The Pandemic Power Rankings
Photo by Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty
Here in the United States, we’re used to change, so much that we usually embrace it. But we’ve never had our lives collectively upended so fast and so dramatically as we have since NBA player Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 only two weeks ago on March 12. Since then, we’ve pretty much canceled everything.
In the wake of this upheaval, many vacuums have needed filling, primarily related to how the heck we fill the time when we can’t watch sports or go anywhere. What follows is our ranking of the 10 most impactful cultural influences since “coronavirus” became the most uttered word in the English language.
10. Day DrinkingYou’re stressed. You’re working from home. You’re not driving anywhere. You bought beer to support your local brewery or liquor from your local distillery. It feels like the end of the world. You’re on a Zoom Happy Hour. The reasons to indulge in a little drinky before dinnertime abound! And frankly, you deserve it. You’re doing the right thing by agreeing to #StayTheFuckHome so it’s totally fair to keep your personal peace with a little of the sauce. Besides, you’ll walk it off tomorrow!
9. BidetsThe growing popularity of bidets was already in the zeitgeist, our general feeling of being weirded out by squirting water at our bums nothwithstanding. Combine that cultural simmer with a ridiculous artificial toilet paper shortage and a general sense that touching anything is kinda gross and dangerous, and suddenly, bidets aren’t just a not-as-weird-as-we-thought idea; they are downright reasonable. Raise your hand if you’ve searched Amazon for one you can attach to your toilet seat…
8. WalksWalking is the best. Improving your physical, mental and emotional health without breaking a sweat is already a win. But when it’s kind of your main way to interact with the physical world and you get a kick out of the friendly waves and hellos from neighbors you’ve barely ever laid eyes on, it does the trick of countering our persistent isolation. Podcast fan? Suddenly it’s pretty easy to bang out two-hour episodes when a long walk is the primary non-screen activity on offer.
7. Animal CrossingAnimal Crossing was first introduced 19 years ago. But the latest release of Nintendo’s social simulation franchise, Animal Crossing: New Horizons dropped with perfect timing on March 20 for the Switch platform. Know a kid with a Nintendo Switch? This is what they are doing right now. Want proof? Just ask them. They’ll barely look up from playing it to mumble an answer. They’re probably so obsessed they’ll barely remember to eat the food you’ve been hoarding.