vox--2020-12-11--Netflix’s new musical The Prom won’t solve small-town bigotry. But it’ll have fun trying.

Ryan Murphy ’ s new Netflix adaptation of the 2018 Broadway musical The Prom has a lot to live up to .
The musical garnered a devoted audience and critical acclaim over its short run , as well as seven Tony nominations .
And while it didn ’ t actually win anything , its glitzy tongue-in-cheek showbiz narrative about two girlfriends fighting to attend their high school prom made it perfect fodder for Murphy ’ s small-screen milieu of mixing queer stories with musicals and camp .
On Netflix , The Prom has gotten a glow-up , with its Broadway @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for A-listers across the board , including Meryl Streep and James Corden as aging Broadway divas clinging to relevance by turning to social activism .
Their focus ?
A small Indiana high school where a civil rights battle over prom night leads to a noxious moment of small-town ostracism — one based on an equally ugly true story .
The Prom ’ s solution to the deeply complex problem of American bigotry is to do theater to it .
Its conceit is one part a blatantly romanticized show of optimism wrapped in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part a bittersweet gesture of empathy toward anybody who ’ s grown up as a small-town misfit .
Oh , and it ’ s also a musical comedy in the classic singing/dancing/jokes sense .
I wasn ’ t sold on this concept when The Prom debuted onstage , because it felt too easy , outdated , and possibly even exploitative .
And I had my doubts about whether Murphy would be able to more successfully meld the show ’ s exploration of queer identity with its over-the-top Broadway fantasy .
But while the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the stage version , the small-screen treatment blessedly works just fine : The jokes land , the cast is superb , the score is still charming , and fans of the show will have little to complain about .
A small town ’ s furor over gay rights becomes a dramedy of errors when Broadway stars arrive Our story opens in the middle of a two-fold crisis .
At James Madison High , the local PTA , headed by an angry mom ( Kerry Washington ) , has just voted to cancel the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ request to attend the dance with her girlfriend .
The principal ( Keegan-Michael Key ) vows to petition the courts over the PTA ’ s decision , much to the chagrin of the student herself , Emma ( newcomer Jo Ellen Pellman , cast after a highly publicized nationwide talent search , just as you ’ d expect from the creator of Glee ) .
Meanwhile , in New York , a crew of self-absorbed theater veterans ( Meryl Streep , James Corden , Nicole Kidman , and Andrew Rannells ) is facing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flood of bad reviews .
Newly downtrodden , they decide to embark on a show of social activism to make themselves look good to critics .
Their cause celèbre , chosen entirely at random , is Emma ’ s quest to go to prom with a girl .
The city slickers promptly travel to Indiana and barge into the situation unannounced , with loud , showy messages of tolerance .
“ There will be banners !
And choreography !
” Corden ’ s Barry , himself a gay Midwestern transplant , declares .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I read three-quarters of a news story and knew I had to come , ” and all hell breaks loose .
Initially , the theater troupe just makes things worse , and the film relishes in dipping into some of the more outré cliches of small-town life , like having our heroes perform an ill-advised song about tolerance at a monster truck rally .
But the biggest complication of all is one closer to home : Emma ’ s girlfriend Alyssa ( Ariana DeBose ) , unlike Emma herself , is closeted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the popular girls — and the daughter of the mean PTA mom .
( Before the controversy , going to prom together was intended to be Alyssa ’ s coming-out moment . )
And while our Broadway stars are having their own moments of growth and change as they start to support Emma for real , Alyssa has to decide whether she ’ s really ready to come out and risk the full force of her town ’ s ostracism .
This tension culminates in a punishing moment of full-on hate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have her prom — but at an ugly cost .
The Prom is self-aware about its own escapist fantasy — but it ’ s not always an easy sell When I saw The Prom in previews in 2018 , I felt distinctly like the only buzzkill in an otherwise ecstatic crowd .
It was clear that the show was already beloved by its audience , who fully embraced its Sorkin-esque liberal escapism and its deliberately campy approach to ideological warfare in the American heartland .
But for me , the conceit didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ narratives , one about narcissistic but well-meaning showbiz veterans glomming onto a social justice fad and the other about deep-seated small-town bigotry , didn ’ t fully cohere , and it seemed naive rather than romantic to pretend they could .
It was a version of queer Americana that felt teleported in from the ’ 90s without many updates ; hell , the heartbreaking true story that The Prom is based on was itself nearly 10 years old .
Further , as a queer kid who lived for many years in an Indiana @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gay-friendly places in the nation , I bristled at The Prom ’ s constant treatment of the state , and by proxy the “ flyover states ” at large , as a generic monolith .
Although the entire show is an ironic send-up of misguided white liberalism , it also openly embraces its own white liberal fantasy of tolerance .
The low point in this regard comes when one of the New Yorkers , Trent ( Rannells , looking fully the part of a rejected church youth group leader ) , seamlessly converts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acceptance and love , simply by singing a litany of hypocritical Bible dictums .
It ’ s the kind of argument that only centrist democrats who get their political arguments from The West Wing believe actually works on real Bible belt churchgoers ; but miraculously , in The Prom , it works faster than you can say Leviticus .
Still , it ’ s very clear the show knows it ’ s an escapist fantasy — and that ’ s even clearer in the Netflix adaptation , which sharpens its satirical points throughout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sincere song that screams The Prom ’ s self-awareness about using the theater as an idealized version of reality .
It helps that during the pandemic shutdown of Broadway , The Prom ’ s depiction of New York as a shining mecca of tolerance is as much of an escapist dream as everything else about it .
The film gives us permission to dream big , of a place far , far away — in this case impossibly far away , even if it ’ s just Manhattan .
Murphy has always had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and it ’ s put to good use here .
The big first-act closer , “ Tonight Belongs to Me , ” is both a rousing rip-roaring ensemble dance number and a horror show , as it serves as the big reveal for Emma ’ s punishment , courtesy of the entire student body and their parents .
This moment , which to me felt too glossy and glitzy onstage to fully convey the emotional impact of the town ’ s cruelty , plays better here , scaled down to the pain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moments from the Broadway show also play better on screen , even though they conversely lose scale .
Most notable among them is “ The Lady ’ s Improving , ” the second-act showstopper that Meryl Streep delivers without a lot of accompanying pizazz just by being Meryl Streep .
It ’ s the highlight from a score that frequently slaps , even if the lyrics do a lot of obvious scenery-chewing .
I had , and still have , serious qualms about the decision to model this entire story on an actual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resulted in the student ultimately winning a lawsuit against the school district — after moving away .
It all just feels too easy , easier than it was in real life .
Emma does endure plenty of hardship — like many queer kids , she ’ s kicked out of her house after coming out and the town makes her the scapegoat for the PTA ’ s own intolerance .
