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20: Pandemic Confusion
59 Plays3 years ago
When it comes to the pandemic, it’s time for us to shift to the phase where we stop pretending we’re protecting people and just let folks make their own decisions (originally recorded Oct 2021). For more pods, subscribe on YouTube & iTunes (search Brittany Geneva).
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Transcript
Brittany Returns to Podcasting
00:00:01
Speaker
Hey guys!
00:00:03
Speaker
It is Brittany Geneva. I am back with another very long overdue podcast. This is Geneva says, uh, my podcast that has been off and on since 2018. Um, but I'm on now. So let's just forget about the past.
Pandemic Challenges and Personal Struggles
00:00:20
Speaker
Uh, I, hey guys, like what's going on? I hope everyone's doing well, making it through this crazy time. I hope that like,
00:00:33
Speaker
I hope that people are doing better than I was doing at the beginning of the year. That's part of the reason why I've been so delayed with the pod. Like, well, the middle of the year, like starting in spring until like a month ago, I was
00:00:48
Speaker
I was just all jacked up. 2021 was almost worse than 2020. I mean, if we want to keep it like a full buck, like I was, I was not doing good this year for a variety of reasons. And so I was like, I'm, my goal is to wake up, work, not let my dog have any sort of neglect.
New Beginnings with Coco and Health Focus
00:01:10
Speaker
I got a dog, my baby Coco, she's sitting next to me now and I just love her.
00:01:17
Speaker
keep her healthy, keep myself reasonably healthy. And you know, that was like a win if I was able to accomplish any or all of that. So I am in a much better place though now. And I, that's why I'm back. That's why I'm recording. That's why I'm back.
Navigating Pandemic Frustrations and DC's Reopening
00:01:39
Speaker
Oh my gosh. Oh my, my collar looks a little crazy. Atlanta influences everything. I just got back from Atlanta from homecoming.
00:01:47
Speaker
What a time. And that actually leads me into what the pot is about today because I like today, especially I traveled back from Atlanta today, but I've been having these thoughts for a while, but I'm just, I have gotten to a point in the pandemic that I am like very frustrated with how things are going because it doesn't make any sense anymore. It doesn't make sense. It made sense.
00:02:17
Speaker
even if you didn't like it, it made sense before. Now it's just chaos and it's trash. And I'm like, what the fuck are we doing? Like, what is this? Okay. So we like have the pandemic sort of like proper, I guess, where we were like shut down here in DC. I mean, I can't speak for other parts of the country, but here in DC, like,
00:02:43
Speaker
We had rules and regulations, masking was required, distancing, a lot of stuff was not open. We were in a lockdown. We were still in the pandemic very much. You could feel it. And then vaccines. And again, here in DC, we was...
00:03:07
Speaker
Shoot me up, beam me up, Scotty. I'm ready. Give me the shots. Okay. So as for me and my household, we were vaccinated very early, very quickly, very, you know, like boom, boom. So I was fully vaccinated by the end of April. I think if we count two weeks after my second shot, I think it was the end of April and
00:03:35
Speaker
my friend who lives with me even like earlier than that much earlier than that he was like really really early so like anyways very quick vaccines around the country all of the early adopters like us had been just getting vaccinated so quickly
00:03:52
Speaker
And so, you know, stuff was opening up. DC, the mayor made a huge, you know, show. Hashtag DC is open and, you know, folks are back on U Street and U Street's popping again. And, you know, at that time, all of the, like, events were starting to come back, like, getting booked then for later in the year. So I had, like, a hundred events that I booked
00:04:17
Speaker
in june july for october comedy show festival uh concert like arena concert like i was like is it an event i'm there are you meeting up i'll be i'm in attendance so like
00:04:35
Speaker
everything back to normal, you know, like we're out, we're eating at the restaurant where I'm going to the store and the signs are saying like masks are optional if you're vaccinated and like very much like we're off, we're off this pandemic thing and now we need to like get the economy back going and like all of that.
