Disney
I promised myself I wouldn’t write about the Coronavirus.
It’s not that I’m not taking it seriously — I am, I certainly have begun to wash my hands for 20 seconds as opposed to the traditional five to seven — it’s just that A) there’s plenty of content already out there B) I have nothing intelligent to contribute to the conversation and C) I think it’s just slightlyyy overblown.
As I explained in my previous promise-to-myself-breaking article about the Coronavirus and how it was reported that it may influence the Premier League season, I said this (mind you, those death tolls are outdated, but the point remains):
MRSA, Swine Flu, Bird Flu, SARS, Mad Cow Disease, Ebola, etc, etc, etc — every few years, there seems to be some sort of brief yet intense panic centered around some scary-sounding disease that has harmed way fewer people than it seems.
Did you know that approximately 12,000 – 61,000 people in the United States die of the regular-ass flu every year? Meanwhile, not counting China, the death toll for Coronavirus remains relatively infinitesimal: 13 people have died in South Korea, 14 have died in Itay, and 26 have died in Iran. And yet, here some of us are, acting as though it’s the end of days.
This is to say that while I’m not worried about the coronavirus necessarily killing you or me, I am worried about it causing wild and widespread overreactions i.e. canceling the goddamn shit hole fucking Premier League season right as Liverpool are about to win their first title in 30 years. That’s what bothers me.
And similar to the panic it’s causing in the world of soccer, coronavirus has made yet another declaration of war against mankind, as reports indicate that the spread of the disease could delay the production of Baby Yoda toys.
Hasbro, the maker of several “Star Wars” Baby Yoda toys set to hit stores later this year, confirmed last week that its supply chain is being disrupted by the coronavirus outbreak.
Coronavirus disruptions haven’t hurt production of Baby Yoda toys yet, according to industry expert Jim Silver, CEO of Toys, Tots, Pets & More, a toy industry review website. Silver said he spoke with sources inside the Chinese factories that Hasbro works with.
But Silver said the situation could soon change for the worse — and not just for Baby Yoda. “If things aren’t normal by the time June and July roll around, there will be shortages on a litany of toys. [via CNN Business]
Now — and this is key — this could be a good thing. In theory, the delay of Baby Yoda toys (and the potential delayed release of Mulan) could entice Disney to use some of their incalculable capital to help develop a cure for the rapidly spre… oh who the fuck are we kidding.
Wash your hands, stop touching your face, and listen to your body. Everything will be okay.
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Eric is a New York City-based writer who still isn’t quite sure how he’s allowed to have this much fun for a living and will tell anyone who listens that Gotham City is canonically in New Jersey. Follow him on Twitter @eric_ital for movie and soccer takes or contact him eric@brobible.com