do believe in. I really just wanted to write out a message of connection and tenderness during this really chaotic time."
She also added, "...the fact that Britney Spears — somebody whose position and path in life is so different to mine, and yet I have connected to her as a child — I thought that was a really interesting connection between the two of us, the fact that she resonated with something I wrote, while in my childhood I resonated with some things she has done."