But the bright-eyed ease and plucky courage with which she endures this , even forging a bond with Barry over their shared experiences @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The story ’ s insistence that it gets better blares from every chorus , but the complex challenges modern-day queer ( and entirely absent genderqueer ) teenagers face largely feel pushed to the side .
Still , The Prom clearly wasn ’ t intended to be a deep treatise on its subject ; it ’ s a musical comedy , after all .
Instead , it presents itself as a celebration of the optimism and humanity that still thrives in such small towns — despite suggesting that those of us who can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relocate someplace better .
But if that feels jaded , The Prom still has all the cheeky magic of singing and dancing against the backdrop of local hotspots .
If common ground can be found through overblown dance breaks at a Cinnabon or a quiet song at the local Applebee ’ s , the film suggests , perhaps it can be found anywhere .
We might call it the Footloose philosophy of American politics .
It ’ s a patchy , untenable form of resistance , but it ’ s undeniably fun .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @

Ryan Murphy’s new Netflix adaptation of the 2018 Broadway musical The Prom has a lot to live up to. The musical garnered a devoted audience and critical acclaim over its short run, as well as seven Tony nominations. And while it didn’t actually win anything, its glitzy tongue-in-cheek showbiz narrative about two girlfriends fighting to attend their high school prom made it perfect fodder for Murphy’s small-screen milieu of mixing queer stories with musicals and camp.
On Netflix, The Prom has gotten a glow-up, with its Broadway cast of veteran character actors traded up for A-listers across the board, including Meryl Streep and James Corden as aging Broadway divas clinging to relevance by turning to social activism. Their focus? A small Indiana high school where a civil rights battle over prom night leads to a noxious moment of small-town ostracism — one based on an equally ugly true story.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 vox-mark vox-mark vox-mark vox-mark vox-mark
The Prom’s solution to the deeply complex problem of American bigotry is to do theater to it. Its conceit is one part a blatantly romanticized show of optimism wrapped in a love letter to Broadway, and one part a bittersweet gesture of empathy toward anybody who’s grown up as a small-town misfit. Oh, and it’s also a musical comedy in the classic singing/dancing/jokes sense.
I wasn’t sold on this concept when The Prom debuted onstage, because it felt too easy, outdated, and possibly even exploitative. And I had my doubts about whether Murphy would be able to more successfully meld the show’s exploration of queer identity with its over-the-top Broadway fantasy. But while the film has made very few changes to the stage version, the small-screen treatment blessedly works just fine: The jokes land, the cast is superb, the score is still charming, and fans of the show will have little to complain about.
A small town’s furor over gay rights becomes a dramedy of errors when Broadway stars arrive
Our story opens in the middle of a two-fold crisis. At James Madison High, the local PTA, headed by an angry mom (Kerry Washington), has just voted to cancel the spring prom over one student’s request to attend the dance with her girlfriend. The principal (Keegan-Michael Key) vows to petition the courts over the PTA’s decision, much to the chagrin of the student herself, Emma (newcomer Jo Ellen Pellman, cast after a highly publicized nationwide talent search, just as you’d expect from the creator of Glee).
Meanwhile, in New York, a crew of self-absorbed theater veterans (Meryl Streep, James Corden, Nicole Kidman, and Andrew Rannells) is facing a crisis of their own — a flood of bad reviews. Newly downtrodden, they decide to embark on a show of social activism to make themselves look good to critics. Their cause celèbre, chosen entirely at random, is Emma’s quest to go to prom with a girl.
The city slickers promptly travel to Indiana and barge into the situation unannounced, with loud, showy messages of tolerance. “There will be banners! And choreography!” Corden’s Barry, himself a gay Midwestern transplant, declares. LuPone-ish diva Dee Dee Allen intones, “I read three-quarters of a news story and knew I had to come,” and all hell breaks loose.
Initially, the theater troupe just makes things worse, and the film relishes in dipping into some of the more outré cliches of small-town life, like having our heroes perform an ill-advised song about tolerance at a monster truck rally. But the biggest complication of all is one closer to home: Emma’s girlfriend Alyssa (Ariana DeBose), unlike Emma herself, is closeted. In fact, she’s one of the popular girls — and the daughter of the mean PTA mom. (Before the controversy, going to prom together was intended to be Alyssa’s coming-out moment.)
And while our Broadway stars are having their own moments of growth and change as they start to support Emma for real, Alyssa has to decide whether she’s really ready to come out and risk the full force of her town’s ostracism. This tension culminates in a punishing moment of full-on hate, when the town finally allows Emma to have her prom — but at an ugly cost.
The Prom is self-aware about its own escapist fantasy — but it’s not always an easy sell
When I saw The Prom in previews in 2018, I felt distinctly like the only buzzkill in an otherwise ecstatic crowd. It was clear that the show was already beloved by its audience, who fully embraced its Sorkin-esque liberal escapism and its deliberately campy approach to ideological warfare in the American heartland.
But for me, the conceit didn’t quite land. The two narratives, one about narcissistic but well-meaning showbiz veterans glomming onto a social justice fad and the other about deep-seated small-town bigotry, didn’t fully cohere, and it seemed naive rather than romantic to pretend they could. It was a version of queer Americana that felt teleported in from the ’90s without many updates; hell, the heartbreaking true story that The Prom is based on was itself nearly 10 years old.
Further, as a queer kid who lived for many years in an Indiana town well-established as one of the most gay-friendly places in the nation, I bristled at The Prom’s constant treatment of the state, and by proxy the “flyover states” at large, as a generic monolith. Although the entire show is an ironic send-up of misguided white liberalism, it also openly embraces its own white liberal fantasy of tolerance. The low point in this regard comes when one of the New Yorkers, Trent (Rannells, looking fully the part of a rejected church youth group leader), seamlessly converts a bunch of gullible teen bigots into acceptance and love, simply by singing a litany of hypocritical Bible dictums. It’s the kind of argument that only centrist democrats who get their political arguments from The West Wing believe actually works on real Bible belt churchgoers; but miraculously, in The Prom, it works faster than you can say Leviticus.
Still, it’s very clear the show knows it’s an escapist fantasy — and that’s even clearer in the Netflix adaptation, which sharpens its satirical points throughout and gifts Key with a small but sincere song that screams The Prom’s self-awareness about using the theater as an idealized version of reality. It helps that during the pandemic shutdown of Broadway, The Prom’s depiction of New York as a shining mecca of tolerance is as much of an escapist dream as everything else about it. The film gives us permission to dream big, of a place far, far away — in this case impossibly far away, even if it’s just Manhattan.
Murphy has always had a flair for merging camp and pathos, and it’s put to good use here. The big first-act closer, “Tonight Belongs to Me,” is both a rousing rip-roaring ensemble dance number and a horror show, as it serves as the big reveal for Emma’s punishment, courtesy of the entire student body and their parents. This moment, which to me felt too glossy and glitzy onstage to fully convey the emotional impact of the town’s cruelty, plays better here, scaled down to the pain on Pellman’s face.
