Do you remember the video of celebrities singing John Lennon’s “Imagine” that was made to uplift people’s spirits across the world? TikTok user Ella Malarkey was not one of those people. She posted her own version of “Imagine” in response to the celebrity video. Her version is all too real in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Take a listen to her cover below.
She went on to sing about single moms who are now faced with new realities. “The daycares shut down and you can’t work from home,” she sings, “If you get sick at work you’re endangering your son.” Many people are facing this same dilemma because they still have to show up for work even if state governments are urging people to stay home. For parents who do not have any savings, Malarkey begs the question: “What’s less painful for him illness or starvation?” She threw some major shade at the celebrities who participated in the original “Imagine” cover. “While you sit and sing with working heat & plumbing and enough to eat communities are suffering and don’t find it inspiring,” she said calling them out. She finished the song saying “If you wanted unity you’d build us up to even ground so broaden your imagination or pipe the f*** down.”
People Showed Support And Shared Their Own Personal Struggles In The Comments
Malarkey’s rendition of the song hit home for many people. One TikTok user @mandy6661 talked about how she will not be able to feed her kids next week. She ran out of money and now this is her “truth.”
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Another user spoke about how she is working long shifts as a nurse. She has been emotional after risking her own life to help others.
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“Celebs aren’t in the place to preach to those less fortunate than them lol,” said TikTok user @guccy_gangg.
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Another TikTok user @its.maddo said she is done with celebrities publicizing their fears and trying to do things like sing online. She feels they can donate their money and help the cause.
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The Original Video Did Receive Some Backlash
The initial “Imagine” cover was posted by Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot. It includes celebrities like Jimmy Fallon, Will Ferrell, Zoe Kravitz, Natalie Portman, Mark Ruffalo, Sarah Silverman and Kristen Wiig singing lines to the song. It is prefaced by Gadot saying “It doesn’t matter who you are, where you’re from. We’re all in this together.”
It seemed like a general consensus about the “Imagine” cover was that celebrities should donate resources to hospitals such as ventilators, masks and gloves instead of singing on the internet.
More celebrities like Rihanna, Kylie Jenner and Justin Timberlake have donated money, meals and supplies to hospitals and charities. But, there is still more work that needs to be done in order to combat this deadly pandemic.
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Samantha Agate Samantha Agate is the Talent Guru here at Talent Recap. Her work has been featured at The Blast. Samantha graduated from Hunter College in 2019 with a degree in Media Studies and a Concentration in Journalism. When she isn't binge-watching reality television shows or binge-eating fried food, she loves hanging out with her friends and family and petting puppies.