Massive Step

This had to happen. In the last couple of months, a large number of artists, including Kneecap and Imagine Dragons, who spoke up for Palestine and against Israel, have faced legal threats or a cancellation of their projects. British hip hop band Massive Attack has now come up with an alliance for musicians who face intimidation for siding with the Palestinian cause. One of the many points in their detailed statement on the subject stresses that if anyone’s felt anxious about speaking out before but feel it’s too late, it isn’t. It’s never too late to join this movement. “Everyone is welcome.” Now that’s a noble cause that deserves a Nobel peace prize.

Respect, Please

Mehwish Hayat doesn’t like it when people take a jibe at TV host Sahir Lodhi. Some videos have recently surfaced on social media, with people imitating Sahir L. The actress says, “It’s really not fair how some people make fun of him, often forgetting that he’s a human being with feelings. He is someone who has worked consistently, shown up with passion, and built a name in an industry that’s not easy to survive in. You don’t have to agree with someone’s style or choices but basic respect should never go out of fashion.” While we agree with most of what Mehwish H says, we don’t get the ‘choices’ part... What choices has Sahir L made?

Oversharing Actors

Seasoned actress Marina Khan talks sense. In an interview, she has spoken in detail about the difference between the time when she burst on to the showbiz scene (1980s) and today (cyber era) where everything is being shared. “The younger generation is not really losing anything by over-sharing on social media. I don’t think either [generation] is better than the other. People were crazy about us during the PTV era and people intensely follow the celebrities of this time too. Every time these young celebrities visit malls for promotions, massive crowds show up.” However, she pointed out that it’s often in the interest of actors, professionally, to maintain an air of mystery around their private lives. Sorry, Marina K, that ship has long sailed.

Karan’s Gesture

Canada-based Indian rapper Karan Aujla has done something that is praiseworthy but can put him in trouble when he lands in India. The artist was recently performing in New Jersey when he saw one of the audience members waving the Pakistani flag. He immediately acknowledged it and shouted ‘We are the same, we are one!’ Karan A received a lot of good comments from the public who watched the little video clip of the gesture and, at the same time, some expressed their worry about how he might be treated by the Indian government. Well, to the Indian government, we can only say, mend your ways!

The ’80s Stars, RIP

Last week, three American showbiz personalities who reached their peak of fame in the 1980s passed away. They were actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner ([July 20] who played Bill Cosby’s son in the sitcom The Cosby Show), rock star Ozzy Osbourne ([July 22], the lead vocalist for the legendary metal band Black Sabbath), and wrestler Hulk Hogan (July 24). While Ozzy O and Hulk H were often controversial because of their right-wing political stances and were in their 70s, the gregarious Malcolm-J. W’s death was the more shocking one. The 54-year-old, who had also won a Grammy, drowned while swimming in Costa Rica with his eight-year-old daughter (who was saved). The ’80s too seem to be drawing to a close.

Fight Hard

Hollywood A-lister Bruce Willis’ health has gone from bad to worse: he is now non-verbal and cannot move around on his own. Even more tragically, he does not recall his own acting career or stardom. Three years ago, Bruce W was diagnosed with aphasia and later it was confirmed that the underlying cause was “frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a disease that affects language, behaviour and motor functions.” The Pulp Fiction and Die Hard actor is now 70 years of age. He has five daughters, three from his first wife, Demi Moore (the marriage lasted from 1987 to 2000), and two from the second wife, Emma Heming, whom he married in 2009. While his decline has been rapid and shocking, we wish him ease and the comfort of having his loved ones close.

Love Forever Again?

Six months ago, pop singer Jessica Simpson and former football player Eric Johnson got divorced after a decade of marriage. That’s behind the vocalist and she seems to be ready for someone to sweep her off her feet. Who could that person be? “My type of person is one of a kind,” she confided in an interview. “I don’t have a look or anything like that. I just like for somebody to be individually who they are and exude confidence, without the ego. It’s hard to find, but I feel like it’s out there.” Well, Jessica S, does this mean you waited 10 years for Eric J to exude confidence without the ego? And if so, what do you think it says about you?

Published in Dawn, ICON August 3rd, 2025