Part of the humor of the clip is imagining the behind-the-scenes decisions that led to the studio setup. NBC, the network that broadcasts the show, is betting that its at-home viewers, on-air talent and, presumably, advertisers would prefer a ludicrously distanced audience to none at all.
Entertainment institutions are desperate to recreate experiences that scan as normal, but they sometimes miss the mark. The humor is heightened further by the morbid reality lurking beneath: The show must go on, even when audiences have to be isolated from the host, the crew and each other to avoid any unnecessary human contact amid a pandemic.
Like, what is this, Black Mirror? Mr. Roehl asked, rhetorically.
Its also impossible to watch the clip without being reminded of the extent to which participating in society now entails, more often than not, floating in a virtual tank with a bunch of other disembodied heads. The clips viral afterlife strangely echoes what takes place within it: Here we are, sharing the video on Twitter and Slack, another captive audience in our discrete boxes, smiling and laughing at the on-screen action.
We never thought that we would be living in a time like this, Mr. Roehl said. Were turning into the world that we never thought it would be. Its kind of crazy!read more
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