In times of crisis a celebrity viral video can unite us either through joy or ridicule. Judi Dench’s cheery message to keep laughing, delivered beneath a novelty dog hat, was met with warmth this week. But many cringed at an earnest, star-studded cover of Imagine, organised and shared on Instagram by Wonder Woman actor Gal Gadot. On Thursday night, the comedian formerly known as Joe Lycett revealed his own take on the song by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, as delivered by an all-star lineup of standups.
Made a video with some friends pic.twitter.com/12DV9DU1Ep
— Hugo Boss (@joelycett) March 19, 2020
Lycett recently changed his name to Hugo Boss in protest against the fashion house taking legal action over small firms using the word “boss” in their names. He appears at the start of the video, singing: “Imagine there’s no … bastards.” Lines from the song are then delivered by a bill of top comedians, with each lyric tweaked to contain an extra “bastard”. The comics include Noel Fielding, Suzi Ruffell, Katherine Ryan, Paul Chuckle and Rosie Jones who gets the “you-whoo-whoo-ooo” line. “I’m not the only bastard,” Harry Hill tells us, sporting his signature suit, even though he is – like the others – seemingly at home.
Is it a jokey pop at out-of-touch Hollywood celebrities or a swipe at the government’s failure to do more during the coronavirus crisis (as suggested by Nish Kumar’s line: “Above us, only bastards”)? Whatever the motivation, it’s been a hit at a time when the comedy industry is struggling due to venues closing their doors, and tours and gigs being cancelled. The video has already been watched more than a million times.