Other moments from the Broadway show also play better on screen, even though they conversely lose scale. Most notable among them is “The Lady’s Improving,” the second-act showstopper that Meryl Streep delivers without a lot of accompanying pizazz just by being Meryl Streep. It’s the highlight from a score that frequently slaps, even if the lyrics do a lot of obvious scenery-chewing.
I had, and still have, serious qualms about the decision to model this entire story on an actual incident of small-town bigotry, one that resulted in the student ultimately winning a lawsuit against the school district — after moving away. It all just feels too easy, easier than it was in real life. Emma does endure plenty of hardship — like many queer kids, she’s kicked out of her house after coming out and the town makes her the scapegoat for the PTA’s own intolerance. But the bright-eyed ease and plucky courage with which she endures this, even forging a bond with Barry over their shared experiences of isolation, makes her feel one-dimensional. The story’s insistence that it gets better blares from every chorus, but the complex challenges modern-day queer (and entirely absent genderqueer) teenagers face largely feel pushed to the side.
Still, The Prom clearly wasn’t intended to be a deep treatise on its subject; it’s a musical comedy, after all. Instead, it presents itself as a celebration of the optimism and humanity that still thrives in such small towns — despite suggesting that those of us who can do so should find a way to relocate someplace better. But if that feels jaded, The Prom still has all the cheeky magic of singing and dancing against the backdrop of local hotspots. If common ground can be found through overblown dance breaks at a Cinnabon or a quiet song at the local Applebee’s, the film suggests, perhaps it can be found anywhere.
We might call it the Footloose philosophy of American politics. It’s a patchy, untenable form of resistance, but it’s undeniably fun.
The Prom is streaming on Netflix.


vox--2020-12-11--Taylor Swift, pop culture workhorse

Taylor Swift, pop culture workhorse

Taylor Swift ’ s new album Evermore , which dropped at midnight on Thursday in a surprise release , was Swift ’ s second surprise album of 2020 .
It comes after July ’ s heavily acclaimed Folklore and as Swift continues to re-record her old masters ( she teased a bit of the new “ Love Story ” earlier in December ) .
Jesus , you might be forgiven for thinking when Swift announced Evermore less than 24 hours before its release .
Does she ever sleep ?
But this streak of productivity fits into an emerging popular consensus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compelling about Swift , commenters have started to agree , is how much she works , and how seriously she takes that work .
That ’ s a startling contrast to the consensus on Taylor Swift a few years ago , when she was widely considered to be a try-hard whose hard work was off-putting .
“ Taylor Swift isn ’ t very good at indifference , ” remarked one critic in 2017 , concluding that she ’ d probably enjoy Reputation more “ if Taylor Swift wasn ’ t so try hard.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zoladz described a cringey moment of Swift ’ s 1989 concert tour : Swift giving the audience “ the look the young , wide-eyed ingenue gives the twinkling skyscrapers in her coming-of-age movie right after she steps off the Greyhound , ” as all around her the crowd wore light-up plastic bracelets that glowed varying colors and pulsed to the beat of her songs .
“ Do you think Taylor is controlling these with her mind ?
” Zoladz quipped .
And it was the fact that Swift was trying so hard , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see the sweat , that made the moment cringey .
At Jezebel , Jia Tolentino said the regimented , precision-edged sheen of the same concert tour made her think of Swift as “ an animated mannequin , a Rockette on XR Adderall.
” Swift “ is a ruthless , publicly capitalist pop star , ” concluded Gawker in an article headlined “ Taylor Swift Is Not Your Friend.
” The consensus was that Swift was so intent on becoming a megastar that she overshot and came off as fake .
Her Type A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seem calculated .
But even in the 2015 to 2019 era of peak Swift backlash , there was a brewing sense that the same control-freak tendencies were compelling , even admirable , when Swift applied them not to her public persona but to her songcraft .
“ Swift ’ s automatic musicianship — on display only briefly behind a guitar for one song and a piano for another — is as physically magnetic as any choreographed routine , ” wrote Tolentino of that 1989 concert tour .
And the idea that Swift ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but , in fact , a major asset began to cohere around her after the release of Miss Americana , the Netflix documentary about Swift that debuted in January .
As nearly every review noted , one of the most interesting parts of the movie was just watching Swift noodle around on her piano as she wrote her songs .
“ She writes lyrics and melodies rapidly , seemingly without effort , while her collaborators strive to keep up with her pace , ” wrote Rachel Handler for Vulture , noting that Swift @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ME !
” sounded better than the final product .
“ It is a consistent pleasure to watch Swift work , and to behold the joy that spreads across her face as she puzzles through a verse or melody , ” wrote Amanda Petrusich at the New Yorker .
“ Each time she completes a song , she appears to regard it with genuine wonder.
” “ The most arresting stretches of the film are when we see Swift simply doing her work , conjuring up perfectly vague but succinct lyrics as some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her , ” argued Richard Lawson at Vanity Fair .
“ It ’ s a thrill watching her create , because she is so good at that .
That ’ s when the whole thing feels truly organic , unvarnished , not compromised by any attempts at smoothing reality.
” And when Folklore hit in July , it continued this narrative of Swift as a serious craftsperson : someone who put in the work and was good at the work .
Part of what distinguished Folklore from Swift ’ s other recent records @ @ @ @ @ @ @ radio-ready pop .
Instead , it was filled with quieter , stripped-down melodies that allowed Swift ’ s talents as a lyricist to shine .
Moreover , by showcasing that skill while under lockdown , Swift was only further emphasizing her enviable work ethic .
Swift ’ s previous albums , wrote Laura Snapes for the Guardian , had been exhausting , filled with “ the sense that one of pop ’ s all-time greatest songwriters is overcompensating despite her clear talent.
” But with Folklore , all that changed : “ Folklore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the noise.
” “ There ’ s a bit of Rosie the Riveter spirit , ” wrote Chris Willman at Variety , “ in how Swift has become the first major pop artist to deliver a first-rank album that went from germination to being completely locked down in the midst of a national lockdown.
” The idea of the pop star whose hard work and grit become glamorous and aspirational is not new .
Beyoncé , the pop queen of our Rise and Grind era , has perfected it .
But it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that she ’ s finally found a way to channel her workhorse vibes away from the sense of control that animated her backlash period and toward something more meaningful and desirable .
“ Swift has always seemed most herself as the precociously talented songwriter , ” remarks Carl Wilson in Slate ’ s Evermore review ; “ the pop-star side is where her try-hard , A-student awkwardness surfaces most.
” Swift herself talks about her work ethic with a certain amount of ambivalence .
In a 2009 Rolling Stone profile , she recalls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on her first guitar .
