Jennifer Aniston sparks backlash over ‘insensitive’ Christmas ornament

Like many of us, Jennifer Aniston popped over to social media over the holidays to share some festive spirit with her followers.

Aniston lives in LA, where a stay-at-home order has been in place since June. The California government website advises citizens to “wear a mask, keep your distance and stay home unless it’s essential.”

This has of course made for a very different Christmas experience compared to most years, as many will be spending it alone or only with immediate family.

It’s been interesting to see how celebrities deal with the situation, given that many have been called out throughout the pandemic for completely flouting the rules (looking at you, Rita Ora…), insensitive and out-of-touch responses (who could forget the ‘Imagine’debacle?) or just being a bit too gung-ho about revelling in their wealth and privilege considering what most ordinary people are going through.

The latest celebrity to be called out for their questionable attitude towards the Covid pandemic is the beloved Jennifer Aniston.

On Christmas day she posted a photo of a Christmas ornament to her Instagram Stories. It showed a wooden bauble engraved with the words “our first pandemic 2020”.

To a lot of followers, the sentiment seemed confusing. Was she celebrating the pandemic? Making light of it?

Pop culture Twitter account Pop Crave posted a screenshot of the image and the response was brutal.

There were however fans who defended the actor, saying it’s just a memento and not a suggestion that she’s “celebrating” a global pandemic. That said, even many on her side understood why it was perceived as insensitive.

So far, Aniston has escaped criticism during the pandemic, and has been largely praised for appearing to stick to the rules.

In June, she posted a picture of herself in a mask along with a lengthy caption addressing the anti-masker movement but pleading with her followers to follow the rules, saying: “This simple and effective recommendation is being politicized at the expense of peoples’ lives. And it really shouldn’t be a debate.”

In November, Aniston also posted a video of CNN anchor Van Jones giving an emotional speech in response to Biden’s election win, saying: “Today is a good day. Time to move forward.”

It seems fair to suggest she should be given the benefit of the doubt for the ornament… maybe don’t throw out out your ‘team Jen’ T-shirts just yet.

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