Media Events, “Pandemic Tv,” and the Ruse of the Postracial

Abstract

This introductory chapter argues that television programs and films streamed during the 2020 lockdown, such as Tiger King, Waco, and Contagion etc., constitute a cycle of programming called “Pandemic TV,” which fed into other media discourses surrounding the pandemic, and informed audience views of and response to Covid-19 in real time. As part of the Covid-19 media event, programs in the “Pandemic TV” cycle created, shaped, and helped to reinforce prevailing fears of “us” and “them.” “Pandemic TV” buttressed and exploited an affective experience among a white populace, a feeling or sense of white vulnerability or loss--“Imperiled Whiteness.” Utilizing a convergence/transmedia approach, this chapter examines how popular entertainment media works in tandem with other forms of media, including news media and social media, as well as political discourse on the left and right to circulate meanings around race, culture, and difference in society at large.