“ When I picked up the guitar , I could not stop , ” she says .
“ I would literally play until my fingers bled — my mom had to tape them up , and you can imagine how popular that made me : ‘ Look at her fingers , so weird.
’ ” ( The image of blood on a guitar here is a very Swifty spin on one of her first big hits , “ Teardrops on My Guitar.
” ) In her recently released @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sessions , she notes that the Folklore track “ Mirrorball ” deals with her mixed feelings about her compulsion to work .
“ I wrote this song right after all my shows were canceled , ” she says , and then quotes her own lyric : “ I ’ m still on that tightrope .
I ’ m still trying everything to keep you laughing at me.
” “ I know I have an excuse to sit back and do nothing , ” she muses , “ and I ’ m not .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is.
” With Folklore , Swift ground her way through the hard work of finding a way to bring the crowds back to her .
And now that she ’ s figured out what worked the first time , here is Evermore , Folklore ’ s sister album , to keep us looking at her .

Taylor Swift’s new album Evermore, which dropped at midnight on Thursday in a surprise release, was Swift’s second surprise album of 2020. It comes after July’s heavily acclaimed Folklore and as Swift continues to re-record her old masters (she teased a bit of the new “Love Story” earlier in December). Jesus, you might be forgiven for thinking when Swift announced Evermore less than 24 hours before its release. Does she ever sleep?
But this streak of productivity fits into an emerging popular consensus on Taylor Swift. What is most compelling about Swift, commenters have started to agree, is how much she works, and how seriously she takes that work. That’s a startling contrast to the consensus on Taylor Swift a few years ago, when she was widely considered to be a try-hard whose hard work was off-putting.
“Taylor Swift isn’t very good at indifference,” remarked one critic in 2017, concluding that she’d probably enjoy Reputation more “if Taylor Swift wasn’t so try hard.”
For Vulture in 2015, Lindsay Zoladz described a cringey moment of Swift’s 1989 concert tour: Swift giving the audience “the look the young, wide-eyed ingenue gives the twinkling skyscrapers in her coming-of-age movie right after she steps off the Greyhound,” as all around her the crowd wore light-up plastic bracelets that glowed varying colors and pulsed to the beat of her songs. “Do you think Taylor is controlling these with her mind?” Zoladz quipped. And it was the fact that Swift was trying so hard, regulating everything so tightly that you could see the sweat, that made the moment cringey.
At Jezebel, Jia Tolentino said the regimented, precision-edged sheen of the same concert tour made her think of Swift as “an animated mannequin, a Rockette on XR Adderall.”
Swift “is a ruthless, publicly capitalist pop star,” concluded Gawker in an article headlined “Taylor Swift Is Not Your Friend.”
The consensus was that Swift was so intent on becoming a megastar that she overshot and came off as fake. Her Type A control-freak, try-hard qualities just made her seem calculated.
But even in the 2015 to 2019 era of peak Swift backlash, there was a brewing sense that the same control-freak tendencies were compelling, even admirable, when Swift applied them not to her public persona but to her songcraft.
“Swift’s automatic musicianship — on display only briefly behind a guitar for one song and a piano for another — is as physically magnetic as any choreographed routine,” wrote Tolentino of that 1989 concert tour.
And the idea that Swift’s hard work was not a liability but, in fact, a major asset began to cohere around her after the release of Miss Americana, the Netflix documentary about Swift that debuted in January. As nearly every review noted, one of the most interesting parts of the movie was just watching Swift noodle around on her piano as she wrote her songs.
“She writes lyrics and melodies rapidly, seemingly without effort, while her collaborators strive to keep up with her pace,” wrote Rachel Handler for Vulture, noting that Swift’s unproduced acoustic version-in-progress of “ME!” sounded better than the final product.
“It is a consistent pleasure to watch Swift work, and to behold the joy that spreads across her face as she puzzles through a verse or melody,” wrote Amanda Petrusich at the New Yorker. “Each time she completes a song, she appears to regard it with genuine wonder.”
“The most arresting stretches of the film are when we see Swift simply doing her work, conjuring up perfectly vague but succinct lyrics as some producer prods at a synth next to her,” argued Richard Lawson at Vanity Fair. “It’s a thrill watching her create, because she is so good at that. That’s when the whole thing feels truly organic, unvarnished, not compromised by any attempts at smoothing reality.”
And when Folklore hit in July, it continued this narrative of Swift as a serious craftsperson: someone who put in the work and was good at the work. Part of what distinguished Folklore from Swift’s other recent records was the lack of slick and precision-engineered radio-ready pop. Instead, it was filled with quieter, stripped-down melodies that allowed Swift’s talents as a lyricist to shine. Moreover, by showcasing that skill while under lockdown, Swift was only further emphasizing her enviable work ethic.
Swift’s previous albums, wrote Laura Snapes for the Guardian, had been exhausting, filled with “the sense that one of pop’s all-time greatest songwriters is overcompensating despite her clear talent.” But with Folklore, all that changed: “Folklore proves that she can thrive away from the noise.”
“There’s a bit of Rosie the Riveter spirit,” wrote Chris Willman at Variety, “in how Swift has become the first major pop artist to deliver a first-rank album that went from germination to being completely locked down in the midst of a national lockdown.”
The idea of the pop star whose hard work and grit become glamorous and aspirational is not new. Beyoncé, the pop queen of our Rise and Grind era, has perfected it. But it is new to Swift, and it suggests that she’s finally found a way to channel her workhorse vibes away from the sense of control that animated her backlash period and toward something more meaningful and desirable.
“Swift has always seemed most herself as the precociously talented songwriter,” remarks Carl Wilson in Slate’s Evermore review; “the pop-star side is where her try-hard, A-student awkwardness surfaces most.”
Swift herself talks about her work ethic with a certain amount of ambivalence. In a 2009 Rolling Stone profile, she recalls being unable to stop herself from practicing on her first guitar. “When I picked up the guitar, I could not stop,” she says. “I would literally play until my fingers bled — my mom had to tape them up, and you can imagine how popular that made me: ‘Look at her fingers, so weird.’” (The image of blood on a guitar here is a very Swifty spin on one of her first big hits, “Teardrops on My Guitar.”)
In her recently released documentary Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions, she notes that the Folklore track “Mirrorball” deals with her mixed feelings about her compulsion to work. “I wrote this song right after all my shows were canceled,” she says, and then quotes her own lyric: “I’m still on that tightrope. I’m still trying everything to keep you laughing at me.”
“I know I have an excuse to sit back and do nothing,” she muses, “and I’m not. I don’t know why that is.”
With Folklore, Swift ground her way through the hard work of finding a way to bring the crowds back to her. And now that she’s figured out what worked the first time, here is Evermore, Folklore’s sister album, to keep us looking at her.


