By Jon Dyer-Gray ’20
During a time like this, it may seem like there’s only negative news circulating the internet. Because of this, it’s even more important for us to keep our minds active and even distracted.
One way people have been staying entertained while in quarantine has been watching shows/movies, more specifically the show Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness, which has recently taken the world by storm. The true-crime docuseries tells the story of zookeeper Joseph Exotic, which ultimately concluded in an alleged murder-for-hire plot against Carole Baskin, an animal rights activist. Luckily for fans of the show, Netflix released a special after-show episode on April 12, Easter Sunday, which was hosted by actor/comedian Joel McHale.
In other television-related news, The Office recently celebrated its 15 year anniversary, with fans continuing to watch and rewatch episodes, even after the show’s conclusion in 2013. Even if you’re tired of watching movies or shows, there are still things to do inside with the help of the internet and technology.
Over the course of this pandemic, we have seen many content creators stepping up to the plate on a variety of platforms to help keep people entertained while quarantined. With more time on people’s hands, content on social media is both viewed more and of better quality than ever before.
For example, rapper and influencer Tory Lanez has been holding daily Instagram Live sessions, interviewing other celebrities and even randomly choosing viewers to join the live stream. Each session has lasted an average of about 3-5 hours, with a consistent average of about 500,000 viewers, which most likely would never have been able to be done without people being bored and stuck in quarantine.
COVID-19, while of course disastrous, has seemingly brought the world closer together with the help of social media and shared experiences over pop culture. People have rallied together in order to deliver messages to the world through Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and even Tik Tok. These messages range from simply remembering to wash your hands, to urging people to stay indoors; I would even argue this engagement is what encouraged a lot of the celebrities to contribute financially to efforts to combat COVID-19 and its effects.
While everyone’s bored in quarantine, please remember, your health is far more important than your entertainment. Luckily at least in this case, we live in a world where we don’t have to choose between the two.
