More Viral Distractions to Survive the Pandemic

Earlier this month I shared ten of the funniest and most inspired viral videos and collaborations to come out of the pandemic. Many creative folks haven’t worked their traditional day jobs in weeks as film and TV sets, theater, and live music venues shuttered to help flatten the curve of the virus. But just because their day jobs are on hiatus doesn’t mean they’ve stopped working.

Here are more viral distractions from scores of entertainers and creators who are trying to help us get through these dark days with a little levity and a lot of brilliance. Because humanity is pretty talented.

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• Coronavirus Memes: If you need a laugh, the Facebook group Stupid Coronavirus/Covid-19 Posts & Memes has shared hundreds of memes and humorous posts from around the Internet. The content isn’t always in good taste (are memes ever?), but until there’s a vaccine, laughter might be the best medicine.
• Visit from the Future Pandemic: In a 3 minute YouTube video, Julie Nolke is visited by herself—from four months in the future. What would YOUR future self say about the pandemic (and would your January 2020 self even believe it)? In another video, Julie talks through a Quarantine Panic Attack with her very drunk mirror self.
• Famous Brits Read Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone: You need a Wizarding World account (or an old Pottermore account) to access the videos, but it’s worth signing up! Stars from the Wizarding World (including Daniel Radcliffe, Eddie Redmayne, and The Cursed Child‘s Noma Dumezweni) and esteemed British actors (including Olivia Colman and Stephen Fry) each read a chapter from the first book in the beloved Harry Potter series. Seven chapters (of 19 total!) have been released so far: Chapter 1 (Daniel Radcliffe), Chapter 2 (Noma Dumezweni), Chapter 3 (Eddie Redmayne), Chapter 4 (Stephen Fry), Chapter 5 (Simon Callow, Bonnie Wright, Evanna Lynch), Chapter 6 (The Cursed Child cast), and Chapter 7 (Olivia Colman, Jonathan Van Ness, Kate McKinnon).
• Lunch Doodles with Mo: Mo Willems, author of such beloved children’s books as The Pigeon, Knuffle Bunny, and Elephant & Piggie series, has a series of Youtube videos called Lunch Doodles with Mo. In each episode he invites viewers into his studio, walks them through a drawing lesson, and answers viewer questions. The series is part of his current gig as a Kennedy Center Education Artist-in-Residence and is designed to help kids learn art from home.
• Boss Bitch Fight Challenge: Stuntwoman and actor Zoë Bell got (more than) a few of her girl friends together for a quarantine-inspired virtual brawl. #BossBitchFightChallenge features an impressive lineup of Hollywood actresses (including Scarlett Johansson, Rosario Dawson, Margot Robbie, Drew Barrymore, Daryl Hannah, and Zoe Saldana) and professional stuntwomen (Shauna Duggins, Jessie Graff, Tara Macken and Heidi and Renae Moneymaker) who punch, kick, and otherwise beat-the-pretend-crap out of each other in an impressively coordinated and edited 5 minute fight scene. Add a little bit of dialogue and another 85 minutes and we’ve got ourselves a kickass feature.
• Animators Attack! If you prefer your fight sequences with a lot more special effects, the animators at LAIKA Studios (Coraline, ParaNorman, The Boxtrolls) have animated a killer stop-motion fight sequence—and in a lot less time than notoriously laborious stop-motion usually takes.
• Grandad Joe Dances: Over on TikTok, there are tons of videos to while away the hours, but might I recommend Grandadjoe1933? The 87-year-old who lives in Staffordshire, England started TikToking in January and has already amassed more than 1.9 million fans. He collaborates frequently with his granddaughters, and he’s a delight to watch, especially in any video where he’s dancing. Like here and here and here and here and here and here….
• The Office Cast Reunites: On episode 7 of John Krasinski’s Some Good News, John invites his former The Office costars to recreate the wedding dance from Jim and Pam’s wedding. And stay tuned for the credits when The Office theme song is recreated by one musician—in 10 different genres.
• Happily Ever After Fireworks Show: Although Shanghai Disneyland has slowly started to reopen, the U.S. Disney parks are still closed for the foreseeable future. But now Disneyphiles can enjoy the Happily Ever After Fireworks Show that closes out every night at the Magic Kingdom from the comfort of their homes—any time, day or night.
• #IsolationCreation: On Instagram, creators are sharing their #isolationcreation, the things they’ve created during the pandemic in all different mediums—photography, painting, crafts, food, and more.

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