vox--2020-12-11--Here are 6 things to consider about holiday travel

The coronavirus is killing more than 2,000 Americans every day .
The US ’ s daily rate of new cases is still higher than that of most developed nations , and nationwide , we ’ re seeing a record number of hospitalizations , surpassing that of April .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is advising Americans not to travel for the upcoming holidays , and recommending those who do get a coronavirus test .
Travel surveys suggest that with the upcoming holidays , a number of Americans are still planning to fly or drive to a destination , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , despite the risks involved .
The uptick in car and plane trips during previous holiday weekends this year , such as Memorial Day , the Fourth of July , and Thanksgiving , is a hint of what ’ s to come in December — two months in which millions of Americans traditionally congregate with their loved ones .
The Transportation Security Administration screened more than 4 million airline passengers during the four-day Thanksgiving holiday travel period , and a total of 9.5 million passengers over a 10-day period .
The pandemic will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compared to previous years , but without clear directives from the government , people are still allowed to travel for leisure even as coronavirus cases surge nationwide .
What ’ s especially concerning is that there ’ s no single hot spot or epicenter , and the rate of hospitalizations has been climbing steadily .
Some states like New York and Connecticut are urging out-of-state travelers to undergo a brief self-quarantine period upon arrival .
Most of California is on lockdown , and hotels and other lodging accommodations are legally not allowed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reservations for non-essential travel.
” At this point in the pandemic , most public health decisions are still being made at an individual or family level .
The coronavirus has broken most people ’ s understanding of what to fear , argued Amanda Mull in the Atlantic : “ When everyone is left to write their own version of Choose Your Own Pandemic Adventure , no one is safe.
” Mull continued , writing , “ Americans have no common conception of the pandemic , which means you can ’ t assume that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isn ’ t about to expose you to a deadly disease , or even that you live in the same plane of reality.
” This disparate understanding of safety means the holidays are even riskier , especially when it comes to family gatherings .
We try to answer some questions you might have about end-of-year travel — whether you should even consider a vacation , the safest modes of transportation , and how to tell your family you ’ re not traveling to see them this year .
Should I travel during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , failsafe option is not to travel .
A PNAS study found that a majority of coronavirus cases may be a result of asymptomatic or presymptomatic transmission , which means people who don ’ t know that they ’ ve been infected are driving the spread .
The travel portion of your trip might not even be the most dangerous part : You should also consider the potential for exposure and spread at your destination .
Nine months into a pandemic with no end in sight , however , public health experts have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough to tell Americans not to do something .
Chances are some people are going to go ahead with it anyway .
If you ’ re adamant about traveling in the coming months , you should consider harm reduction strategies to mitigate risk when you leave your home .
There are many variables to consider for each trip , including the mode of transportation , length of travel , and what you do at the destination .
The travel portion of your trip might not even be the most dangerous part : You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and spread at your destination If you ’ re traveling to a remote destination by yourself or with those in your household , for example , the best course of action would be to limit interactions with strangers .
That can be achieved by taking a car , reducing the number of rest stops , and staying at a properly sanitized Airbnb or hotel with remote check-in .
If you ’ re going to see family , however , there are more factors out of your control , depending on how many relatives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been tested ?
Are they limiting their exposure to those outside the household ?
What are the infection rates in the area ?
Will you quarantine before you interact with them ?
These are all questions you and your family members should weigh before any plans are solidified .
In short , there ’ s no one-size-fits-all solution here , meaning your safety and that of your loved ones — whether you travel or not — depends on the choices you make .
Which mode of transportation should I take ?
As I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that come with any mode of transportation , especially if it involves people in close proximity to one another .
A crowded flight or a train ride , then , would likely carry more risks than a solo road trip .
As a result , many Americans have gravitated toward short-distance car trips , since that helps limit exposure to people outside their coronavirus “ bubble , ” a contained social pod that consists of your household or close friends .
Public health experts have advised that in addition to reducing risks via @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the destination and activities on their itinerary .
“ What you want to do , if you have to travel , is consider how to limit contact with others during this trip as much as possible so you ’ re not contributing to accelerating the pandemic , even when you reach a rural or vacation area , ” Jared Baeten , vice dean of the University of Washington ’ s School of Public Health , told me in May .
However , there are instances in which a flight would save a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say , if a trip would require multiple days of driving and consequent stops at hotels ) .
In this scenario , a traveler would have to weigh whether they ’ d rather briefly sit masked in a plane cabin with dozens of other strangers , or spend days or weeks on a cross-country trip , with the potential of passing through coronavirus hot spots .
Again , a person is not only at risk of contracting Covid-19 ; they could also expose others to it or introduce the virus to a contained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ car trips can have more control over who they ’ ll encounter .
“ I think that there ’ s no better time than now to really do your homework , ” Robert Quigley of the risk mitigation company International SOS told the Washington Post .
“ Where am I going , how many miles per gallon do I get , where do I stop , do I need gloves to go into that place , where can I eat ?
” While trains and buses used to be budget-friendly travel alternatives to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to consider them now .
Traveling by train requires you to be in close contact with others , much like a flight , although Amtrak has reduced its passenger capacity and has private room offerings for longer routes .
A train ’ s ventilation system might not be as sophisticated as an airplane ’ s , which is equipped with hospital-grade air filters that extract about 99 percent of viruses .
Ventilation is crucial to stop the spread of Covid-19 , but being in proximity to others increases the risk of transmitting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t a simple answer here and the choice can vary depending on a person ’ s tolerance for risk and their destination .
I have to go home .
Is there a safe time to travel ?
There is no safe time to travel during a pandemic , especially not around the holidays when more people are going to be doing so .
Expedia told Elite Daily that , as of December 9 , Saturday , December 19 , and Wednesday , December 23 , appear to be the busiest days for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compared to pre-pandemic holidays ( which suggests that fewer people are interested in traveling ) , but while there might be fewer travelers , it ’ s possible that flights could be fuller overall .
Since March , airlines have revised their flight routes as demand fluctuated , reducing service to smaller cities and the number of transcontinental domestic routes .
Given the unpredictability of this year ’ s holiday travel rush , you should steer clear of peak travel days and remain flexible with the timing of your flight .
Travel patterns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely people are trying to avoid the most crowded days .
Is it possible to enforce social distancing on a plane ?
And how safe is it to fly ?
Vox ’ s Julia Belluz and Brian Resnick have a piece delving into the science of how risky air travel is and what steps you can take to minimize risk .
Even if you ’ re flying on a relatively full plane , sitting 6 feet apart from another passenger might not be feasible , even if middle seats are blocked off .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ three of the four major US airlines — are no longer blocking off their middle seats ; only Delta is enforcing this policy through January 6 .
In my colleagues ’ reporting , they concluded : “ Covid-19 definitely spreads on planes , seemingly mostly to passengers who are seated near index cases , though it ’ s not clear how often this happens .
