Love in the Time of “Love in the Time of COVID-19”
With the ‘Shelter-in-Place’ or law enforced quarantines in effect in an increasing number of major cities and states amid the COVID-19 pandemic, many creatives, (read: those with steady incomes doing WFH) have begun to reflect the past few weeks staying indoors. With this enforced free time and the removed concept of FOMO, it’s spilling into their work. From starting ‘quarantine’ labeled Instagrams. (I.E. Quarantine Times, Quarazine, or even #QuarazineFest ), changing your twitter handle to something COVID-19/quarantine related (see below), and podcasts responding in different ways. I was even half tempted to call this a ‘quarticle’.
I feel a sense of existential and ordinary dread being creative and ‘capitalizing’ to make this time seem ‘productive’. Regardless of our stance on ‘the hustle’, folks I know from every creative spectrum have been uniquely making this a time for ‘creativity’. Personally, I have found myself deeper into movies, Wikipedia, Adobe tutorials and finally getting my guitar to not sound like shit in Ableton.
What I can’t help but notice though, is that not even a world-wide pandemic can stop ‘multi-disciplinary studios’ posting pandemic-influenced streetwear fits, celebrities posting ‘just spreading a little joy today to those who need it’ videos (often of that really cute little girl who’s super good at nylon string jazz guitar and singing), or major brands from making their logos spread apart for a social distancing social media opportunity (among the most egregious, McDonald’s spreading the golden arches apart while not offering hazard pay or sick leave to its over 500,000+ employees.) Small to world-wide, nothing has really changed in the creative world. What I’m trying to get at is the following:
Is there nothing that could happen in this world that will make for a mass halt of performance in late capitalism?
In a conceivable mass annihilation, is that event even an option for giving up the proverbial ghost?
Is there no event that could possibly humble us to our core that we collectively join hands (even 6-10 ft apart) and walk away from the routines of production?
Could you always sell something to the *other* last person on earth?
How can brevity/irony still able to persist even in mass disruption? Is it already too late to get in the streets? Or is making light of these situations a means of survival? Is “keep calm and washing your hands” an actual means of preservation, not just a shirt that some local, kooky apparel company can make? Is “Reality” endorsing Bernie the truest, yet dumbest thing ever?
Is the ability to sit and ask this question/write this post an immense privilege? Yes. Do those on the frontlines get to put this in perspective or ruminate on the turmoil? No. Did your IG post thanking those grocery store employees mean anything? Maybe. Is this Tumblr post, in 2020, in some attempted Baffler/Jacobin style blog post, meaningless? Almost certainly. But with this in mind, I can’t help but take stock of this foreseen, inconceivable moment, from real hard-working folks fighting for their and other’s lives to moments of brevity (neolib or otherwise) or even my own simp/cringe tweets (notwithstanding).
What can be done is self-preservation in the pursuit of the betterment of others. Stay light, but don’t fear heavy. Stay the fuck home. Help yourself help everyone. Solidarity forever.
In the meantime... *PLAYS OPN* xD
pixelskylines
izzy806
dededos
snowghoul
theartofmadeline
titsay