Items
topic_interest is exactly
entertainment
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2022-07-05
Broadway begins mask-optional policy
This is a news story from Spectrum News 1 by Louis Finley. On July 1, a mask optional policy began for Broadway show attendees. This has worried theatergoers and performers alike, as they are now anxious over being exposed to COVID. Some shows, like "Into the Woods," have been negotiating to make masks mandatory for the front row. -
2022-07-08
Box Office: How ‘Minions 2’ Brings The Covid Era To An Optimistic Close
This is a news story from Forbes by Scott Mendelson. This is an article that discusses the moviegoing habits of people pre and post-COVID. The article mentions that Minions: The Rise of Gru and Top Gun: Maverick were meant to come out in 2020, but they were delayed because of COVID. Due to the high amounts of attendance to both films, the author is speculating that audience members that may have forgone streaming new movies are coming back to theaters. The box office gross for both films has broken records. Given my own experience of going to the movies recently since COVID began, I noticed that even though I did see signs about masks, it was never enforced, and restrictions were pretty much non-existent. I delayed going to the theaters in-person partly due to not finding many new releases interesting enough, in addition to not wanting to deal with masks while watching. I think that less restrictions make the experience more appealing now than during COVID, as movie tickets have been getting more expensive over the years. In can be hard to justify the steep prices with the restrictions in place that could make it less comfortable. My own experience that I had made it feel like it was the pre-COVID era, and that made it something I enjoyed. I think that given the snacks people eat at theaters, it would have been cumbersome to have to take the mask off and put it on again with eating. If I had to do that, I probably would not have wanted to get any snacks with those restrictions in place, and theaters generally make more revenue from refreshments than they do showing the movie itself. I think that the author is right that the high gross of both films mean that the "summer movie" is returning to what it once was, with audiences that may have been lost during COVID coming back. -
2022-07-05
COVID related sign outside IMAX movie theater
This is a sign I saw at the Arizona Mills Mall in Tempe, Arizona. The sign recommends you wear a mask, keep a distance, and not come if you are feeling sick. This sign was not enforced when watching a movie at the IMAX the day I went. Not even the workers were wearing masks. This could just be something leftover from a time when this would have been more relevant, such as in 2020 and 2021. The time I took this picture was actually my first time going to a movie theater since COVID started. The last movie I saw in theaters before the Minion movie was Cats in February of 2020. It was a fun thing to experience again after a long hiatus. I wanted to go at a time when there wouldn't be any restrictions, as it would make the experience less fun. I remember having to wear a mask on a plane when I went for a wedding, and I didn't enjoy having to do that. It would have felt similar had I gone to a movie a year ago when vaccines weren't as distributed as they are now. -
2020-12-10
‘Songbird’ Review: ‘The Purge’ Meets the Pandemic in Hollywood’s Awful First Attempt at a COVID Movie
This is a review of the movie "Songbird". I watched it when it came out, closer to the start of the Covid pandemic and my partner reminded me of it recently. This review does a much better job at summarizing the issues of the film. It was so bad, not even from a movie and writing standpoint, but it just felt incredibly way to soon to create and release something that feels almost mocking of the pandemic. Big thumbs down. -
2022-05-10
Athens Pride and Queer Collective to host first local Pride Parade
This is a news story from WUGA by Sofi Grates. According to this article, it says that Pride Month will be back in full swing in Athens after it being canceled due to COVID. It will be hosted by Athens Pride and Queer Collective. The parade that is sent for June 12 will include vendors, music, and a cookout -
2020-08-14
Wrestling Promotion Resumes Production under COVID Protocols
Professional wrestling promotion Ring of Honor announced their intentions to resume production of their weekly televised wrestling show, but with no fans in attendance and COVID protocols for the staff. Like all live entertainment avenues, professional wrestling has also been affected by the pandemic and has had to take precautions to protect its staff, talent, and fans. -
2022-01-14
My First Pandemic Concert
