Take a Break: Put Your Feet Up

ENTERTAINMENT AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

“Canceled, closed, postponed indefinitely” is something we only want to hear when we’ve procrastinated on that semester long project that’s due tomorrow. It is, for sure, not something we want to hear concerning our downtime. Nonetheless, at the brink of mass shutdowns, temporary substitutes found their way onto our screens and into our homes. Check out these fan faves.

LIVESTREAMING CONCERTS

Many people dream of seeing their favorite artists, some paying hundreds of dollars to do so. While concerts were canceled, many insisted that the show must go on. Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, and other platforms became the new stage. We’re talking about all the Johns: John Legend, John Mayer, and, yes, even Elton John all live-streamed their very own concerts.

BACK TO THE 50’S

Drive-in movies…who would have thought! Yeah, I know. We would’ve had to leave our houses for this one. But, all from the comfort of a car, some were lucky enough to enjoy this experience. Not only did already established venues make a strong comeback, but some movie theaters temporarily converted to meet this popular interest.1

YES, WE’RE STILL WATCHING

There’s always great anticipation for a new movie that piques our interest. “When will it be in theaters?” “When can I rent it? ”Many new films ended up bypassing theaters and came streaming straight into our homes. Guess what that meant? No more “reminders” to turn off our phones. Yes! We could activate the blinding light of a thousand angels! Intermittently, of course. And all without missing any of the action. However, our roommates still side-eyed us over those pita chips…

SPORTS OF COURSE

Did you miss March Madness, the anticipation of the Olympics, or the opening of baseball season? Well, no worries, ESPN has got our backs. They decided to stream Disney films. Okay, Disney sports movies, but movies nonetheless. Turn to ESPN and you just might find movies like Angels in the Outfield, Miracle, or The Rookie. Sure, reruns of old games didn’t go away, but I’m not joking about the Disney thing. Catching a movie on ESPN is not as out of left field as initially thought.

BOOKED SCHEDULES

For the bookworms whose punishment growing up was to play outside, their dreams came true. Many libraries and other nonprofit groups provided free e-books and other electronic resources during this time. Among them were the Internet Archive and the National Emergency Library. Read them and weep while you can.