Over the past few weeks and months it has become increasingly apparent that COVID-19 doesn’t discriminate. It doesn’t matter whether you’re rich or poor, where you’re from, or what you do, we’re all at risk of contracting it. The reality of coronavirus is something Madonna attempted to convey to her 14.9M Instagram followers, but sadly, backfired – badly.
In a series of Instagram stories, Madonna – soaking in a rather boujee-looking bath of petals and flowers – told her fans, “That’s the thing about COVID-19, it doesn’t care about how rich you are or 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. It’s the great equalizer.”
“What’s terrible about it is what’s great about it. What’s terrible about it is it’s made us all equal in many ways and what’s wonderful about it is it’s made us all equal in many ways. Like I used to say at the end of human nature every night, we’re all in the same boat. If the ship goes down, we’re all going down together.”
Madonna is right – coronavirus is having a devastating effect on life as we know it, but it’s forcing us to see each other as equals. However, fans were quick to point out how little she was recognising her own privilege – and the fancy bath didn’t help, either.
One fan commented, “if the ship is going down, do you really think we’re going down together while you’re in your bathtub having people working for you to be there?” and another wrote, “I love you, my queen. But things outside your mansion are very different from what you think. Stay safe and be a little more empathetic to the less privileged ones.”
“Sorry my queen, love you so much, but we’re not equal,” a fan pointed out. “We can die from the same diseases, but the poor will suffer the most. Do not romanticise nothing of this tragedy.”
Hear about how people are turning isolation into a positive experience below:
Yikes. Madonna is yet to respond to the backlash and who knows if she ever will from the coronavirus-free comfort of her petal bath. If anything, it’s a reminder to have some perspective.
Always be in the loop with our snackable podcast breaking the biggest story of the day. Subscribe to It’s Been A Big Day For… on your favourite podcast app.