And there ’ s some good news : Masks seem to help.
” Proximity to an infected person would increase your likelihood of catching Covid-19 , but passengers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other people ’ s behaviors that they can ’ t control .
Passengers on a plane are often subjected to other people ’ s behaviors that they can ’ t control As a traveler , you might need to go to the bathroom , where it ’ s harder to distance from others .
Or a passenger on your flight could briefly take off their mask to have a sip of water .
Belluz and Resnick have reported that while the risk of contracting the virus on a plane is low , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a process that is more than just the flight itself .
Passengers need to weigh their tolerance of risk in this context , ” said David Freedman , an infectious disease specialist at the University of Alabama Birmingham .
Health experts have advocated for a layered approach to protecting oneself .
Travelers should be wearing masks at all times , wash their hands , and try to avoid crowds as much as possible .
Airlines should do their part to ensure that aircraft are sanitized and that the cabin is properly ventilated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tested before the holidays .
Should my family members and I still quarantine before we see each other ?
Negative test results are not necessarily an indication that you or your family members are Covid-free .
Resnick has a thorough explainer that debunks why a negative test is not an all-clear for engaging in risky activities .
Testing can also be less accurate before the onset of a person ’ s symptoms .
“ Scientists don ’ t yet understand exactly when a person who is infected with the coronavirus will start testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote .
“ There are situations when a person could test negative , actually be infected , and also be contagious .
It ’ s also possible — since this virus multiplies itself exponentially in the body very , very quickly — that someone could test negative in the morning ( and not be contagious ) , but by the afternoon test positive ( and be very contagious ) .
” Some airports and airlines also now offer rapid Covid-19 tests to passengers , in which a negative test can exempt a traveler @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Experts , though , are still recommending that people self-quarantine before heading home .
In a Boston Globe op-ed , two public health experts from Harvard and Yale advised colleges to institute a protocol that requires students to quarantine for 10 days before they depart for home , or to offer a shorter five- to seven-day quarantine period with a rigid Covid-19 testing schedule .
“ Neither pre-departure temperature checks nor voluntary measures are adequate to detect disease and control outbreaks , even if both make for good theater , ” they wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases are symptom-free , these approaches fail to detect the silent spreaders who may feel perfectly well now , but who may already be shedding large , transmissible quantities of virus.
” I ’ m not going to see friends or family this year .
What should I do ?
By not traveling anywhere , you ’ ve reduced the risk of transmitting the virus to others and contracting it .
If your family has made holiday plans and expect you to be present , you should let them know your decision as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rachel Miller has fantastic advice on how to break the news to your family that you ’ re not heading home ; you should be firm and honest while still being kind and empathetic regarding their reactions .
There are also plenty of virtual ways to spend time with each other : Host a holiday dinner over Zoom , consider cooking together virtually , or stream a holiday movie together .
It ’ s a heart-wrenching choice not to spend the holidays with your loved ones , especially after this whirlwind of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the safest thing to do is stay apart .

The coronavirus is killing more than 2,000 Americans every day. The US’s daily rate of new cases is still higher than that of most developed nations, and nationwide, we’re seeing a record number of hospitalizations, surpassing that of April.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is advising Americans not to travel for the upcoming holidays, and recommending those who do get a coronavirus test. Travel surveys suggest that with the upcoming holidays, a number of Americans are still planning to fly or drive to a destination, either to visit family or for vacation, despite the risks involved.
The uptick in car and plane trips during previous holiday weekends this year, such as Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, and Thanksgiving, is a hint of what’s to come in December — two months in which millions of Americans traditionally congregate with their loved ones. The Transportation Security Administration screened more than 4 million airline passengers during the four-day Thanksgiving holiday travel period, and a total of 9.5 million passengers over a 10-day period.
The pandemic will certainly reduce the number of active travelers compared to previous years, but without clear directives from the government, people are still allowed to travel for leisure even as coronavirus cases surge nationwide. What’s especially concerning is that there’s no single hot spot or epicenter, and the rate of hospitalizations has been climbing steadily. Some states like New York and Connecticut are urging out-of-state travelers to undergo a brief self-quarantine period upon arrival. Most of California is on lockdown, and hotels and other lodging accommodations are legally not allowed to “accept or honor out of state reservations for non-essential travel.” At this point in the pandemic, most public health decisions are still being made at an individual or family level.
The coronavirus has broken most people’s understanding of what to fear, argued Amanda Mull in the Atlantic: “When everyone is left to write their own version of Choose Your Own Pandemic Adventure, no one is safe.” Mull continued, writing, “Americans have no common conception of the pandemic, which means you can’t assume that someone you’ve trusted for years isn’t about to expose you to a deadly disease, or even that you live in the same plane of reality.”
This disparate understanding of safety means the holidays are even riskier, especially when it comes to family gatherings. We try to answer some questions you might have about end-of-year travel — whether you should even consider a vacation, the safest modes of transportation, and how to tell your family you’re not traveling to see them this year.
Should I travel during the holidays at all?
The most responsible, failsafe option is not to travel. A PNAS study found that a majority of coronavirus cases may be a result of asymptomatic or presymptomatic transmission, which means people who don’t know that they’ve been infected are driving the spread. The travel portion of your trip might not even be the most dangerous part: You should also consider the potential for exposure and spread at your destination.
Nine months into a pandemic with no end in sight, however, public health experts have acknowledged that it won’t be enough to tell Americans not to do something. Chances are some people are going to go ahead with it anyway. If you’re adamant about traveling in the coming months, you should consider harm reduction strategies to mitigate risk when you leave your home. There are many variables to consider for each trip, including the mode of transportation, length of travel, and what you do at the destination.
The travel portion of your trip might not even be the most dangerous part: You should also consider the potential for exposure and spread at your destination
If you’re traveling to a remote destination by yourself or with those in your household, for example, the best course of action would be to limit interactions with strangers. That can be achieved by taking a car, reducing the number of rest stops, and staying at a properly sanitized Airbnb or hotel with remote check-in.
If you’re going to see family, however, there are more factors out of your control, depending on how many relatives you plan to see. Have they been tested? Are they limiting their exposure to those outside the household? What are the infection rates in the area? Will you quarantine before you interact with them? These are all questions you and your family members should weigh before any plans are solidified.
In short, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution here, meaning your safety and that of your loved ones — whether you travel or not — depends on the choices you make.
Which mode of transportation should I take?
As I reported this summer, there are risks that come with any mode of transportation, especially if it involves people in close proximity to one another. A crowded flight or a train ride, then, would likely carry more risks than a solo road trip.
As a result, many Americans have gravitated toward short-distance car trips, since that helps limit exposure to people outside their coronavirus “bubble,” a contained social pod that consists of your household or close friends. Public health experts have advised that in addition to reducing risks via transportation, travelers should be equally mindful of the destination and activities on their itinerary.