Since the pandemic has commence, I haven't done many public outings or attended big events. This January, I had finally got enough of the courage to go to a concert for the first time in three years. Overall, I would argue that the outing was fun and safe, but I could not help but still feel anxious and scared of what was yet to come despite it being a good time. Part of this was because the concert did not require anyone to wear a mask, nor did that enforce social distancing with the seats like I thought they would. Most of this was because COVID-19 cases had started to climb down despite the onset of the new variant OMICRON at the time. I wore my mask regardless since we were sitting so close to people and still enjoyed myself despite these bypasses. I feel that this concert represents how I and other people felt confident enough to do big social outings again despite the pandemic still going on. I also feel like this concert illuminates how people still seek entertainment and enjoyment in their lives and how the pandemic impacted the way people use to be able to go out and enjoy themselves. Now that things are starting to slow down with the pandemic, people like myself are starting to use this opportunity to go enjoy ourselves, which honestly brings me much hope and optimism about the future now. -
2020-03-28
Saturdays are for "toilet paper jokes"
A comic strip about Covid-19 -
2020-04-08
Keeping Concerts Alive
The pandemic forfeited any chance of attending that concert or planned music festival. Although online meetings weren't anyone's favorite, the switch from in-person concerts to Instagram and Facebook live concerts was a success. These quarantine concerts were able to keep the public entertained in their homes while keeping the spirit of live music alive. -
2021-04-22
Passing the Time
Staying inside all day has given me the want to greatly improve my entertainment center. This includes getting a nicer TV that was on sale and dusting off old video game consoles from long ago. -
2021-04-13
Good, bad and ugly: Covid-19’s impact on the Valley’s tourism sector detailed in study
Over the last year, Arizona has seen the cancellation of major events due to COVID-19. These cancellations have had a major impact on business and tax revenue. The entertainment, hospitality, and food business have been hit the hardest. -
2021-02-07
Jazmine Sullivan & Eric Church Sing the National Anthem at Super Bowl LV, Interpreted by "Wawa" in ASL
Jazmine Sullivan and Eric Church sing the National Anthem for the Super Bowl LV Pregame Show. Warren “Wawa” Snipe performed the song in ASL. The Kansas City Chiefs take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during Super Bowl LV in Tampa Bay. -
2021-02-07
National Anthem in ASL at the Superbowl
What a performance! Warren "Wawa" Snipe performed two songs during the Super Bowl. The National Anthem and America the Beautiful. He really stole the show! Kissfist! Muah! The performers were socially distanced. I wanted to add this to the archive so everyone can see Wawa's performance. He interpreted for artist H.E.R. Do you see the end? He knew he nailed it. Representation and inclusivity matter. -
2021-01-11
Concerts, performances could return in the fall ‘if everything goes right,’ Fauci says
Dr. Anthony Fauci offered hope that concerts and theater performances could return in 2021. Speaking at a conference for the Association of Performing Arts Professionals, the nation’s top infectious disease expert was asked when indoor venues will be able to reopen their doors for the public. The performing arts industry has largely been shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fauci said it’s important for the country to reach herd immunity of 70 to 85% of the population vaccinated from the coronavirus. -
2020-10-29
Video Games to Pass Time
2020 was a good time for video games, particularly those that I am interested in. Releasing in the middle of the year, games such as the highly anticipated Mount and Blade: Bannerlord and Crusader Kings III managed to provide time-wasting opportunities to many people. The latter, abbreviated CK3, is pictured here. CK3 is essentially a feudalism-simulator with role playing game mechanics, famous in the PC gaming sphere for both its complexity but also its ability to organically allow stories to form in the most Game of Thrones way possible. This was one of my earlier games, after I was more familiar with how the game differed from CK2. Starting as the Raja of the real-life Northern Indian dynasty of the Imperial Gurjara-Pratihara in 867 CE, through many generations of rulers I managed to consolidate the entire subcontinent through diplomacy, intrigue, and warfare. Around 1000 CE one of my rulers who had a more intellectual education rather than the usual military one, consolidated all imperially sanctioned Hindu beliefs into the Charvaka school, a real-life ancient Hindu belief based on materialism and empiricism. As this new consolidated Hinduism united the subcontinent at a more local level, regional governors along the Indus River took advantage of political fragmentation around the Indian Ocean and pushed west, taking over not just Persia and Central Asia but also establishing Hindu-Somali outposts in Africa and Yemen. By the 1300s the empire spread from Burma in the east all the way to modern day Libya and Greece, with Rome itself falling to a Pratihara expedition. Peace was maintained within the empire's vassals by a robust series of alliances, as well as the use of the "dread" mechanic to scare