The only mainstream celebrity that I can remember saying something significantly different from their studio, was Ed Asner. And he paid for it. Everyone else I see is just performing as a tentacle of their corporate sponsors.
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The point, AIUI, is not to shutdown Wholefoods.
The point, again AIUI, is to point out the yawning gulf between resources and responsibility. Bezos could standdown every person employed across his galaxy of companies, give them each over $100,000 to stay home, and still be able to afford to buy the most expensive house in the world. All without dipping into any of his companys’ coffers.
Yet the company’s expectation is that employees should take responsibility for cross levelling amongst themselves to use up available leave balances (and, in the process, gift the company a massive windfall in terms of reduced future liability.)
I mean, maybe that would make sense if the company offered 8-10 paid weeks off per year. But what is the typical leave entitlement in the US - 2 weeks? And they’re supposed to just give some of that meagre entitlement away?
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I didn’t think the video was that bad. It’s the thought that counts. And also, John Lennon was sitting in his pajamas at The Dakota when he wrote the song, so the hypocrisy knows no end.
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People really will find anything to whine about these days. And yes, I think it’s whining, to castigate celebrities – many of whom are involved in many charitable causes – because they had the gall, the GALL, to sing Imagine. Give me a goddamn break. People need to learn how to focus their energies, instead of just getting into a tizzy about everything. When everything sets you off, I don’t think that’s actually very empowering when it comes to getting things done that concern the most pressing issues of our time. Celebrities singing Imagine? That ain’t it.
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No, Lennon was always an arse.
As well as the failings of his personal life (e.g. shitty dad, violently abusive husband), he also stayed publicly apolitical until very late in the game. And when he finally did make a political song, it was a piece of left-punching liberal trash that pissed off Nina Simone enough that she wrote a response song to it.
And now we got a revolution
Cause I see the face of things to come
Yeah, your Constitution
Well, my friend, its gonna have to bend
I’m here to tell you about destruction
Of all the evil that will have to end.
Some folks are gonna get the notion
I know they’ll say I’m preachin hate
but if I have to swim the ocean
well I would just to communicate
it’s not as simple as talkin jive
the daily struggle just to stay alive
Singin about a revolution
because we’re talkin about a change
it’s more than just evolution
well you know you got to clean your brain
the only way that we can stand in fact
is when you get your foot off our back
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But it’s people being angry on twitter! That’s rally important to take srsly.
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We’re just in the wrong timeline.
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Sounds more like twitter being super catty than an epic fail on the part of the celebrities.
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I agree that it’s kinda tone deaf, but honestly, that’s why I appreciate it. So many of us feel helpless and have no idea what to do. I found the video oddly humanizing, because it’s a bunch of celebrities whose job is typically to star in movies that distract us from our stresses. I think they were trying to do the same here. Yes, it was probably a bad idea, but it’s also a reminder that we’re ALL pretty clueless in times of crisis.
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Who the frick “DEPENDS” on whole foods to get Food.
More honestly people ‘depend’ on walmart more so than whole foods.
In rual america the Walmart probably the only choice. And in fact that’s a good thing, because before walmart there was NOTHING. except some season fruit stands (which are still there BTW) . People would drive 14 or more miles to get the nearest PIggly Wiggly once a month. Trust me Whole Foods wasn’t filling a need to bring food access to the underserved urban market. Well, unless you count a 5 dollar a pound potatoes and sushi counter with to go packs as ‘under served’
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I used whole foods on wednesday when safeway (which is marginally closer) couldn’t get its act together and was almost devoid of produce.
it’s just a grocery store. it doesn’t cater just to the rich, or the hoity toity. Provided you don’t eat meat, it’s often cheaper.
If I’m going to walk two miles down to the grocery store, it’ll be to Wegman’s-- not to the Walmart in the opposite direction. And preferably to a store which isn’t persistently out of things.
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The should have sung Isolation. Excellent Plastic Ono Band song.
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I was going to post a link to “All by myself” by Eric Carmen (oddly, I always thought it was Harry Nilsson); but, after a quick listen, I figured it was appropriate but far too depressing.
Maybe I shouldn’t have watched the latest Tabletop Minions’ video this morning. Listening to Uncle Atom talking about the virus really bummed me out.
Here instead, kind of unrelated, but, I think, uplifting, is “Carry On My Wayward Son” by Leo Moracchioli and Truls Haugen.
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People (like me) who don’t own cars, for whom (like for me) Whole Foods is the only supermarket within easy walking distance, and who (like me) are trying not to stress delivery grocery delivery systems more than necessary since they may be the only systems by which at-risk people can safely get groceries.
I get your point, but it’s an overgeneralization.
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Starts at ~1:25 
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I can’t help but think that if Bloomberg had spent that half a billion helping people rather than flooding the country with ads and buying out influencers, he’d be the leading candidate now. Not only was it a vanity campaign, it was maybe among the most incompetent campaign I’ve seen by someone who has some manner of reputation as being smart.
He’s the political equivalent to George Lucas and the Star Wars prequels.
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