The Update 4/14 — Who’s winning the quarantine? Part One
A more light hearted look at who’s winning the media and pop-cultural space
by King Williams
Welcome to my freemium newsletter by me, King Williams. A documentary filmmaker, journalist, podcast host and author based in Atlanta, Georgia.
This is a newsletter covering the hidden connections of everything in the world of Atlanta from urbanism, to politics and entertainment.
My apologies, this week has been much busier than expected. Throughout the day, I’ll be releasing all of the missing updates from Tuesday-Friday, culminating in Saturday’s update.
If you want to read the second half of the list please check out the 4/16 scheduled email, entitled ‘Who's winning quarantine?’ —Part Two
Before we start the biggest winners are the all of the epidemiologists, virologists, health care workers, restaurant employees, first responders, logistics personnel, supply chain workers, news reporters and journalists, in addition to anyone who’s taking on the coronavirus.
These people are all of the true winners, as they are sacrificing their own health and well-being to help others.
This list (in no particular order) is meant to highlight some of the other people, places, things and ideas that are winning during the quarantine.
*Note* ‘winning’ does not = ‘good’, it just means something is currently successful.
I want to repeat this.
WINNING DOES NOT EQUAL ‘GOOD’ and pointing out wins does not = endorsements.
So here is the list of some of the biggest social media, traditional media, business, political and tech winners since the start of quarantine in no particular order:
photo via TIDAL
T-Pain vs Lil’ Jon’s epic 2 1/2 hour Instagram Live producer battle
Legendary producer Lil’ Jon and rapper-turned singer T-Pain turned a boring Saturday night into an actual DJ club battle online. Part of the Verzuz music battle series being coordinated by producers Swizz Beats and Timbaland.
What started on Instagram Live, quickly spread throughout the platform and onto platforms Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, where for the first time the idea of a multi-platform livestream took over. But the ripple would continue for weeks after as there have been thousands of response videos, commentary and new social media plays for both T-Pain and Lil’ Jon.
You can listen to the official playlist on Tidal, as well as user-generated playlists on Spotify and Apple Music.
For what it’s worth (fwiw), take time out to checkout T-Pain on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert in 2014 or at least this medley of some of his songs below:
Mark Cuban vs whoever wants smoke
Mark Cuban, the tech billionaire, vocal NBA owner and most popular member of the TV show Shark Tank, has been full Twitter fingers (@mcuban), since the start of the pandemic here in the US.
Cuban has gained broad appeal across the political and economic spectrum as he has lashed out at corporate bailouts, dubious health insurance companies, corporate price gouging, and any politician within a tweet’s reach.
Cuban was the first US pro-sports owner to publicly state he will pay all lower level employees for the games missed due to the postponement of the NBA season.
He’s quickly becoming the middle ground of Twitter and that’s no small task.
Leslie Jordan’s Instagram account
Leslie Jordan (@thelesliejordan), the diminutive (4’11), but saucy, actor and playwright is known for his roles on Will & Grace and American Horror story, has become Instagrams favorite gay uncle.
Jordan has gained nearly 3 million new Instagram followers since the start of quarantine in the US.
Jordan’s Tennessee accent combined with life stories, celebrity encounters and stir-craziness has brought new fans who come to his account daily for a relief from the stories of today.
Tory Lanez’s #QuarantineRadio
Tory Lanez (@torylanez), the Toronto repping rapper and singer, who in anticipation of his most recent release The New Toronto 3, took to his Instagram Live account for a series of celebrity hangouts, fan love, song challenges and NSFW appearances dubbed #QuarantineRadio.
#QuarantineRadio’s mix of raunchy, rowdy and youthful revelry has made it the most popular livestream in the history of Instagram.
This mix has caused Tory Lanez to be temporarily banned from Instagram, which obviously made it more popular. In the process # drawing the likes of Lizzo, Drake, Rihanna and *checks notes, incarcerated rapper Tekashi 69 in the comments.
DJ D-Nice becoming being the most in-demand DJ on the internet
Dj D-Nice, a member of the pioneering 1980’s hip hop group Boogie Down Productions, turned DJ and entrepreneur broke open live-streaming for the Instagram platform in early March.
Dj D-Nice, created #ClubQuarantine, a series of concerts to bring people together who are currently social distancing. In the process, breaking then-Instagram Live records of viewership by playing a live set for 9-consecutive hours, drawing the likes of Oprah, Rihanna, Ellen, Netflix, the NFL and even Michelle Obama.
