Editorial | Give the entertainment industry a reason to dance

The entertainment industry, which largely depends on crowd support, has been hard hit by a pandemic that forbids public gatherings and urges social distancing. Restaurants, theatres, sporting activities, music events, and other forms of entertainment have been in virtual lockdown since March 2020.

Events associated with seasonal celebrations like Christmas and the New Year were postponed or cancelled in 2020, as the coronavirus surged and retreated and resurged, eventually choking the life out of an industry which sustains thousands of workers in hospitality, tourism, marketing and advertising.

Jamaica is often described as party central, in recognition of the vital role that art and culture play in society. This explains why not even fears of COVID-19 could have kept celebrity basketballer Dwyane Wade and his film star wife Gabrielle Union from coming to Jamaica earlier this month to celebrate his milestone birthday. Even so, there is full agreement that the pandemic has thoroughly upended Jamaica’s storied entertainment scene.

Given the dire state of the industry, we understand the urgent appeal by key players for Government to give them the green light to open up. In making their case, they have argued that, while revenue has dried up, they have had to meet commitments such as rent and salaries, which are bleeding them dry. And they pleaded on behalf of their idle workers.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has said, while he is sympathetic to the plight of the sector, the situation demanded “extreme caution”. He has promised to return to the House of Representatives with his response. We agree with a cautious approach in light of the fact that more contagious variants of the coronavirus have sparked concern among health officials that vaccines now in use may be less effective against them

Let’s be frank. In pre-COVID-19 times, segments of the entertainment industry got a fair amount of flak for breaking the rules designed to encourage civil living. They do this by ignoring shut-off time for events, turning a blind eye to expletive-laced lyrics of their entertainers without due regard for those within earshot, and playing music at several decibels above the level where sleep is possible. For a long time, people who live in entertainment zones have felt like prisoners of the entertainment industry.

Challenges with Opening

Opening will not be easy for social-distancing venues will not be able to accommodate capacity audiences, which ultimately affects the bottom line. Additionally, show promoters will have to bear additional costs for cleaning and sanitising venues, and perhaps even offering masks to people who turn up without face coverings.

With nearly 16,000 Jamaicans sickened by the virus and nearly 400 dead, and with no vaccine supply in sight, can we really afford to open the floodgates? An additional headache is that variants found in the UK, South Africa and Brazil are said to be highly transmissible.

No one can predict how the coronavirus will behave or even when it will slow down, but one thing is certain: how we respond to this crisis will have lasting implications for the entire country. The entertainment industry’s relationship with citizens can take a step forward if it considers how it can be more responsible and responsive to the persons who are affected by the production and delivery of its offerings. The industry should fully embrace a mission to educate its fans and workers.

The pandemic has challenged us all, so much so that we may have forgotten how to dance. Now the entertainment industry wants to give us a reason to dance. We should allow it while exercising extreme caution.