COVID-19 pandemic in popular culture

References to the COVID-19 pandemic in popular culture began while the pandemic was still underway. They are distinct from, but overlap with, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the arts and cultural heritage. Background and themes: The COVID-19 pandemic swept the world in the early months of 2020, causing massive economic and social disruption, which is ongoing as of December 2020. In addition to the disease itself, populations often dealt with lockdowns, shortages and pandemic fatigue. This has made the pandemic era a time of exceptional stress. The pandemic has driven some people to seek peaceful escapism in media, but others towards fictional pandemics (i.e., zombie apocalypses) as an alternate form of escapism. Themes include contagion, isolation and loss of control. In media: The pandemic has been woven into the narratives of ongoing pre-pandemic TV shows and made a focus in new ones, with mixed results. Writing about the upcoming BBC sitcom Pandemonium on 16 December 2020, The New York Times asked, "Are we ready to laugh about Covid-19? Or rather, is there anything amusing, or recognizable in a humorous way, about life during a plague, with all of its indignities and setbacks, not to mention its rituals (clapping for health care workers) and rules (face masks, please)." In sports: The disruption of sports has been extensive, but the pandemic has also spurred new developments. Polygon's Brian David Gilbert and Secret Base's Kofie Yeboah created a parody sport/e-sport hybrid called surferball, which factored the pandemic's social distancing requirements into its gameplay.