The unemployment rate was 3.5 percent in 2019. One year later, the unemployment rate has increased to 6.7 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Out of every 100,000 people in the U.S., 85 people have died from COVID-19 since Jan. 21. Of the 50 states in the U.S., 36 percent of them are either under stay-at-home orders, curfews, or closed.
When the COVID-19 mandates first were put into place in Spring 2020, dependency on food stamp benefits increased for the nation from 16.8 percent to 17.9 percent between March and April. To top that, the homeless rate increased in major metropolitan cities, such as Los Angeles and New York.
There’s been a detrimental impact on the small business ecosystem, with a 10-22 percent month-over-month rise in closures depending on the industry, according to a report by CNBC. Meanwhile, major companies have suspended hiring or reduced employment activity. Many people are working remotely or have to take furlough days in order to keep businesses running.
Is it fair to say that there is a demographic of people in the U.S. who don’t have the luxury of calling this pandemic a year-long vacation? The consequences of the pandemic on the economy and public health are adverse to a booming society who would normally be concerned about spending disposable income on material possessions.
Granted some people are still able to ride the tumultuous times on the strength of EDD or PPP funds, others are not so lucky and have to find ways to hustle up finances. With that said, when celebrities or public figures take to social media to ask trivial questions such as Cardi B did when she publicly posted, “Should I spend 88k for this damn purse?” the response from people is usually on the negative side.
When people see Meek Mill drive up in a luxury vehicle to a bunch of hustling children selling water and taunt them with $20 to split among all of them while filming the degrading experience… indeed it is a slap in the face to people really going through it right now.
Some people have lost loved ones, others have lost their sanity to depression, and the ones making it, well they get the backlash of those who are upset with a corrupt system that panhandles to the wealthy and creates impossible conditions for the majority to get ahead. It’s real out here.
Ironically, when celebrities are criticized for their choices to publicly display their not so impressive moments regarding money, the celebrities resort to saying that people are jealous or envious. Uh, duh! People are hungry and celebrities have the bread (allegedly) dangling in front of their faces. Maybe teasing and testing the general consensus is a great pass time for some public figures, but people don’t forget. When it’s time for a product launch or the public figure is begging for votes and likes, don’t expect these people to support.
Ask many of the celebrities that were once on top, but let their arrogance and inability to empathize with the average person bury them into oblivion, never to be heard of again. So, is it time for celebrities and public figures to read the room and keep their money conquests to themselves — at least until the country is back on track and their fans are in a state to celebrate success with others again?
