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Rita Ora's Coronavirus Merch Controversy

Rita Ora's Coronavirus Merch Controversy

Part of a series on COVID-19 Pandemic. [View Related Entries]

Updated Mar 25, 2020 at 05:46AM EDT by Y F.

Added Mar 24, 2020 at 12:46PM EDT by Sophie.

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About

Rita Ora's Coronavirus Merch Controversy refers to a clothing line launched by British singer-songwriter Rita Ora in partnership with the World Health Organization in March 2020, that features images of a virus with a peace sign over it. Though all the proceeds are to be donated to the World Health organization for pandemic relief efforts and the merchandise is an attempt to #StoptheSpread, many have criticized Ora for not just donating the money herself.

Origin

On March 19th, 2020, Rita Ora posted several pictures to Instagram[6] with the caption, "In case you haven’t heard, I’ve launched #StopTheSpread merch campaign[3] with and in support of @UNfoundation @WHO!!! ALL proceeds go to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund. If you want to do something about Covid-19 stay safe and clean, and Play Your Part by getting this merch and helping the cause!! Link on my stories and in my bio right now, we can do this together ❤️❤️❤️" (shown below). The post gained over 276,600 likes in five days.


THE SPREA PLAY POUR YοuR STOP PART

Spread

On March 19th, 2020, Twitter user @BeeBabs[4] retweeted @AmandaRosenberg stating "rta oa selling 'corona merch' i cant. these celebs are making me want to be around ppl" with "it's really exposing how little they understand about like….anything" (shown below, left). The tweet garnered over 1,300 likes and 140 retweets in five days. That same day, after many Twitter users criticized the merchandise Twitter user @PopCrave[5] replied saying, "RitaOra makes it clear that all the #StopTheSpread merch campaign proceeds will go to the COVID19 Solidarity Response Fund" (shown below, right). The tweet gained over 160 likes and 20 retweets in five days. Vogue[1] and PopBuzz[2] published articles on the clothing line.


Bolu Babalola @BeeBabs it's really exposing how little they understand about like.anything Amanda Rosenberg O @AmandaRosenberg · Mar 19 r*ta o*a selling "corona merch" i cant. these celebs are making me want to be around ppl. Show this thread 8:00 PM - Mar 19, 2020 · Twitter Web App Pop Crave @PopCrave .@RitaOra makes it clear that all the #StopTheSpread merch campaign proceeds will go to the COVID19 Solidarity Response Fund. Liked by warnermusic and 156,136 others ritaora In case you haven't heard, I've launched #StopTheSpread merch campaign with and in support of @UNfoundation @WHO!!! ALL proceeds go to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund. If you want to do something about Covid-19 stay safe and clean, and Play Your Part by getting this merch and helping the cause!! Link on my stories and in my bio right now, we can do this together CRAVE 11:40 PM - Mar 19, 2020 - Twitter for iPhone

Various Examples


@SUGARYDAD Rita Ora made Coronavirus merch, when I tell you how much I F------ HATE IT HERE!!! 1:08 PM - Mar 20, 2020 · Twitter for iPhone poison oakland @poison_oakland Replying to @PopCrave rich ppl make no sense, just donate the f----- money and advocate instead of making urself the middleman for attention! 10:31 PM - Mar 19, 2020 · Twitter Web App Ellie @ellhaworth Don't worry guys Rita Ora just stopped coronavirus 6:39 AM - Mar 20, 2020 · Twitter for iPhone Amanda Rosenberg @AmandaRosenberg who on earth WANTS one of these shirts?? how hard is it for celebs to stop terrorising ppl and just DONATE THEIR MONEY???? Liked by whoweekly and 122,386 others ritaora In case you haven't heard, I've launched #StopTheSpread merch campaign with and in support of @UNfoundation @WHO!!! ALL proceeds go to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund. If you want to do something about Covid-19 stay safe and clean, and Play Your Part by getting this merch and helping the cause!! Link on my stories and in my bio right now, we can do this together 8:05 PM - Mar 19, 2020 - Twitter for iPhone AG Atlantic Records UK ALAMS @AtlanticRcrdsUK Let's help #StopTheSpread ! @ritaora has teamed up with @unfoundation to help @who raise awareness on how to fight this pandemic. You can support the cause by purchasing anything from StopTheSpread.shop (all proceeds go directly to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund). SPREAD HELP FIGHT НЕ THE COVID-19 www.covid19responsefund.org KEEP AN EYE ON THE SIGNS AND CALL DON'T VISIT THE DOCTOR IF YOU THINK IT'S COVID-19. IF YOU CAN, DO MORE AND DONATE. Please share this symbol with everyone you can to create awareness around these pointers from the World Health Organization. And, of course. Any profits from the sale of this merch will be donated to: STOP THE SPREAD The UN Foundation COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the WHO. PLAY YOUR PART OUR 12:38 PM - Mar 20, 2020 · Twitter for iPhone

Search Interest

External References

[1] Vogue – Rita Ora Stop the Spread Merch

[2] PopBuzz – Rita Ora Merch

[3] Stop the Spread – Shop

[4] Twitter – BeeBabs

[5] Twitter – PopCrave

[6] Instagram – Rita Ora

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Nedhitis
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Nedhitis

OK, but who is this..? Is she actually a millionaire celebrity..? We cannot know if she can truly just donate ALL the money herself without even knowing who she is – we speak of a damn lot of money to be able to make a worldwide difference here – and that info should be somewhere on the entry, not be assumed as known or expect people to Google it when it is part of the argument at hand (not to mention that Google mainly links to sites like KYM to begin with). This says absolutely nothing about the person other than she sings. Not all singers are swimming in money; even less so these days with all concerts cancelled and their managers getting a good chunk of their revenue, which is like a tax on top of a tax.

Also, do people know for sure that she is not donating anything herself, or are they just assuming that to be the case..? Did she say anything about that..? Markiplier often rallies his fans towards charities and he always donates a lot himself, but he does not always mention it – in fact, he rarely does. Again, this does a very poor job at telling the full story and the tweet examples do not help, so all we can do is assume, which I would rather not. I am all for spoiled celebrity bashing, but show us that they truly ARE spoiled for sure first.

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