Apr 10, 2020

From Zoom weddings to celebrity bingo, ViacomCBS’ Culture+ team on what’s bubbling up during the COVID-19 crisis.

Culture+ is an editorial series that looks at trending topics and events with an eye toward what they reveal about our shifting culture. The trend this week: Adapting. As many of us enter week 4 of the coronavirus-forced stay-at-home period, we’re taking a look at how some individuals are coping with this new normal and making the most of it.

With self-quarantine measures in place across the U.S. and coronavirus cases continuing to climb, millions are finding new ways to cope with limited direct human interaction beyond their households.

This helps to explain why the content dominating the internet right now involves tackling new hobbies and exploring new ways of socializing. So many people are baking bread. Some are celebrating birthdays virtually and a few are even hosting virtual weddings, proving that just because we can’t go outside—it doesn’t mean we can’t have (some) fun.

Here’s a shortlist of content that’s defining the zeitgeist as stay-at-home mandates continue:

1. The influx of celebrities forced to be online has helped make the internet a better place, according to The New York Times. Beyond self-promotion, famous people are now using their platform for good, by bringing people together online and raising money for those impacted by COVID-19.

2. Despite the platform’s recent troubles as it adapts to mass usage, there’s a Zoom gathering for nearly everything. Even weddings. Many happy couples postponed their weddings due to stay-in-place orders and bans on large gatherings. However, some have chosen to host their weddings online.

3. Did you or did you not bake bread this quarantine? How about something simpler like the viral dalgona coffee? It’s quite possible that many people are doing the same things from the comfort of their own homes.

4. After the group rendition of “Imagine” seemingly failed online, celebrities gave it another shot, and this time they got it right. A group of actors that once played doctors on TV made a video to thank real-life healthcare workers and raise money for #FirstRespondersFirst. 

5. Matthew McConaughey brought joy to a group of Texas senior citizens by hosting virtual bingo. That is all.

6. Comedian Leslie Jordan, of Will & Grace and American Horror Story fame, is just like the rest of us during this quarantine, but funnier. If you need a good laugh, Jordan will bring some levity to your day by documenting his daily activities and sharing stories of his NYC clubbing days.

7. Make the most of your days at home and learn something new. MOMA is offering a series of online courses, like “Fashion as Design” and “Postwar Abstract Painting.”

8. In an effort to help young people focus on their mental health, Netflix launched a new series on Instagram Thursday, April 9, featuring celebrities and mental health care professionals talking through some of the serious issues on the minds of its users during the coronavirus crisis. Some of the guests include, Noah Centineo, Joey King, Ross Butler, Caleb McLaughlin, and Jerry Harris.

9. #CuteAnimalAlert! Life would be harder during quarantine without some positive animal news, so check out these cute pandas who have taken advantage of an empty Hong Kong zoo to perfect their mating rituals .

10. A Culture+ recommendation: The king of doing nothing shares his isolation experience.  Check out this NY Times profile of Larry David (complete with a guide about how to look your best on Zoom).

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