By: Haley Robinson, Editor-in-Chief
September 2020 Update:
Since the initial outbreak of the Coronavirus, the rate of cases and deaths are indefinitely climbing. The CDC’s most recent data shows a total death toll of 188.4k and cases surpassing 6.4 million in the United States. Even with these harrowing statistics presented, 6 months later, many businesses and corporations have re-opened with social distancing protocols in place. Movie theaters as of yesterday are starting to re-open but due to low-profit margins on the newest blockbuster movie, “Tenet,” Warner Brothers is further postponing “Wonder Woman 1984” as well as “Black Widow.” You can expect to see mid-size budget films, as well as reruns, hit the box office until further notice (“The New Mutants,” anyone?). As for SXSW and Coachella, both are indefinitely canceled, as are most of the mainstream conventions and festivals. For a full list of canceled or postponed tours, festivals, conventions, movies, and launches, check out the QR code linking The Vultures’ article.
Original Article:
COVID-19, or her government name, Coronavirus, more affectionately known as “The Rona” or “Miss Rona,” is wreaking havoc on summer and fall plans. It has been a month since government-recommended quarantines started, and many people are practicing social distancing. It seems this summer will be less of a “hot girl summer” and more so a “sick girl bummer.” Many large-scale events such as concerts, festivals, and movies are postponing until the winter, forcing summer and fall 2020 into an isolated slump.
The most notable pop culture events postponed are infamous music festivals like Coachella and Bonnaroo, the video game convention E3, the 74th Annual Tony Awards, the Met Gala, which is delayed indefinitely, and Austin, TX film festival SXSW, which hasn’t had a cancellation in 34 years.
The big question circulating is if these large festivals, conventions, and award shows will be permanently canceled, or if they will be rescheduled to the end of the year. Coachella has released a statement saying that the festival is rescheduled for October; whereas, SXW has not released a new concrete date. Other industries are periodically releasing updates over social media, specifically Twitter, to keep the public informed on rescheduled dates and alternative online viewing options.
The entertainment industry is also profoundly affected by COVID-19, with many filmmakers postponing release dates until it is safe for groups of people to attend the movie theatres again. Movies that have been pushed back are “A Quiet Place Part II,” “No Time to Die,” “Black Widow,” and “Mulan,” to name a few. Late Night Television is taking a blow as well with the production of “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” suspended and “The View” continuing without a live studio audience.
Many artists have also canceled tours or postponed shows due to the risk of large crowd sizes; many have also postponed album releases too. According to Billboard, some artists that have rescheduled or postponed tours are BTS, Camila Cabello, Louis Tomlinson, Alicia Keys, Kelly Clarkson, Jonas Brothers, Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, and Dan + Shay.
According to the CDC, as of March 16, 2020, in compliance with President Trump’s Coronavirus Guidelines for America – 15 Days to Slow the Spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19), gatherings of 10 or more people should be canceled. The 15-day plan, if followed by most of the nation, should diminish the spread of the virus. So, all these cancelations make sense to ensure the virus is not spreading any faster. The hope is that, if the nation follows these precautions, social distancing can be put to bed and a sense of normality can begin to be re-established.
The reality is that, even if the nation diligently quarantines, cases of Coronavirus in the USA will continue to climb. According to the CDC, as of March 17 2020, around 2,000 cases have been documented and only 22 deaths recorded in the US Most events may stay indefinitely postponed or outright canceled for the foreseeable future until COVID-19 cases start to flatline.
