Who is popular today?

People may seem to be dividing into rival camp of ‘lockdown lovers’ and ‘anti-maskers’. But the truth is far more complex
Among the many things the Covid-19 pandemic has taught us is that certain celebrities will go to great lengths to avoid a boring birthday. Rita Ora threw a “small” party for 30 guests a week into her supposed two-week, post-travel quarantine. And Sky News’s Kay Burley led a birthday gathering from a club to a restaurant and finally back to her house. Both were prepared to risk their careers for the sake of a few hours of fun. While a part of us might want to see these people suitably punished, we may also be honest enough to recognise that our own corona track record has been less than perfect. (If this doesn’t apply to you, congratulations, you divine freak.)
Perhaps we can deduce from all this that people’s attitudes towards rules and laws are neither simple nor necessarily logical. On the one hand we might wish to live in a kind, cooperative, trusting society. But on the other we may resent the irritating hindrances to freedom that this sort of society demands. What if there’s a deadly virus doing the rounds just when we want to invite all our friends over to make a fuss of us? Do we sit at home and do as we are told, or privilege pleasure-seeking over prudence? If it’s the former, do we risk turning into sour-faced Covid snitches? If we opt for the latter, will we be scapegoated for doing what so many others wish they had the balls to do? (Or may even have got away with in secret.) Continue reading...