Kim Kardashian, Pharrell Williams slammed for 'self-serving' coronavirus posts: 'I’m so tired of celebs'
When rapper Pharrell Williams took to Twitter to appeal to his fans to donate for the cause of COVID-19, he probably did not expect the backlash he was going to receive.
In a tweet, the rapper and music producer shared with his 12 million followers saying, "Hospitals are running low on masks, gowns, and other critical items. We need to replenish their supplies. Take action, make a donation, and ask others to join the fight. We're in this together. Let's protect the responders on the frontlines," adding the link to a GoFundMe page.
By this time, Twitter was having none of it. At a time when thousands of people across the United States and the world over have been laid off their jobs across sectors, Twitterati found it absurd that the producer with millions in his account would seek donations online. "Imagine asking the people who most likely are being laid off right now, to donate, while you could just get your fellow celebs to raise money," tweeted one. "We’re being laid off & can’t pay our bills but thanks for asking," added another.
"I’m so tired of celebs tbfh," sighed a user. Several fans pointed out to his wealth - which is said to be as high as $150 million - and demanded they know how much he donated before he asked them to put in their money. "You’re worth over $150 million, donate your own money."
The rapper lives in a mansion in Beverly Hills, California, worth $16.95 million - an amount that most people don't even make in their entire lives.
Pharrell's appeal brought graver issues to the forefront as celebrities flocked their Beverly Hills doctors' clinics and got themselves tested for COVID-19 when there weren't enough tests for the rest of the country and people couldn't even ask to get tested unless they were resigned to their death beds.
The music producer was not the only one who was slammed for seeking donations online. Reality television star and beauty magnate Kim Kardashian West took to Twitter to announce that her shapewear brand SKIMS would be donating $1 million to families in need promoting the sale of her restock. "With this restock, SKIMS will be able to help bring relief to those affected by COVID-19 by committing to donate $1M to families in need."
To this, a Twitter user commented, saying, "This feels very self-serving given the suffering millions of real victims are facing right now." It could also be found distressing that the reality star, who is in the midst of promoting her 'Oxygen' documentary 'Kim Kardashian West: The Justice Project' that focuses on mass incarceration in the country, wouldn't address it directly. "People... in...prisons... people are dying in prisons. stop advertising your oxygen show about “mass incarceration” if you aren’t also helping people in prison right now dealing with #COVID19."
The lack of sensitization by celebrities suggests a detachment from reality and has got people exhausted. "Can celebrities also quarantine from twitter? Don’t they have like a WhatsApp chat made from rich celebrities that they can share these links to???" The class difference points to their apathy that is now getting to Americans. "how about instead of asking working-class people (who are currently suffering from mass unemployment) you, the wealthy individual, take action by donating your money :) y'all want people in poverty to help those in poverty when you won't even do the same," remarked another angry user.