COVID-19 and Pop Culture
COVID-19 has lead to a lot of change in our everyday lives. One aspect of this change that is many times overlooked is the influence on popular culture. Social media has had a lot to say about the virus and has seen a large shift in importance in our lives as we are stuck in isolation, using it as an escape from the world around us.
Social media shapes the way in which we see the world around us. In this example, we see an internet celebrity Danny Duncan, a comedic YouTuber, poke fun at the virus. When the lady in the video asks where his mask is, he lightheartedly pretends to not know that there is a pandemic among us and asks her to put hers back on as a joke. Although as funny as it is, this can be dangerous for society. Danny Duncan has a pretty young, impressionable audience. With this audience, he could easily lead them into believing that the virus is somewhat of a joke and does not have to be taken seriously. Yet, at the same time, there is a place for comedy in a time where we are constantly surrounded by bad news.
Though, the social media and pop culture change due to COVID-19 has not just been in the United States, it is global just like the pandemic. In the article "How Coronavirus Is Affecting Pop Culture Around the World" by James Gereby, he talks about the impact the coronavirus has had on the wildly popular K-pop band BTS. He writes, "BTS has canceled four South Korean tour dates starting in April that were initially supposed to kick-off the group’s Map of the Soul tour. There are more reported cases of coronavirus in South Korea than there are anywhere except China, with more than 4,300 confirmed". At the time of March 2 when this was written, their whole tour had been postponed, leading to a lot of concern from fans who were eagerly awaiting a performance.
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