When did he use the bathroom?
Tiger King
This list is not even to be respected if Tiger King wasn’t on the list. The 7-part Netflix tour-de-force documentary series has become the most popular program this year. The only thing that’s had more social media mentions and media impressions since the start of the US quarantine is the entry below.
The exploits of three big cat owners, Doc Antle, Carol Baskin and Joe Exotic, has engulfed the nation as escapism at the right time. There’s really no way to even prepare you for Tiger King, you can read the wikipedia, it won’t matter, there is nothing on Al Gore’s internet like this, this is must see tv for the quarantine era.
Dr. Fauci
Anthony Fauci, has lowkey replaced actual Surgeon General Jerome Adams in the nation’s heart as physician-in-chief.
Dr. Fauci is actually the most mentioned person in all of media right now, this is through a very distributed media campaign on educating the public on the dangers, myths and strategies in addressing the coronavirus. This campaign has yielded results as more American’s are getting reliable news on the coronavirus on their media platforms and content creators of choice.
Mona Chalabi
Mona Chalabi, data scientist has been extremely effective in using the medium of Instagram to get the word out about coronavirus, social distancing and a host of other important content via her Instagram page, (@monachalabi). Her content is combining data with easy to understand facts and drawings that is creating micro-viral (no pun intended), content.
This content is allowing the information to ripple far beyond anything on the internet. Part art school, part data scientist, Mona Chalabi is an archetype of the future of distributing information on social media channels.
Andrew Cuomo
For many Andrew Cuomo, the current Governor of New York has become the country’s true leader due to his handling the coronavirus. #PresidentCuomo is now a thing due to his near daily appearances on tv (many with his own brother, CNN anchor Chris Cuomo).
New York City is still the epicenter of the virus and Cuomo’s aggressive, scientifically backed response to the coronavirus has made him the leader many had wanted the current president to be during this time of crisis.
OnlyFans
OnlyFans, the popular video subscription app/website initially started out in 2016 as a platform for social media performers to find a direct-to-consumer business model for video content.
But due to no discernible content restrictions, OnlyFans quickly has evolved into a website that has become a DTC business model for sex workers.
Since the start of the coronavirus and quarantine, millions of people are flocking to the platform, including 3.5 million in March alone. Many of this is due to a recent economic downturn combined with an easier on-boarding of the platform.
Couples, your co-worker, your friend and more people than you know are either starting OnlyFans accounts or are becoming more aware of what it is. But this isn’t as lucrative or easy as it seems, but for many this is the only real option right now.
In the era of social distancing, you can only expect this to continue to grow.
Zoom
Zoom is now the most valuable web video company ever. Since the start of the quarantine starting in China in January of this year.
Zoom has grown from 10 million users in December 2019, to more than 200 million users by the end of March 2020. Zoom’s user friendly interface and easy set up has helped Zoom attract over 90,000 schools who have been using the feature for online courses, on top of businesses and daily peer-to-peer networks.
It’s not all good, as the company has been the target of hackers, not to mention Zoomboming where people hijack a conversation, and privacy issues. This is on top of Microsoft retooling its own Zoom competitor, Microsoft Teams as well as competitors House Party, But right now that doesn’t matter, Zoom is still growing and the company is addressing all of these issues.
Animal Crossing
The 20+ year children’s video game has hit a new level of awareness as people bored from quarantine and current games on the market have went to the children’s game in droves. Not since the rise of PokemonGo in 2015 or Fortnite in 2018 has a video game broken out into mainstream society.
The easy to play game is exactly what you think it is, young school aged children must help an island of anthropomorphic animals and is the type of carefree, wholesome content that’s been a welcomed distraction.
Despite the quarantine across the world, Animal Crossing is leading to millions of people purchasing a Nintendo Switch gaming console.
Women World Leaders at responding to the coronavirus
Name a country that has had a good response to the coronavirus, chances are it’s headed by a woman. Germany, South Korea, Taiwan, New Zealand, Findland, Singapore, or Iceland, all women led.
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen raised the alarm and started moving in December, the results have been so good that Taiwan is now instructing other countries on how to do the same. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has moved so successfully on the coronavirus response, that country maybe the closest to eliminating it outright.
…But her emails…
Honorable mentions:
Everyone avoiding conspiracies
Chick-Fil-A
People with kids and managing not to go crazy
There’s really no telling what happens next, but for your sake, please pray, get rest, find some happiness and realize that the best thing about crisis is that ends.
-KJW
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