One of the many trends observed since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic was a surge in entertainment consumption. Programs that people wanted to see are successful and the lists of movies you have to watch are getting less by the day. A specific program that has hit many together is Ted Lasso, the story of an American College Football coach who became Premier League manager.
The program was originally based on a Jason Sudeikis character from NBC Sports commercials aired by the time NBC acquired rights to Premier League matches. What these ads did not convey, however, are the intricate emotions that Ted Lasso (played by Sudeikis) has to deal with with an overseas step, a strong career transition and a painful divorce.
It is perhaps this last remark that made the character particularly poignant for Sudeikis, who recently divorced actress Olivia Wilde. In some ways, therefore, it makes sense that on the eve of The Golden Globes, where Sudeikis received the award for best actor in a music or comedy TV series, he wore a tie-colored hoodie while wearing a blue eye stumbled the acceptance speech. To speculate about the status of someone else’s mental health seems unwise, but to see Sudeikis on a screen with other nominees wearing different sizes of black tie outfits was a serious reminder that quarantine (and the painful Zoom calls that regularly became a part of our reality)) began to take its toll on many.
As year two of COVID begins, the statistics are already striking. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation4 out of 10 adults (and 56% of young adults) reported symptoms of anxiety or depression (compared to 1 in January 10, 2019). Also, 13% of adults reported new or increased substance use due to stress with pandemic, and 11% of adults reported suicidal thoughts in the first month of 2021.
According to the CDC, The incidence of anxiety disorder was approximately three times higher than that reported in the second quarter of 2019 (25.5% vs. 8.1%), and the incidence of depression was approximately four times higher than in the second quarter. quarter of 2019 (24.3% versus 6.5%). ”
Of course, as you may have guessed, the most vulnerable and voiceless members of society are usually the hardest hit. Young adults are almost twice as likely to report drug abuse and suicidal thoughts. Women with children who are at home due to school closure are more likely to report symptoms of anxiety than men. And communities of color, which are already facing challenges when it comes to accessing mental health care, are more likely to report symptoms of depressive disorder than white adults.
Studies are constantly warning that as the pandemic continues to exist, people’s public health measures will continue to expose people to situations related to poor mental health, such as isolation and job loss. This is a reminder that the vaccine simply cannot be spread fast enough. While frontline workers are constantly working to find the right vaccines for the right people, there is a bias that something else is waiting on the horizon.
The vaccine may in fact indicate the ‘end’ of one pandemic and the ‘beginning’ of another. If we think back to Ted Lasso, viewers now have to admit that more is happening behind the scenes than they originally realized. Jason Sudeikis plays a heartbreaking yet joyful character, while at the same time experiencing his own personal challenges in the light of every day as a comic actor at work.
Much more is happening beneath the surface of COVID-19 than we may realize or understand, which is admittedly somewhat frightening. This pandemic was already bad enough, there is no need to add another layer. But if the human ingenuity that made the vaccine available in such a short time is anything to go by, then it is that challenges often bring out the best in humanity.
In that sense, perhaps Ted Lasso, and the man who plays him, is a reminder that optimism in the face of challenge is not foolish or naive – it’s actually the only way to live.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the views of The Daily Wire.
The Daily Wire is one of America’s fastest growing conservative media companies and countercultural stores for news, opinions and entertainment. Access The Daily Wire inside through a member.