Covid19 Chronicles. Stardate, 2020.0411.
Kinda feels like we’re living in a sci-fi, disease genre, alternate universe movie nowadays, yeah? Trips to the store, or just a walk around the block may require Mad Max-like sartorial choices. Performance artistry has moved to tiny screens, in some cases on which even tinier tiles display its artists. Dogs couldn’t be happier with the new normal, and cats are just wondering when they’ll get their castles back to themselves.
Something else has shifted as well, in my opinion- this, in the realm of social media. Don’t get me wrong, there’s still a lion’s share (or tiger’s share for you Joe Exotic fans) of political BS, conspiracy theories, and shameless self promotion. But there’s a category that has been creeping in, becoming more pervasive and giving them all a run for their money: Realness.
Life and/or parental fails, selfies containing a less-than-perfect framed and face-tuned appearance, sharing scary, and some cases life-threatening symptoms of sickness, feelings of panic, isolation, depression and desperation. Yes, these post are not wholly new to social media. But let’s face it, the prevailing themes we see on the socials in the best of times are just that: the best of times. The prettiest photos, the cutest kids, smiles and achievements, new cars and fancy dinners.
It’s been refreshing to see folks at various states of sloven, stories of crackers and chocolate for the kids’ breakfasts, of unbridled screen time and general ennui. It’s almost as if no matter how good any of us have it, we’re all in veritable hellscape this together. Hey, wait a minute… shouldn’t that be a model for the world even in those best of times? So what if she got a new Tesla, if those people’s kid is on the fast-track for Harvard at age 4, and that other guy looks THAT fucking good in a swimsuit: no need for envy, or disgust! We’re all subject to the same BS and self-sabotage and feelings of inferiority. All of us. United in thinking our lives are suck-ish!
Look, I’m not under any illusion that this will last once life return to normal, even if we don’t know what the hell that normal look like. Whatever normal winds up being, we’ll get back to sugar-coating and sunshine-painting. It’s inevitable, I’m sorry to say. We are human, after all- imperfect in every way. I’m just here-for-it that for the time being we are very publicly showing that human condition for real.