any more unruly subjects into submission via planned executions and threats. The most serious threats the Pratihara Empire faced was a series of crusades launched from Western Europe, and the Mongol Conquests which were ended by assassinating a few generations of Mongol Khans leading to political infighting and collapse. Beyond the fake history being made in game, this single play through gave me enjoyment for dozens of hours. While psychical entertainment was shut down, travel impossible, and the shadow of the pandemic hung over everything, games like CK3 allow people like me to immerse ourselves in what begins as real history and ends with an alternate history that we ourselves designed. Many people who don't usually play video games became engrossed in them, particularly early on in the likewise open-ended game Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The need to develop new hobbies as a way to cope with isolation was a boon for the video game industry, which despite its massive market was seen by many people as quaint at best, or worthless at worst. There is value in video games, especially during the pandemic. -
2020-02-18
Green Mill Once Again, in Winter
An image of this bar front was shared on this archive almost a year ago, on March 31, 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic: https://covid-19archive.org/s/archive/item/11917. On February 10, 2021, I passed by this bar on my way home from an errand and remembered it being shared on this archive. It looks different now, so I wanted to document it. Aside from the weather depicting a more solemn image, the next noticeable difference is in the fact that in this posting, the bar's front window is boarded up, with a most likely spray-painted tag in green ink. The boarding up is most likely a remnant from 2020's late spring/early summer protests that took place around the country in response to racial violence, which was kickstarted by the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, MN. In addition, Green Mill also has posted a flyer in the circular window of their front door. In March 2020, the pandemic was still so new that many didn't know what to do besides close their doors for the time being. Now, in 2021, with more understanding of COVID-19's severity, many businesses have some sort of signage indicating that they are closed and encouraging readers to follow the social distancing guidelines set forth by local, state, and/or federal governments. This is most likely the sign posted in window. Hopefully, in another year's time, we'll get to see Green Mill open and lively with the sounds of jazz music, the coronavirus pandemic only a memory of the recent past. -
2021-02-17
Pandemic Hobbies
With all of the free time suddenly on my hands due to the pandemic, I was forced to find new hobbies that would occupy the time. Some of the hobbies that I developed over the course of the pandemic and specifically during the quarantine are following along to Bob Ross videos, fiber arts including latch hook and cross-stitch, and I have rediscovered my love for reading mysteries. These hobbies have helped keep my mind off of and cope with COVID and everything else that is going on in the world these days. Despite the negative effects that COVID has had on the world and individuals, it has allowed me and many others to delve deeper into new and old passions due to the amount of time that we have on our hands that we never had before. -
2021-02-17
My At-Home Gym
During this drawn-out pandemic, I have had the misfortune of living alone in my apartment, essentially stranded. This was not helped by the fact that I have recently been left without a car. I have no family that lives close by and I have relied a lot on my friends' willingness to carpool with me if I need to get anywhere. I generally must walk to and from the grocery store and have many things shipped to me. Additionally, my commute to work is always on foot. These minor inconveniences are not as unbearable, however, as my inability to travel to the gym. The gym had become a daily routine for me pre-pandemic. On occasion, I would drive to the gym twice in one day to stay occupied. My lack of transportation was, thus, a major hit to my daily routine. About a week had gone by without exercise before I hatched an idea. I purchased a simple, $20, 25 lb weight to be shipped to my apartment. This weight would become the nucleus of my workout routine for the next year. With This 25 lb weight, I can mimic virtually any exercise that exists at the gym. Instead of 20 lb shoulder raises, I do 25 lb shoulder raises for a shorter set. Instead of 35 lb dumbell curls, I do 25 lb curls for a longer set. If an exercise would usually be done on a bench or mat, I could simply set down a few pillows and achieve the same effect. The transition was a bit awkward but easier than I expected. My pandemic-grade, simple, at-home weight room may appear underwhelming. It is, indeed, cheaper and of lower quality than gym equipment. However, my make-shift gym has kept me busy throughout the entirety of this pandemic. I am now back to my daily "gym" routine, sweating just as much in my apartment as I would be at a gym. -