“What you want to do, if you have to travel, is consider how to limit contact with others during this trip as much as possible so you’re not contributing to accelerating the pandemic, even when you reach a rural or vacation area,” Jared Baeten, vice dean of the University of Washington’s School of Public Health, told me in May.
However, there are instances in which a flight would save a person significant time on the road (say, if a trip would require multiple days of driving and consequent stops at hotels). In this scenario, a traveler would have to weigh whether they’d rather briefly sit masked in a plane cabin with dozens of other strangers, or spend days or weeks on a cross-country trip, with the potential of passing through coronavirus hot spots. Again, a person is not only at risk of contracting Covid-19; they could also expose others to it or introduce the virus to a contained community.
Experts think that travelers taking car trips can have more control over who they’ll encounter. “I think that there’s no better time than now to really do your homework,” Robert Quigley of the risk mitigation company International SOS told the Washington Post. “Where am I going, how many miles per gallon do I get, where do I stop, do I need gloves to go into that place, where can I eat?”
While trains and buses used to be budget-friendly travel alternatives to flying or driving, travelers might hesitate to consider them now. Traveling by train requires you to be in close contact with others, much like a flight, although Amtrak has reduced its passenger capacity and has private room offerings for longer routes.
A train’s ventilation system might not be as sophisticated as an airplane’s, which is equipped with hospital-grade air filters that extract about 99 percent of viruses. Ventilation is crucial to stop the spread of Covid-19, but being in proximity to others increases the risk of transmitting the virus.
Once again, there isn’t a simple answer here and the choice can vary depending on a person’s tolerance for risk and their destination.
I have to go home. Is there a safe time to travel?
There is no safe time to travel during a pandemic, especially not around the holidays when more people are going to be doing so. Expedia told Elite Daily that, as of December 9, Saturday, December 19, and Wednesday, December 23, appear to be the busiest days for Christmas travel.
Flight searches are down compared to pre-pandemic holidays (which suggests that fewer people are interested in traveling), but while there might be fewer travelers, it’s possible that flights could be fuller overall. Since March, airlines have revised their flight routes as demand fluctuated, reducing service to smaller cities and the number of transcontinental domestic routes.
Given the unpredictability of this year’s holiday travel rush, you should steer clear of peak travel days and remain flexible with the timing of your flight. Travel patterns could change, since it’s likely people are trying to avoid the most crowded days.
Is it possible to enforce social distancing on a plane? And how safe is it to fly?
Vox’s Julia Belluz and Brian Resnick have a piece delving into the science of how risky air travel is and what steps you can take to minimize risk.
Even if you’re flying on a relatively full plane, sitting 6 feet apart from another passenger might not be feasible, even if middle seats are blocked off. American, Southwest, and United — three of the four major US airlines — are no longer blocking off their middle seats; only Delta is enforcing this policy through January 6.
In my colleagues’ reporting, they concluded: “Covid-19 definitely spreads on planes, seemingly mostly to passengers who are seated near index cases, though it’s not clear how often this happens. And there’s some good news: Masks seem to help.” Proximity to an infected person would increase your likelihood of catching Covid-19, but passengers on a plane are often subjected to other people’s behaviors that they can’t control.
Passengers on a plane are often subjected to other people’s behaviors that they can’t control
As a traveler, you might need to go to the bathroom, where it’s harder to distance from others. Or a passenger on your flight could briefly take off their mask to have a sip of water. Belluz and Resnick have reported that while the risk of contracting the virus on a plane is low, it’s not zero. “Travel is a process that is more than just the flight itself. Passengers need to weigh their tolerance of risk in this context,” said David Freedman, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Alabama Birmingham.
Health experts have advocated for a layered approach to protecting oneself. Travelers should be wearing masks at all times, wash their hands, and try to avoid crowds as much as possible. Airlines should do their part to ensure that aircraft are sanitized and that the cabin is properly ventilated, even while parked.
We got tested before the holidays. Should my family members and I still quarantine before we see each other?
Negative test results are not necessarily an indication that you or your family members are Covid-free. Resnick has a thorough explainer that debunks why a negative test is not an all-clear for engaging in risky activities. Testing can also be less accurate before the onset of a person’s symptoms.
“Scientists don’t yet understand exactly when a person who is infected with the coronavirus will start testing positive for the virus,” Resnick wrote. “There are situations when a person could test negative, actually be infected, and also be contagious. It’s also possible — since this virus multiplies itself exponentially in the body very, very quickly — that someone could test negative in the morning (and not be contagious), but by the afternoon test positive (and be very contagious).”
Some airports and airlines also now offer rapid Covid-19 tests to passengers, in which a negative test can exempt a traveler in certain states from quarantine requirements. Experts, though, are still recommending that people self-quarantine before heading home.
In a Boston Globe op-ed, two public health experts from Harvard and Yale advised colleges to institute a protocol that requires students to quarantine for 10 days before they depart for home, or to offer a shorter five- to seven-day quarantine period with a rigid Covid-19 testing schedule.
“Neither pre-departure temperature checks nor voluntary measures are adequate to detect disease and control outbreaks, even if both make for good theater,” they wrote. “Considering roughly 40 percent of cases are symptom-free, these approaches fail to detect the silent spreaders who may feel perfectly well now, but who may already be shedding large, transmissible quantities of virus.”
I’m not going to see friends or family this year. What should I do?
By not traveling anywhere, you’ve reduced the risk of transmitting the virus to others and contracting it. If your family has made holiday plans and expect you to be present, you should let them know your decision as soon as possible. Vice’s Rachel Miller has fantastic advice on how to break the news to your family that you’re not heading home; you should be firm and honest while still being kind and empathetic regarding their reactions.
There are also plenty of virtual ways to spend time with each other: Host a holiday dinner over Zoom, consider cooking together virtually, or stream a holiday movie together. It’s a heart-wrenching choice not to spend the holidays with your loved ones, especially after this whirlwind of a year, but unfortunately in pandemic times, the safest thing to do is stay apart.


vox--2020-12-11--Why staying cold is so important to a Covid-19 vaccine

The epic global effort to develop a Covid-19 vaccine has been unmatched in its scale , speed , and scientific advances .
Now a vaccine for the disease developed by Pfizer and BioNTech is on the verge of being rolled out in the US under an emergency use authorization , raising hopes of an end to the pandemic .
But the vaccine ’ s potential to provide immunity to the broader population is now threatened by a massive logistical hurdle in actually getting it to people safely : keeping the vaccine doses cold .
Vaccines are fragile drugs that demand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And they spoil a lot .
According to the World Health Organization , about half of the vaccines distributed around the world go to waste , in large part because of a failure to properly control storage temperatures .
That in turn undermines efforts to contain and eradicate disease .
