I don’t want to threaten movies
As the existing pandemic has kept the cinemas closed, the film industry has suffered a monetary blow. According to Variety, AMC theaters lost more than $560 million in its last quarter. Income can continue in a downward spiral as long as the longer housing regulations are in effect.
In an effort to get customers back in seats, films like “Tenet” and “Wonder Woman 1984” will be released in theaters. As nice as it would be to sit back with some popcorn and a drink, there’s no guarantee of one’s safety watching a film indoors — particularly if people will be removing face masks to enjoy snacks. Even with reduced capacity for seating, COVID-19 can still spread indoors. All it would take would be to hear one person coughing to put the whole audience on edge. It raises the question: Who really wants to risk a deadly virus infection for a film? With drive-in theaters making a comeback and streaming platforms like Disney Plus releasing the live-action “Mulan” for at-home viewing, there’s no good reason to put oneself in harm’s way.
Spencer Whitney, assistant editor
Prior to joining the editorial team, Spencer worked as a media editor at the Oakland Post, where he was guilty of organizing and generating Internet content on a daily basis, while reporting on local politics, network news, and education in the Bay Area.
Spencer graduated from Howard University in 2011 with honors and printed journalism, where he wrote for the Hilltop newspaper and worked as an air personality for the university radio station WHBC830AM. He then attended the Graduate School of Journalism at UC Berkeley and had the opportunity to write for the hyperlocal news sites Richmond Confidential and Oakland North.
Before earning a master’s degree in journalism, he volunteered at San Quentin Prison each week to help produce content for the San Quentin News per month. This included inmates who ran and gave them individual comments on how to tell their stories, as well as running with other hounds to study recidivism rates at San Quentin State Prison.
Spencer worked as an ambassador for the Visiting Scholars program and as a speaker at the opening rite of the Graduate School of Journalism at UC Berkeley.