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7. The Vibes of Chaos: Booze and Netflix and Sex-Toys, Oh My!

Comfort, pleasure, distraction from pain and chaos—this is the most natural of human impulses. And if ever the conditions were set for studying the effect of societal pain and chaos on our pleasure-seeking, pain-numbing noggins, it’s now. Welcome to the pandemic age.

Effect 1: Investing in Booze

Booze—it’s the original pain killer, the ultimate anesthesia, the tried and true method of fuzzing every feeling. (This is a truth I’ve experienced first hand, thank you very much; see, e.g. The Book of Waking Up and Coming Clean.) It should come as no surprise, then, that in the wake of the anxiety and panic producing pandemic, alcohol sales are solid. According to the New York Post,

“US sales of alcoholic beverages have risen 55 percent in the week ending March 21, according to Nielsen data. Hard alcohol, such as gin, tequila and premixed cocktails, is on the top of the pour list, and spirits have seen the highest increase with sales jumping 75 percent compared to the same period last year.

Allow me to remove any doubt: In a bear market, liquor runs with the bulls.

Effect 2: Streaming Surge

Tiger King—it’s the Netflix COVID phenomenon. (As of the writing of this post, I’ve not begun the series.) A trusted source (read: All of Twitter) informs me it’s the kind of absurdist, chaotic, surreal phenomenon that only makes sense in an absurdist, chaotic, surreal environment. And thanks in part to this modern expression of American insanity, Netflix broadband share is surging, perhaps beyond the internet’s capacity. In fact, in response to the usage spike caused by Netflix users, the company announced it would cut traffic by 25% in some places to relieve the pressure on internet infrastructure.

Effect 3: The Other Kind of Entertainment

The data on booze and entertainment streaming might prove the point, but consider the oldest, most primal sort of pleasure producing activity. Consider the Down and Dirty, the Big Nasty, the Old Roll in the Hay. A recent article reported a certain sex-toy manufacturer saw a 50 percent rise in sales since the COVID-19 outbreak. In a recent interview, Johanna Rief, head of sexual empowerment for sex-toy producer Womanizer, said,

“Of course, we didn’t anticipate a surge in sales due to coronavirus… We do know that time is an essential factor when it comes to sexuality and self-pleasure. With the prospect of long periods at home either alone or with your partner, people are exploring new ways to make the best of the time available.”

(This, of course, is to say nothing of porn consumption, which has also experienced a surge in the age of social distancing.)

Booze, entertainment, and sex—these were the things we consumed in mass quantities during the pandemic. These things and toilet paper, which might be the ultimate comfort purchase in a generally shitty age.

But why all this comfort consumption? Why stock up on booze and sex toys and rolls of Charmin? For that, let’s turn to the problem. Let’s turn to the pain.

To Be Continued…

Join me tomorrow (and for the foreseeable future) as I continue my Pandemic Supplement to The Book of Waking Up. And if you haven’t grabbed a copy of The Book of Waking Up: Experiencing the Divine Love that Reorders a Life, grab a copy. And yes, Amazon has slowed down book shipments, so considering purchasing it from Bookish, Fort Smith or grabbing a digital copy for Kindle or Nook.