The coronavirus has also unlocked places we
never expected to go, like Selena Gomez’s
bathroom and inside Broadway star Adrienne
Warren’s bathtub. We’ve gotten to inspect Rosie
O’Donnell’s messy garage/art studio.
Theater icon Patti LuPone was taking part in a
livestreamed benefit led by O’Donnell when
theater fans grew enchanted by something
they’d never seen before: Lupone’s cool
basement. They could see a colorful, light-up
vintage jukebox and a wall rack stacked with
cassette tapes.
So LuPone leaned into the interest, later making
little video tours on Twitter that include her
subterranean one-armed bandit, a massage
table, mementos, her desk and a pinball
machine. “I have so much to show you,” she says.
Yuval Ben-Itzhak, the CEO of Socialbakers, a
social media marketing company, has noticed
the trend and encourages it. He suspects fans
will reward the more honest of celebrities at the
other end of this crisis.
“By giving their audience a glimpse into their
lives — from showing their homes, their families
or themselves looking casual, like people
typically do at home — celebrities are likely to
actually increase their engagement,” Ben-Itzhak
says. “Users seem to really engage with natural,
authentic-looking content, especially right now.
It gives a feeling of ‘We’re all in this together.’”
We may be all in this together, but we’re not
equal. After all, celebs may be just like us, except
they’re usually much richer. The new intimate
view we have of the famous reveals a chasm:
Bieber’s living room is large enough to fit several
regular living rooms. Not everyone can self-
isolate on a yacht.