2021-01-10
Local Bar Offers Food Delivery With a Side of Live Music
Two downtown bars in Windsor, Ontario, are offering live music alongside food delivery. Customers can choose from multiple "Gravy Train" packages which offer food and performance from a local musician. -
2020-06-13
Summer fun- Santa Barbara Drive-in Theater Re-opens for Social Distancing
It was our first time doing something as a family outside the house after the pandemic reached the U.S. Since my daughter is a cancer survivor, we have to be extra careful. -
2020-09-24
Zlatan Ibrahimović Gets COVID, Bad Idea
During the return to play, Zlatan Ibrahimović was like any other player, he wanted to return to the game as fast as safely possible. During the next couple of months, the European leagues would open up with no crowds, cutout fans in the stands and the simulated sounds that tried to make it seem as fans were in the stands. Obviously, these players were not all free from COVID, with the traveling and the other people they inherently came in contact with play that would happen. Players were tested regularly, and sure enough Zlatan Ibrahimović tested positive. -
2020-05-08
Neighbourhood entertainment
Early in the Covid 19 lockdown I found these notes posted on telephone poles along my path to the train station. I later heard a rumour that they'd been sighted all the way along the local bike path. Whether the story they tell is real or not I love that someone in the neighbourhood was providing a story for the community to follow on their daily walks. It felt like following an old fashioned newspaper serial. We've all had to find new forms of entertainment, and since gyms shut down and people started working from home, people seem to have been taking up walking like never before. (HIST30060) -
2020-09-23
Esports Tournaments Affected by the Pandemic
The pandemic caused this year’s entire season of the Smite Pro League to be played online. Last year they made the change to play everything in person. THe plan was for the World Championship to have been played in-person at the start of 2021. They decided to move it to an online format instead because of the pandemic. I was planning to go to the World Championship in January 2021. I have attended all previous championship tournaments that they have put on. I was looking forward to this one too. As the pandemic was raging on I was really considering if this would be the first year that I would not go. That decision was made for me. https://www.smitegame.com/news/an-update-on-hi-rez-expo-2021/ -
2020-03-13
Lackluster ambience
I have been a fan of professional wrestling for years. It is a bit like watching a soap opera with elite athletes doing the occasional insane acrobatic stunt. While it may not technically be a sport, it can be very entertaining. Part of that entertainment is a raucous crowd cheering for their favorite wrestler or booing the antagonist. It is also when someone pulls off an Olympic level move and the crowd explodes. Now, there is no crowd. Due to COVID-19 the wrestlers no longer play to a live audience. To bring back some of the ambience missing from their absence, WWE (and some other forms of live entertainment) have instituted workarounds like digital fans on screens and fake crowd noise. Before that though, there was nothing. Just a complete absence of fans. Their silence was deafening and the events awkward. This is a recording of one such event, Smackdown, March 13, 2020. Two wrestlers, a referee, and three announcers all performing a play to no audience. There is a marked difference. WWE announcers are known for being loquacious, but in this their banter has an almost desperate edge to cover up the missing element of the fans. And not just the announcers. The referee and the wrestlers seem to be talking both more and louder. Even with all that there is still a very noticeable missing element of ambience. It is interesting to me how much they have to try to cover up the sound of silence. -
2020-03
What item summed up my COVID experience
I decided to choose this item because in the lockdown stage of quarantine, besides working out there was not much else to do. I read an interesting book during that time as well but my TV is definitely what I got most of my entertainment from for a while. -
2020-07-01
Alabama students throwing 'COVID parties' to see who gets infected: Officials
As covid cases explode across the U.S., especially in the southern and western portions of the country, young people in Tuscaloosa, Alabama are doing something unthinkable. They are hosting covid parties. While authorities thought this was a rumor upon first being notified, further investigation showed it was really happening. Unlike previous generations who held "chicken pox parties" in an effort to expose their children to the disease while they were young and less likely to suffer complications (prior to a vaccine being available) the covid parties do not appear to have any purpose other than entertainment. People are hosting parties and inviting people known to have the disease. Everyone then puts money in a pot and the first person to come down with covid gets the pot.