A few weeks ago I noticed that journalist Haroon Rashid and Miss Marvel actress Mehwish Hayat were calling on Bollywood celebrities to remain silent about the devastating floods in Pakistan. The concern was that they did not acknowledge the disaster, let alone help with donations. However, Indian commentators mentioned that such actors don’t even tweet about disasters in India, while other commentators explained that doing so would lead to “anti-national” charges against the Bollywood khans in an increasingly intolerant India. While self-preservation may be the reason for their silence, the moral bankruptcy of Pakistani celebrities became apparent when they traveled to Canada for the 8th Annual HUM Awards.
While the job of celebrities is to entertain, given the obscene wealth they amass in a world fraught with economic inequality, people expect to use their vast resources and influence to draw attention to and benefit the less fortunate help to come. In fact, some on social media have criticized Pakistani celebrities for asking others for donations instead of leading by example. In addition, there is a moral concern that Pakistani celebrities are enjoying business class flights to pomp and show off in an advanced economy while millions of their fellow citizens suffer the consequences of their carbon footprint. It’s like someone making a media spectacle through lavish consumption when their peers are laid off during a recession.
In contrast, Hollywood celebrities understand that with great wealth and fame comes great responsibility. Angelina Jolie is in Pakistan, modestly dressed and mingling with the poor in a manner reminiscent of the late Princess Diana. Even Poorna Jagannathan, an American actress of Indian descent who Dr. Nalini Vishwakumar, who stars in the popular Netflix series Never Have I Ever and whose dialogue on PM Modi has been criticized, has asked her fans to donate to flood relief efforts in Pakistan. But when, despite the grim situation, our own celebrities don’t help with their presence and efforts and instead wallow in egocentricity, that speaks volumes about their moral bankruptcy.
Some may say that the celebrities left to raise funds for flood relief, but that comes across as an afterthought or a damage-control PR tactic rather than a well-thought-out plan to help the millions of Pakistanis living under the flood suffer economic and political crisis. In this regard, former Prime Minister Imran Khan also appears as a self-centered individual who puts his own ambitions ahead of the nation. In contrast, Dr. Shashi Tharoor who, while a staunch critic of the ruling BJP party, clarifies that there is no BJP or Congress on foreign policy, just unified Indian policy. Too bad Imran Khan would rather see his country on the brink than unite the people of Pakistan.
Celebrities are under pressure to stay relevant, good looking and physically fit. In doing so, some end up seeking validation from their social media cult rather than finding it within themselves. In religious language, this would be seen as a form of idolatry, obsessing over wealth, fame, and looks rather than staying grounded as a humble human being. Such a need for validation arises from a place of insecurity, and perhaps an ingrained inferiority complex that no amount of shirtless or pouting selfies can ever fix.
It’s the same inferiority complex that plagues those who are newly rich but chase eternal validation by putting others down. The behavior of BJP supporters, who are flooding Pakistani social media, downplaying Pakistan as “Bhikaristan”, indulging in racist caricatures of Muslims and Islam, flaunting their obsession with coitus and dirty language, despite India becoming the fifth largest economy, is an interesting case study in the phenomenon of the nau-daulatiya (nouveau riche).
Moreover, such people remain eternal victims as they continue to harp on the long-dead Mughal and Muslim warriors and the ancient Maurya empires, much like their Muslim counterparts who harp on musalmano ka tabnak maazi (the illustrious past of Muslims). When such people are criticized for their human rights violations, they constantly engage in whataboutism. The Hindutva Brigade’s recent social media responses to Leicester show precisely this whataboutism and victimhood, much like the Muslims diverting attention from their own shortcomings.
This brings us back to Pakistani celebrities, who are also roused when criticized for their superficial and morally bankrupt behavior at a time when their fellow citizens are being hit by flood and economic hardship. Don’t expect much from them. One can forget that they would use their immense social capital to draw attention to the plight of Ahmadis, where the most recent case is that of four students who were expelled from a school for their beliefs. And when such self-absorbed celebrities are criticized for their antics by the people of Pakistan, they probably deserve it.
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