Delta Variant Disruptions and Renewed Restrictions
00:04:56
Speaker
So we were walking and rolling and then Delta variant and then Delta variant and
00:05:05
Speaker
She was coming through here, fucking shit up. People who were vaccinated, getting sick, people in the hospital, all this stuff, chaos ensues. But what we know is that the numbers show that the people who were getting the worst cases were unvaccinated. 97% of people who were in the hospital needing hospitalization were unvaccinated. And it was at that point
00:05:35
Speaker
When all of society, little parts of society did this, but all of society and like all of these business owners and everything should have said, we're going to we're going to segregate you. I mean, like period, we have an experience for vaccinated and experience for unvaccinated. But instead of doing that, because we're too afraid, God forbid that we offend people.
00:06:03
Speaker
It was, okay, well, now you guys have to go back to masking, go back to distancing, go back to capacity restrictions, which at the time I was like, I am annoyed because this is something that really should only be for unvaccinated people. And vaccinated people should still be able to like do stuff. But okay, we all in this together. So I'm down, I'll do what I have to do.
00:06:33
Speaker
But then since then, and I would say maybe that's like a late summer. So from like, you know, maybe July, August until now, it has been like that the renewed restrictions in name only. And I'm not trying to be a snitch right now. Like I'm not trying to be a snitch, but I am going to establishments that are saying masks are required and you have to wear a mask when you're like,
00:07:02
Speaker
Entering the place and then you go in there and everybody takes their mask off y'all and like I just went to this J Cole concert Mass mass mass required. We got all these emails for the concert. You have to have your mask on Have they motherfucking masks on up in there? I Was like, okay. I really was like, okay Like I'm prepared to go to this concert and have my mask on the whole time kind of sucks But like I'm prepared to do it Y'all know
00:07:33
Speaker
nobody had their mask on up in there. And nobody, like the security people, nobody was saying like, oh, put your, no, nobody had their mask on. So we're up in an arena concert, shoulder to shoulder, you know, singing, belting out J. Cole tunes with no mask on. And you know what? First of all, if anybody is considering judging me in this moment, I don't give a fuck.
00:07:59
Speaker
I'm vaccinated and I trust Pfizer, okay? And my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. So I'm gonna go to the concert because I've already missed a year of concerts, a year plus of concerts. And y'all know I love live music. So don't do me. I am vaccinated. And as soon as I qualify for a booster, I'm not in any of the groups that qualify for a booster. But when I do, boost me up. I'm getting my booster.
00:08:28
Speaker
Okay, anyway, so don't do me. I wanted to go to J. Cole concert, but at the same time, I was shocked to see that like, oh, so they're just like not enforcing the masking here at all. So I'm out in like the streets, like out, you know, at the club, at the lounge, like at the spot, and they're saying masks are required, but they're absolutely not requiring masks. They're not doing any capacity limitations. It's wall to wall.
00:08:56
Speaker
Everything is happening like normal, but just with the lie of saying that they require masks same thing at the concert I'm traveling to and from Atlanta this weekend it y'all it was so fucking packed like I
00:09:12
Speaker
that part, it's almost like I'm not like to me at this point, I will admit I'm not breaking any rules. But I will admit that I'm very tired of wearing a mask for the simple fact that it feels pointless at this point.
00:09:29
Speaker
But I still don't want things to be that crowded. And I'm like, bruh, the airport is mobbed. Like the Atlanta airport especially is like wall to wall people. The flight is wall to wall people. So you're gonna make me wear a mask on the flight. You're gonna make me wear a mask in the airport. But look at how many people are here. Is that not in and of itself like defeating the purpose? One, because
00:09:58
Speaker
where there's just still so many people in a crowded space, but also too, because this many people are moving around. And whenever we get to where we're going, we're not going to have to wear masks. I got to Atlanta for homecoming and I didn't have to wear a mask at all the whole weekend. I brought my mask with me everywhere and I never had to wear it except in the airport.
