As we all know, the Coronavirus has spread among the world very rapidly. Upholding the title of a pandemic, it has forced countries into quarantine. This makes it so that people must stay home, work from home, and entertain themselves from home.  

People have gotten creative in finding ways to amuse themselves. Firstly, a Netflix original aired named “Tiger King”. This show has brought people major excitement. It contains a man named Joe Exotic and a woman named Carole Baskin who both own exotic animals. As the title suggests, their focus is tigers.  

They are enemies from Wynnewood, Oklahoma and our own home, Tampa, Florida. The show follows them around their zoo and “sanctuary” as Baskin calls hers. Throughout the show, the cameras follow them through their mid-life angst against one another.  

The more you watch, the crazier it gets. It follows conspiracies of the animal owners, one of the most infamous being that Baskin killed her late husband and fed them to their tigers. She denies it on screen but shows immense clues to lead people to think otherwise.  

Her husband happened to be a millionaire who allegedly “disappeared”. Every time Baskin is questioned about the death of her late husband, she always seems to have a dim smile growing across her face. She also mentioned that if anyone was “going to kill someone with a tiger they’d use sardine oil”. Only a murderer would know that if you ask me.  

Another crazy incident among the show is that Joe Exotic hired a hitman to kill Carole Baskin. Even though it was a failed attempt, Exotic is currently in prison, serving his 22 sentenced years. All the drama among the Netflix original has captivated the show’s viewers. The tv show has hit the news, being talked about on CNN, the New York Times, Fox News and more.  

Even our own President, Donald Trump has been questioned if he will pardon Joe Exotic because the “animal enthusiast” was wrongly convicted of his crimes. Trump mentioned he hasn’t seen the show and asked why Joe Exotic was serving his 22 years. After learning it is for 17 counts of animal abuse and 2 counts for murder for hire, Trump said he will “Look into it”.  

Another way people have been entertaining themselves is by following trends on the app TikTok. TikTok, which was once known as Musical.ly, involves creating short videos with a soundtrack on top. Most users of the app dance, lip sync, and create content of their own.  

One of the trends going around was the mugshot trend where users would put on makeup and take fake mugshots of themselves. The makeup would look messy and distressed, as one would look after being arrested. The users who did this trend not only include students from our school, but social media influencers like James Charles.  

Another trend that I’ve seen being followed on the app is point of view videos. An example of this trend that I’ve seen is usually captioned with things like,“Point of view: When you turn 18, the number of miles that your soulmate is away from you, appears on your wrist”.  

The user would then create a video of a situation of the number on their wrist either getting lower or higher. These videos can also come in many parts to keep the audience on the edge of their seat and coming back to the account for more.  

Another trend I’ve seen is people remodeling a room in their home, an old shed, or even basements. The users on the app will walk you through their remodeling process, usually consisting of multiple parts. 

An example of many I’ve seen are videos of girls turning their old tool sheds into a “She-shed”. They will repaint, refurnish and remodel the existing shed into one where their friends can hang out after quarantine ends. They usually have lights strung around the roofing, an accent wall, and bean bags or cozy blankets to keep them comfortable.  

One last way people have been entertaining themselves is by exercising. Many people have reported going on walks with their families to get out of the house. Not only is it a fun way to distract yourself from the hardships going on during the pandemic, it keeps your blood flowing after sitting at home all day.  

People take their dogs on walks, go for runs and do at-home workouts in their backyard. On social media, I’ve noticed a lot of people taking bike rides, walks, or rollerblade rides down Bayshore. It keeps your heart pumping and allows you to enjoy a nice view of our city! 

People even have “quarantine buddies” like their dogs or little cousins. They’ve snapped pics of them walking their dog and with family members in strollers. These quarantine exercises account for a healthy way to have fun with your family. It is a way to bond and enjoy those around you even after being cooped up in a house all day long.  

I find myself sitting in bed all day on my phone, watching tv, or doing homework. Taking a walk outside is refreshing and good for those like me who get zero exercise throughout the day. It gets my blood flow going and encourages me to eat healthier as well.  

At the end of the day, even though quarantine has been bringing our moods down, there are many ways to keep everyone entertained. Binge a show on Netflix, try a new trend on social media, or go on a walk to benefit from the fun all three of these will bring. Distract yourself from the pandemic and make good use of the time you have.