Who is popular today?

The wealthy and the powerful are counting on us not paying attention. They’re looking out for their own while we are left on a sinking ship
Celebrities have always been the symmetrical, smiling face of wealth inequality. Their role in modern life is as paradoxical as trickle-down economics: to be preternaturally charming and attractive, but also relatable and attainably aspirational. We speak of “liking” one celebrity and “disliking” another on the basis of the professionally calibrated personas they beam out to us as sincerity. We enjoy their work – their acting, their singing, their athleticism – and we cheer on their successes. They are purveyors of a great American myth: that there is such a thing as “well-earned” luxury, or a “deserving” millionaire.
And in America, fame doesn’t just make you rich: it makes you a role model. So it makes sense that over the past, terrifying week – a week which has set the foundation of modern life shaking like the San Andreas fault – we have seen a slew of beloved celebrities solemnly, dutifully announcing that they have received a positive test result for Covid-19. Idris Elba, Tom Hanks, Kevin Durant, Daniel Dae Kim. Many of these celebrities, including the entire roster of the Brooklyn Nets, were tested on the basis of their potentially having been in contact with a confirmed infected person; many, including Elba, were asymptomatic. Continue reading...