Debating Mask Efficacy and Social Distancing
00:10:19
Speaker
So what is the point? What is the point if there's so much not only
00:10:27
Speaker
inconsistency, but like lying. I mean, like, what is the point if we're just going to like have a front of wearing masks, but we're not really doing it or say that we're distancing? Like I'm literally in the spot where they have the little social distancing things on the ground. By the way, did had, did anybody else notice that those things, even at the beginning of the panty were never six feet apart?
00:10:53
Speaker
It was three feet at best. This is not, these little stickers you putting on the ground is not six feet apart. Why are we doing this? Why are we lying? So anyways, these same establishments now, please observe social distancing. We've put stickers on the ground for you. Ain't nobody doing that. People is just standing. So at this point I'm getting annoyed because
00:11:20
Speaker
It's one thing if we had actually gone back to the restrictions that were in place before the vaccines came out, but now people are just saying they're going back to the restrictions and not actually going back, in which case, what is the point of even fucking saying it so I can stop playing games and bring in my mask with me and it's like.
00:11:43
Speaker
Let's just stop lying. Let's just stop pretending that we are still trying to observe some safety in this. And instead, what we need to be doing is saying hi.
00:11:56
Speaker
For vaccinated people, please bring your vaccine card. We'll check it. If you're vaccinated, have a nice day. If you're not, you have to wear your mask. We're gonna give you a wristband. And this is something that has happened. I know someone who went somewhere and this was required. If you did not have a vaccine, you had to wear a wristband. So yes, you had to be pointed out as the unvaccinated person and you had to wear your mask.
00:12:22
Speaker
And as much as businesses and establishments don't want to have to do that, they should be doing that because it is stupid for us to keep like being in this place of like, yeah, yeah, yeah, we're we're observing restrictions. No, you're not. You're trying to get back to business. You're trying to get back to making money. You want people out on Friday night buying drinks and twerking in your club. And honestly, OK, that's.
00:12:52
Speaker
but don't pretend like, oh, but we're requiring masking. No, you're not. So if you want to do the responsible thing, you should say, well, we're requiring vaccines and you have to show your vaccine just like you show your ID at the door. So that's what's annoying me. And this is not even a podcast promoting vaccines because we're not even going to get into that. I took my vaccine as you, as I have said,
00:13:21
Speaker
And I will take the booster if it comes out. And I'm not interested in any conversation about pro-vax versus anti-vax because I think that that's futile if you haven't made up your mind at this point. If you still don't believe in the vaccine, okay, I don't care. I mean, honestly, get out of my face, but.
00:13:37
Speaker
What I do care about is I'm trying to live my life and you unvaccinated people continuing to get sick from COVID are fucking my shit up now. So yeah, yeah, now I'm selfish. Now I'm selfish about it because I don't want to still have to move in this way when I'm safe and you're not. Because even the, I do know vaccinated people who have gotten COVID and they were sick for a little while and then they were better.
00:14:07
Speaker
And that is how that almost always works. We know the cases we saw. Someone like Colin Powell, everyone's saying, oh my God, he had many, many underlying issues. He was older, he had cancer, as well as another disease. I can't remember off the top of my head, but he had two chronic diseases and was old. So he was certainly not like the best, you know, like he's not,
00:14:36
Speaker
Hey, Coco back there. Um, he was not a representation of like, you know, everybody who's who might get sick from COVID, but have the vaccine. So at any rate, it's just something that the numbers show the cold, hard facts that people who get the vaccine and get COVID
00:15:00
Speaker
Fast majority of the time make it out that and so that being understood let us go out and live and We'll take that chance and then there might there are still gonna be vaccinated people who still don't want to take the chance Who are still like I'm gonna be masked up. I still want to be distanced I still don't want to be out like that and that's also fine like By all means but what I am saying is that for those of us who are vaccinated we have been like locked down for a while and we're ready to get back out and
00:15:29
Speaker
It's annoying that these like fake rules are still in place just to placate people who, because you don't wanna just go ahead and say, you know, really only vaccinated people should be doing this. Like at the end of the day, I ain't gonna hold y'all. I'm ready to take my mask off in the plane. I'm ready to take, girl, are you okay? I'm sorry, she over there, I don't know what's going on. But I'm ready to take my mask off in the plane. I'm ready to take my mask off in the airport.
