Priyanka Chopra Dons A Designer Mask During COVID-19 And Sparks Criticism From Fans
Niharika has a passion for all things art, music, and travel and has over 4 years of experience in writing for social media. During her spare time, she likes experimenting in the kitchen, playing vide... read full bio
The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected all of us. The way we once lived life is no longer going to ever feel the same. We have learned to grow close to our near and dear ones, in addition to valuing financial stability. Many people have lost out on job opportunities during this time and celebrities too are no exceptions. The only difference being, that most of them already sit at the top of a mountain of wealth. Recently, Priyanka Chopra was one of the celebrities who received flak for her insensitive post. Here’s what went down:
Mask Off
While there are many of those who are more privileged during this pandemic, it really is upsetting to watch people make a show of their wealth during times like this. Many people criticized Priyanka’s decision to show off her designer mask at a time when a lot of others out there do not even have access to masks. The fact that doctors across the world are facing a shortage of protective gear during this time makes her decision to share the image even more appalling. Priyanka showing off her wealth marks a very tough pill to swallow— even during times of a pandemic, capitalism still rules the world. The actress had thanked the designer of the mask, Avoyer Magyan for providing her with the mask. He is a fashion designer and seems to have a liking for The Jonas Brothers.
While some do not even have access to basic surgical masks or cotton masks, some other brands and designers are making a profit out of this time of crisis. Many brands have been accused of exploiting people during this pandemic by selling designer face masks at exorbitant prices.
The Harsh Reality
While Priyanka wears a designer facemask, tribals in Chattisgarh use palm leaves as facemasks. Many have spoken out about how there are many vulnerable groups out there that do not have access to protective gear. India is a diverse country filled with many immuno-vulnerable tribal folks. Since they live amongst themselves and are not exposed to interacting with people from cities they do not have the right defenses to protect themselves from catching the virus. Unlike those of us who dwell in cities and towns, these tribal folk aren’t exposed to the concept of immunization and modern healthcare. Due to this, they are said to be extra vulnerable to getting infected during times of a plague or a global pandemic (2).
Is Celebrity Culture Taking A Step Back?
For a country that is obsessed with celebrity culture, it’s pretty interesting to consider that they are the ones who are the safest during this pandemic. After all, who else can afford sprawling gardens and large open spaced apartments? It’s weird how we feel entertained after watching a celebrity partaking in daily chores that we are already used to doing. Many celebrities are sitting within the confines of their sprawling mansions and encouraging people to social distance.
The irony is that many of those very same people can barely afford to make their rent during this time of salary cuts and job losses. The fact that this virus has left so many people across the world financially unstable is shocking. In Priyanka’s beloved husband’s country, USA, there have been numerous cases filed seeking unemployment benefits during this time. Over 30 million people in the United States have filed for this since mid-March. The entire country is facing a major crisis because of this and there has been a drastic rise in the number of positive COVID19 cases as well. Over 84,000 Americans have died due to the coronavirus and the number increases rapidly each day (3) (4).
India’s Scenario
While India has surpassed the West’s expectations at keeping the virus relatively under control, things are still dire here. This virus has been a wake-up call to so many of us. The fact that the migrant laborers are struggling to return home from the cities they shifted to have a better life is deeply disturbing. So many migrants have died due to these circumstances and recently the world was left in shock after a goods train ran over 16 migrants who were resting on the railway tracks. The migrants probably slept there because they didn’t expect trains to be running during this virus (since all modes of public transport were canceled) and were in an extreme state of exhaustion.
While a lot of celebrities out there are doing controversial things during this pandemic, there are many out there who are making positive changes and trying to actively help out in any way they can. One of them being Sonu Sood, who recently arranged for around 10 busses to transport migrant workers back from Mumbai to their hometowns in Karnataka. We can all pray and hope for the best in the upcoming days as they will truly be a challenge. Let us know your thoughts about the mask in the comment section below.
