University of Washington Moving Classes Online; From Mona Lisa to James Bond, Coronavirus Halts Attractions
BALDWIN: It started with the shuttering of the Disney resort in Shanghai. Then it wasn't long before all of Asia's Disney themed parks were closed. As the coronavirus outbreak grows, we're starting to see the different ways it will impact our lives and culture from events, to attractions, museums, major tourist destinations that draw visitors from all over the world. Even Paris's famed Louvre was forced to close its doors. Alyssa Rosenberg is a culture columnist with "The Washington Post" and Alyssa, I wanted to talk to you just about your op-ed this week where you wrote about this affecting even Mona Lisa and James Bond. How is this affecting our culture both short and long-term?</s>ALYSSA ROSENBERG, CULTURE COLUMNIST, THE WASHINGTON POST: Long-term I think it remains to be seen, but in the short-term, cultural institutions ranging from the Louvre to the Walt Disney Company are having to make decisions about the fact that it's not necessarily a good idea for public health reasons for large numbers of people to get together and spend time in enclosed spaces. And that may be prudent, but it also means that people aren't having the sorts of experiences that bring them together. And you know, with something like the Louvre, people crush in to see the Mona Lisa every year, and yes, it can be annoying to wade through this thicket of cameras in order to try and get a glimpse of one of the world's most famous women. But at the same time the fact that we feel that sort of shared impulse says something about the values that we have in common, and these impulses that we share. And so for people to not be able to have those experiences, denies them that ability to connect with other people, to have a shared experience through art. From a financial perspective, Disney's decision to delay the release of "Mulan" in China but still at this point to go ahead with the release in the United States. Means that a movie that was supposed to be a shared experience across two of the world's largest movie markets and that was really written and shot with an eye towards showing more respect towards Chinese history and Chinese culture in a way that the animated original didn't, that's not going to be a shared experience anymore. That's not going to be something where audiences get to see it for the first time on the same weekend.</s>BALDWIN: Yes.</s>ROSENBERG: It may still have a Chinese premier but it's not going to happen in sync in same way, the discussion won't happen in sync in the same way.</s>BALDWIN: What about, if I can jump in too, you know, spring is knocking on the door, and you have these big music festivals, Ultra Music Festival, Calle Ocho Festival in Miami announced today they're going to be postponed. So far South by Southwest is still on, Coachella's around the corner. What are you hearing about big events like this?</s>ROSENBERG: I mean I think that organizers are having to assess the news as it comes in. And one of the things that's difficult is that we're seeing a lag on reporting of cases. We saw it in Seattle, we're seeing it to a certain extent in New York and now Maryland. And so you know these companies face a lot -- and the people putting on these festivals face a lot of pressure from their insurers to be able to go forward, and they're trying to balance that against the safety of participants. But I think at the end of the day, coronavirus risks making us more lonely and isolated, and this not a moment when that's what we need.</s>BALDWIN: Alyssa, thank you.</s>ROSENBERG: Thank you.</s>BALDWIN: Hillary Clinton is responding to President Trump's criticism of how the Obama administration dealt with testing in the past. It's part of a new interview with our own Fareed Zakaria. She is also weighing in on whether she would campaign for Senator Bernie Sanders if he were to become the Democratic nominee.