00:15:58
Speaker
I'm ready to take my mask off in the grocery store. Because at the end of the day, I have just as much exposure to COVID when I go to the club and I didn't have to take my mask off. Or I didn't have to put a mask on. When I go to the concert and I didn't have to put a mask on. When I'm in the airport, even though people have masks on, they're not wearing them right, they're noses out.
00:16:20
Speaker
everything is out and we're wall to wall on the little airport train. I still have just as much exposure to COVID. So why are we even like, my chances are not reduced. So why are we even playing this game anymore?
00:16:34
Speaker
I'm going to get tested after this trip. I pray I don't get COVID. I did not. I don't feel bad. I don't feel different. But you know what? If I did, that was the risk that I took as a vaccinated person saying, I'm going to go out into the world because I don't want to miss another homecoming. Right. And at that point, I think we just need to be honest with ourselves as a society and make that shift and say, like,
00:16:58
Speaker
look if you're vaccinated come on out girl because you're doing it anyway and now we're just lying to ourselves about it. Does this make sense? Like I hope I'm saying this the way it sounds in my head because I'm like
00:17:12
Speaker
I'm not trying to say that there should be no more restrictions. I'm trying to say we need to just get honest about what it means to be vaccinated versus unvaccinated and the restrictions need to be for the unvaccinated people. And that's not me trying to be ugly. That's just me looking at the science and like the numbers and saying, those are the folks who are actually at risk. Those are the folks that we're protecting because it's not making me any difference. You know, like even if I get COVID,
00:17:42
Speaker
I feel confident saying like, I ain't going to be in the hospital. I'm a, and then be, you know, get, get back to business. But an unvaccinated person, if they get Delta, like she was running through here very savagely. So it is a risk, but it is a bigger risk for an unboxing unvaccinated population. And why do I have to move diff? Why do I have to move backwards? Because that population.
00:18:12
Speaker
is still choosing not to be vaccinated. You know, I hope it don't sound judgy, but even if it does, that's also fine. I'm just saying that we're playing this game. We're doing this, oh yeah, we're trying to keep everybody protected, but we're not. We're trying to get back to the money. People are trying to get back to the fun.
00:18:31
Speaker
These places are asking for masks, but not really making you wear them. If the airport is packed, what are we gaining by telling people to wear a mask in the airport? Because all these people moving about the country is like still helping to spread whatever COVID may be in their body. Like the plane is still packed. Like even at the restaurant, when they'd be like, Oh, you have to wear your mask at the table. I mean, you have to wear your mask when you walk around, but not at the table.
00:19:02
Speaker
Did that prevent the spread of COVID? I'm like, did it? Did it? Yum. Anyway, so this was a very ranty, I feel like this was one of my rantier podcasts, but
Audience Engagement and Social Media Connections
00:19:23
Speaker
I'm annoyed. I'm ready to take my mask off. That's like the real tea. I am so tired. It's messing up my lip gloss. I'm ready to take the mask off. So anyways, you guys, I am very happy to be back at the microphone. I'm thankful to anybody who listens to this. I appreciate any feedback, any thoughts. Okay, so do follow me on social media, Brittany.
00:19:51
Speaker
underscore Geneva on Instagram and Twitter. I'm also wondering if I, about creating like another, not another, because I technically haven't created the first one, but opening up a space for conversation, like maybe it's like on Reddit, or it's like a group chat discord, I don't know. TBD on that, but
00:20:18
Speaker
As I start to get back into this, and I do want conversations to happen afterwards, maybe I create a Reddit or something. I don't know. Anyways, I'm throwing that out there. I'm stealing that from another podcast that I love, Higher Learning with Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay, a wonderful pod. Please listen to it. They have a subreddit, and I really like it. I really like talking to the community on there about the stuff that they talked about on the pod. So anyways.
00:20:48
Speaker
Um, that's it for me. Um, thank you so much for listening slash watching if you looked at the video and have a wonderful rest of your day and rest of your life. Okay. Bye.