These last few weeks have been full of reminders of how the pandemic upended our lives one year ago.
But today also marks another grim anniversary: Gal Gadot's celebrity rendition of John Lennon's Imagine, which released on March 18, 2020.
It remains horrible.
The baffling, off-key vocal relay of 25 actors, singers and television presenters – including the talented Mark Ruffalo and Will Ferrell, who really should have known better – was not the anthem we wanted.
But it gave us the insight we needed.
While the world tried to shut its ears to all the unpleasantness, the D-grade cover of Imagine opened our eyes to our own relationship with celebrity culture.
It turns out, in the face of a global pandemic that has killed more than two million people, robbed livelihoods and separated loved ones, we couldn’t care less what Wonder Woman and The Hulk were singing about.
It all went downhill from there
The rippling effects of the car crash cover coursed throughout 2020 and ultimately laid bare Hollywood’s worst secret: that celebrities are, in fact, not like the rest of us.
Before “we are all in this together” became the mantra of Covid-19, the message from A-listers was that, despite the glitz and glamour of their everyday lives, they were “just like us”.
For the most part, the public played along with the charade.
We got used to hearing about their private jets, fancy getaways and quiet family nights in sprawling mansions, as long as we maintained unfettered access to their daily lives, one post at the time.
The pandemic suddenly tore that apart.
In times of strife, what we need from the glitterati is a sense of community and connection, not aspiration and attention.
Many stars failed in that transition. They simply don’t know how.
Imagine was the first example of tin-eared attempts at connection, followed days later, on March 23, by Madonna's bizarre video in which she declared Covid-19 as "the great equaliser", while luxuriating in a petal-filled bathtub.
That negative reaction should have raised alarm bells for singer Lady Gaga when organising the One World: Together at Home benefit concert in April.
Over the course of the epic six-hour live broadcast, the noble intentions behind the event were overshadowed by the hilarious unawareness of some celebrities, many of whom crooned songs of resilience from ritzy abodes featuring mammoth backyards (Jennifer Lopez), indoor slides (Jimmy Fallon) and Maluma's mountaintop terrace.
At least the UAE's very own Hussain Al Jassmi, the only Arab artist on the bill, had the decency to pare things down by performing from a sparsely furnished room.
Infamous holidays by Kim Kardashian and Dua Lipa
Public reaction increasingly hardened as 2020 went on.
The more we understood the destructive scale of Covid-19, the less patience was afforded to celebrity missteps.
Even before the allegations of her toxic work environment, talk show host Ellen DeGeneres elicited derision when comparing working from her $15 million Regency-style Hollywood mansion as akin to a prison.
Then there was the backlash in October against Kim Kardashian for posting photos of her 40th birthday party, in which she flew family and friends to Tahiti for a private shindig.
“Forty and feeling so humbled and blessed,” she said in a celebratory post.
At least Kardashian wasn't accused of being a hypocrite. That insult was instead lobbed at recent Grammy Award-winner Dua Lipa.
The British pop star was dragged through the mud online in January after posting mask-less pictures of her with friends during a holiday in Mexico. This was nine months after imploring fans online to “stay at home”.
Social media winners
While the fast and furious nature of social media may make certain celebrities feel like they can’t win, other personalities have shown us how it’s done.
A year ago this week, Oscar-winner Tom Hanks used his platform to inform the public that he and wife, Rita Wilson, had tested positive for Covid-19.
“We have Covid-19 and are in isolation so we do not spread it to anyone else,” he said.
“There are those for whom it could lead to a very serious illness. We are taking it one day at a time.”
In retrospect, the social media post was worth hundreds of public safety announcements.
Paired with a plain image of the clearly fatigued couple, the straightforward message was devoid of the histrionics their other peers could have been tempted to use.
Hanks and Wilson illustrated how the pandemic played no favourites and US officials praised their disclosure for raising awareness surrounding the virus.
With no meet-and-greets and projects to plug, other celebrities won us over by simply being their natural selves.
Regal British actors Judi Dench and Anthony Hopkins, for example, used their time at their respective homes with family to launch viral TikTok accounts showcasing their dance moves. The former became adept at the shuffle, while good old Hannibal Lecter showed off a mean Toosie Slide.
Then there is the queen of charm herself, country singer Dolly Parton, who launched her Goodnight with Dolly YouTube series, on which she reads children's bedtime stories.
Musicians also found a way to resonate with their fan base despite the lack of gigs.
Sophie Ellis-Bextor garnered a cult following with her Kitchen Disco concerts on Instagram, where she performs her hits and covers in fancy dress from home.
Liam Gallagher winningly reminded us to constantly wash our hands with Wonderwash and Soapersonic, hilarious reworkings of Oasis hits Wonderwall and Supersonic.
These are just a few examples of the connections we crave from those in the limelight.
They don’t have to be demonstrations and affirmations of empathy. Sometimes, that little bit of honesty and fun is all that’s needed to move us.
One year later, let’s hope Gadot and cohorts have learnt from some of these observations.
Upon doing so, they would have made good headway in fulfilling Imagine's final plea: "I hope someday you'll join us, and the world will be as one."
Fund-raising tips for start-ups
Develop an innovative business concept
Have the ability to differentiate yourself from competitors
Put in place a business continuity plan after Covid-19
Prepare for the worst-case scenario (further lockdowns, long wait for a vaccine, etc.)
Have enough cash to stay afloat for the next 12 to 18 months
Be creative and innovative to reduce expenses
Be prepared to use Covid-19 as an opportunity for your business
* Tips from Jassim Al Marzooqi and Walid Hanna
Bookshops: A Reader's History by Jorge Carrión (translated from the Spanish by Peter Bush),
Biblioasis
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
The Bio
Favourite vegetable: “I really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.”
Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”
Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”
Musician: “I like very much Fairuz, the Lebanese singer, and the other is Umm Kulthum. Fairuz is for listening to in the morning, Umm Kulthum for the night.”
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
Our legal advisor
Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.
Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
What is a calorie?
A food calorie, or kilocalorie, is a measure of nutritional energy generated from what is consumed.
One calorie, is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water by 1°C.
A kilocalorie represents a 1,000 true calories of energy.
Energy density figures are often quoted as calories per serving, with one gram of fat in food containing nine calories, and a gram of protein or carbohydrate providing about four.
Alcohol contains about seven calories a gram.
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Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
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Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
Previous men's records
- 2:01:39: Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) on 16/9/19 in Berlin
- 2:02:57: Dennis Kimetto (KEN) on 28/09/2014 in Berlin
- 2:03:23: Wilson Kipsang (KEN) on 29/09/2013 in Berlin
- 2:03:38: Patrick Makau (KEN) on 25/09/2011 in Berlin
- 2:03:59: Haile Gebreselassie (ETH) on 28/09/2008 in Berlin
- 2:04:26: Haile Gebreselassie (ETH) on 30/09/2007 in Berlin
- 2:04:55: Paul Tergat (KEN) on 28/09/2003 in Berlin
- 2:05:38: Khalid Khannouchi (USA) 14/04/2002 in London
- 2:05:42: Khalid Khannouchi (USA) 24/10/1999 in Chicago
- 2:06:05: Ronaldo da Costa (BRA) 20/09/1998 in Berlin
more from Janine di Giovanni
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
