Tiger King. Livestream concerts. Embarrassing ourselves trying to learn TikTok dances.
When COVID-19 was officially declared a pandemic a year ago Thursday, many turned to pop culture for some normalcy and distractions in the face of uncertainty. The pandemic isn't over, but the entertainment industry has continued to provide new obsessions over the course of the past year.
We're looking back on the entertainment we consumed when the pandemic was made official, compared to what pop culture moments we're excited about in the present and near future.
Then: 'Tiger King'
Netflix's wild true-crime docuseries "Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness" reigned supreme at the beginning of COVID-19 lockdowns in the U.S. The story of Joe Exotic vs. Carole Baskin and all the other equally eccentric side characters sparked memes, Halloween costumes, spinoff series and momentarily helped people escape from the real-time "mayhem" happening amid the pandemic.