Entertainers at Home: How the Entertainment Industry Adjusts During Quarantine
By : Alexis Elmore
In the midst of a worldwide pandemic that has left more than 6 million unemployed, entertainers are getting creative on how to interact with viewers while industry workers fear no future employment.
Live studio audiences for popular shows like Saturday Night Live and Wheel of Fortune have been canceled for the next few weeks as the nation, including entertainers, isolate. adjusts to COVID-19 procedures, which in several states means shelter at home.
Due to the increase of stay-at-home orders and spike in interim unemployment across the United States, now more than ever people are turning to streaming services, social media and TV to be entertained.
Talk show hosts, including Ellen and Jimmy Fallon, have moved to social media to air at-home versions of their shows. Their short shows consist of video-chatting guests and making light of the quarantine, encouraging viewers to stay inside and follow CDC guidelines.
Actors and actresses are also using their platforms on Instagram and Facebook to help to raise money for organizations such as No Kid Hungry and Feeding America.
Singer John Legend and rapper Swae Lee are among several musicians to put on virtual concerts for their fans on Instagram. The cancelation of large events and mass gatherings, such as concerts, have been postponed due to the contribution to the spread of the virus.
The music industry is not alone in the cancelation of upcoming events. The New York Post reported that all film companies including Netflix and Warner Brothers have paused all production and future film releases due to the coronavirus.
Thousands of entertainment industry workers are fearful of not having a job to return to in the future, according to a NBC News report.
Many of these employees live from paycheck to paycheck, which means the coronavirus halts future work they and their families depend on.
“This is comparable to the [Great] Depression for us, there are no jobs in our wheelhouse. Everyone is really scared,” actor Mike Ferguson said in an interview with NBC News.
Independent and hourly workers employment will be impacted during this time as studios recover from financial loss . Looking for a job during this time will be difficult, especially in the service industry
There are many organizations and resources available that offer entertainment industry workers resources during this time of unemployment, according to a LA Times article.
As trade unions and guilds work to assist members in event of emergencies, there is still no clear sign of what the future holds for these workers.
