Celebrities have been inconsiderately hosting parties and disregarding the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, so they deserve to face consequences like having their utilities shut off.
On Nov. 12, The New York Times reported that California now has more than 1 million coronavirus cases with the average daily cases going up by 43% across the country according to the CDC.
Many celebrities who have been disregarding CDC guidelines are privileged influencers who believe that testing negative for the virus gives them a pass to gather without social distancing or wearing a face mask.
According to an Aug. 20 Vanity Fair article, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti authorized the Department of Water and Power to shut off utilities to those who violate the Los Angeles Department of Public Health’s order on large gatherings.
On August 4, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health issued an order that prohibits gatherings, including parties, during the coronavirus pandemic.
Fears regarding whether turning off power and water are rising, but according to an Aug. 3 article by the Los Angeles Times, the Los Angeles Police Department said that there had been an uncontrollable amount of calls about large gatherings in the Hollywood Hills.
According to the same article by Vanity Fair, one of those large gatherings was held by TikTok influencer Bryce Hall, after throwing his 21st birthday party at his mansion.
Vanity Fair said that after disobeying the city’s previous warnings to the public, Hall had his power and water shut off by the city of Los Angeles after multiple neighbors filed noise complaints because of parties.
On Aug. 15, Business Insider reported that more than 100 maskless people attended Hall’s party, which was shut down by LAPD later that night.
Influencers’ complete disregard for safety guidelines makes it clear that shutting down their utilities to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is a necessary step.
In situations where high-profile celebrities, such as the Kardashians and Jenners, have the privilege to host large gatherings without any real consequences, it seems unfair to other Los Angeles residents who have had their utilities shut down by the city.
Model Kendall Jenner joined the list of reckless celebrities when she hosted her Halloween-themed birthday party on
Oct. 31 at Harriet’s Rooftop, a hotel bar in West Hollywood.
The party was filled with other famous celebrities including Jenner’s sister, Kylie Jenner, singer The Weeknd, rapper Saweetie and singer Doja Cat.
All of which were seen disobeying face covering and social distancing protocols.
Kris Jenner, Kylie and Kendall’s mother, clarified in a Nov. 2 interview on Radio Andy, a radio show by talk show host Andy Cohen, that people had to test negative for COVID-19 before entering the event saying, “They had to wait a half an hour until the results were in. And everybody was tested before, a few days before Halloween.”
This doesn’t stop the concern about why it seemed like Kendall Jenner tried to hide that the party was even happening during a global pandemic.
According to a Nov. 2 Los Angeles Times article, signs around the party directed attendees to take as many photos as they want as long as they didn’t post the images on their social media accounts.
It seems oddly suspicious that a high-profile celebrity, like Jenner, would put up signs telling people not to post on social media and try to hide that they would be throwing a big birthday party with about 100 people.
Even though Jenner’s guests were tested for COVID-19, breaking rules that ordinary citizens have to abide by is an act of selfishness and should be shut down by the LAPD.
On Oct. 27, Jenner’s sister, Kim Kardashian West, who tested positive for COVID-19 in March, also received criticism for her birthday party that was on a private island. Supposedly everyone who went was tested for COVID-19 and received negative results.
It’s hard to believe if a negative test result, without social distancing or mask-wearing, is the only thing that should be considered when throwing a large party.
According to an Oct 28. BBC News article, Twitter user @FedonRebel said, “This is so grotesque. The rich can pretend to be normal on a private island. Actual normal people are canceling their Thanksgiving and Christmas.”
Kardashian West acknowledged her level of privilege and has addressed how bad it might look to people during an ongoing pandemic, but she has yet to apologize for breaking protocols.
In an Oct. 27 Twitter post, Kardashian West wrote, “In moments like these, I am humbly reminded of how privileged my life is.”
High-profile celebrities, who are hosting parties, should follow health guidelines and face the consequences when they don’t follow them.
In order to keep the state of California from having rising COVID-19 cases every day, celebrities and influencers should continue to follow CDC guidelines like everyone else by wearing masks, social distancing, and avoiding large gatherings.
