The discussion quickly turned to the now-infamous celebrity video organized by actress Gal Gadot. In March 2020, Gadot recruited a group of Hollywood stars to record themselves singing John Lennon’s “Imagine,” a song promoting unity and a world without material possessions. The video featured a collection of A-list celebrities, including Will Ferrell, Natalie Portman, Mark Ruffalo, and Pedro Pascal.
At the time, the production was intended to inspire people enduring lockdowns and uncertainty. Instead, it quickly became a symbol of what many Americans viewed as elite detachment from reality.
The criticism was simple. While celebrities recorded messages from luxurious homes and sprawling estates, millions of ordinary Americans were facing job losses, business closures, financial hardship, and isolation from loved ones.
Many essential workers had no option to remain safely at home. Delivery drivers, grocery store employees, nurses, truck drivers, utility workers, and countless others continued reporting for duty every day despite the risks. They kept communities functioning while much of the country remained under restrictions.
Reflecting on the period, Maher argued that the constant messaging about unity failed to match the reality experienced by many Americans.
“Every time I turned on the TV, it was some version of ‘We’re all in it together,’” Maher said. “No we’re not, you f—ing a–holes.”
The blunt remark captured a frustration that resonated with many viewers who felt the burdens of the pandemic were far from evenly shared.
Maher went even further, criticizing what he described as performative displays of solidarity from celebrities and public figures who never faced the same risks as frontline workers.
He referred to many of them as “posers,” arguing that their public messaging often contrasted sharply with the comfortable circumstances in which they were living.
One of Maher’s most pointed observations came when he proposed a hypothetical solution that highlighted what he saw as the contradiction at the heart of the celebrity messaging campaign.
“If we’re really all in it together, I got an idea,” he said. “How about we take turns about who’s working for Grubhub?”
The comment struck a nerve because it cut directly to the question many Americans were asking at the time: if sacrifice was supposed to be shared, why were some people carrying nearly all the burden?
For workers delivering food, stocking shelves, transporting goods, and caring for patients, the risks were real and unavoidable. Meanwhile, many wealthy celebrities and influential figures were able to continue earning income while remaining safely isolated in luxury homes.
The disconnect wasn’t limited to Hollywood. Throughout the pandemic, numerous politicians across the country faced criticism after being caught violating restrictions that they themselves had imposed on the public. These incidents fueled growing skepticism about whether the rules were truly being applied equally.
Even some celebrities eventually acknowledged the backlash. Gadot later admitted that the “Imagine” video was “in poor taste,” an assessment shared by many critics who viewed the production as tone-deaf during a time of widespread hardship.
Looking back, Maher’s comments serve as a reminder of a debate that never fully disappeared. While political leaders, celebrities, and media personalities promoted messages of collective sacrifice, many Americans felt they were watching two completely different realities unfold.
One reality belonged to workers who showed up every day because they had no choice. The other belonged to those with the resources to retreat from public life while still lecturing others about solidarity.
Years later, Maher’s criticism has reignited discussion about that divide. For many Americans, the issue was never whether people should help one another during a crisis. The question was whether those demanding sacrifice were willing to share it themselves.
That remains a question many believe was never adequately answered.