“ They lose effectiveness and their potency if they ’ re exposed to temperatures outside of the range that they ’ re supposed to be kept in , ” said Michelle Seidel , UNICEF ’ s immunization supply chain specialist .
This vulnerability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the campaign against Covid-19 , where just about everyone in the world is vulnerable so just about everyone will need the shot .
Containing the disease will require billions of people to be immunized around the world — likely with two doses — and fast .
Pfizer and BioNTech have reported that their vaccine is 95 percent effective at preventing the disease in a preliminary analysis .
A vaccine using a similar approach from Moderna also reported 95 percent efficacy and will be evaluated for an emergency use authorization this month .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of genetic material known as mRNA , also have stringent temperature requirements .
Moderna ’ s vaccine requires long-term storage at minus 20 degrees Celsius ( minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit ) and is stable for 30 days between 2 degrees to 8 degrees Celsius ( 36 degrees to 46 degrees Fahrenheit ) .
Pfizer and BioNTech ’ s vaccine , however , requires some of the coldest temperatures of any vaccine under consideration : minus 70 degrees Celsius ( minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit ) or lower .
Pfizer , BioNTech , and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ storage say they are already preparing for this challenge , investing in freezers , transportation , and temperature-tracking devices .
But with so many moving parts , there ’ s a lot that can go wrong .
With recent struggles in the United States to maintain adequate supply chains for Covid-19 tests , masks , and personal protective equipment , the concern is that the same mistakes could be repeated in a high-stakes vaccination effort .
While full approval of a Covid-19 vaccine may still be months away , the infrastructure for getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now .
Getting a vaccine through clinical trials and approved by the Food and Drug Administration is a tedious , expensive , and time-consuming process .
But it ’ s not the finish line for a Covid-19 immunization campaign .
It ’ s just one of the first hurdles .
“ There ’ s almost an assumption that once a vaccine is created and approved , then everyone is healthy and fine , but the operational component is pretty complex , ” said Caesar Djavaherian , an ER physician and chief clinical innovation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve never tried to administer vaccines to 100 million Americans in a short period of time.
” To prepare for that , Covid-19 vaccine production is already underway .
The idea is that once a vaccine does get the green light , doses are ready to roll out right away .
Operation Warp Speed , the $ 10 billion US government vaccine development effort , is aiming to have enough vaccines to immunize 20 million Americans in December , another 30 million in January , and another 50 million in February .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to go from factories to shipping facilities to trucks to hospitals , clinics , and pharmacies , and , eventually , into the arms of people — all while without budging from narrow , specific temperature ranges .
This series of handoffs under strict temperature controls is known as the cold chain .
It ’ s this chain — between the manufacturer and the clinic — that represents one of the biggest challenges of the vaccine distribution effort , and each step could potentially become a weak link .
It ’ s particularly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a handful of facilities around the world , demanding a sprawling international network of transportation and storage sites in order to get immunizations to wherever they ’ re needed .
Many major hospitals may have the specialized cold storage facilities needed to stockpile vaccines , but smaller clinics and pharmacies don ’ t .
And even some of the big hospitals may not have the specialized ultra-cold freezers needed to store a vaccine like the one developed by Pfizer and BioNTech , especially in large quantities .
That ’ s why vaccines are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
These facilities often have sophisticated freezers for long-term storage , as well as a reliable electricity supply and backup generators .
They aren ’ t set up to administer the vaccine to people , however , so the vials still have to be delivered to the final users .
But every time a vaccine moves , it introduces yet another risk .
Bad weather can delay delivery flights .
Freezers can fail on refrigerator trucks .
Vaccine shipping containers can end up stuck on the tarmac .
Coolers can leak .
Even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and out can harm vaccines stored inside .
Every breach in temperature control degrades the vaccine , and every time the vaccine moves , the chances of this happening increase , so health officials need to plan carefully to ensure the absolute minimum amount of movement .
Once a clinic receives a vaccine shipment , health workers can thaw out the vials in a refrigerator as they prepare to give injections to patients .
But once a vaccine is warmed up , it ’ s only viable for a few days .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the clock starts ticking as soon as they receive their doses .
So getting everyone vaccinated requires a precisely coordinated series of complex events spanning the globe , and any break therein could derail an effort to control a deadly disease .
Why supply chains are even more complicated for the Covid-19 pandemic All that said , health systems in the United States and around the world have been administering vaccines for decades , and there is plenty of experience and know-how for effectively bringing vaccines to people .
But again , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an even larger scale than just about any other vaccination effort to date .
And it can ’ t seize infrastructure from existing vaccines since immunizations for illnesses like measles , influenza , polio , and meningitis are still needed at the same time .
That means many of the things needed to distribute a Covid-19 vaccine have to be additional to what ’ s already on the market ; freezers , refrigerated shipping containers , and remote temperature-monitoring systems can ’ t simply be cannibalized from other vaccine supply chains .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also create other bottlenecks .
Vaccine vials require a specific type of glass that can tolerate low temperatures and remain sterile , and there may not be enough of this glass to go around right away .
Even the self-sealing rubber stoppers on the vials could face a shortfall .
Syringes , personal protective equipment , and trained personnel to administer vaccines are already facing a crunch from dealing with the ongoing pandemic .
Then there are complications that arise from the Covid-19 vaccines themselves .
Covid-19 vaccine development has allowed researchers to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tried before at scale .
In particular , multiple companies are developing vaccines based on the genetics of the SARS-CoV-2 virus , the virus that causes Covid-19 , rather than the classical approach of using the structure or pieces of the virus itself .
The problem is that these fragments of DNA and RNA are delicate .
They can degrade quickly on their own , even at refrigerated temperatures .
That ’ s why freezing them is so important for keeping them intact .
But that ’ s hard to do for vaccines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidate , which requires storage at such extreme temperatures .
Some experts are concerned these cold requirements could end up being a deal breaker for widely distributing these vaccines .
“ These mRNA vaccines , which are stored at minus 80°C , from a practical perspective are showstoppers right now , ” said Vijay Samant , the former chief operating officer at Merck Vaccines .
Ultra-cold freezers that can reach the requisite temperatures cost between $ 10,000 and $ 15,000 each .
That ’ s out of the budget for many clinics and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ constraints , that may mean that people will have to travel to centralized locations like regional hospitals to get vaccinated instead of to their local clinics and pharmacies .
But Pfizer and BioNTech said they have a solution .
“ We have specially designed , temperature-controlled thermal shippers utilizing dry ice to maintain recommended temperature conditions for up to 10 days , ” said Jerica Pitts , a spokesperson for Pfizer , in an email .
“ The intent is to utilize Pfizer-strategic transportation partners to ship by air to major hubs within @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dosing locations.
” According to the Wall Street Journal , Pfizer ’ s vaccine shipping system can hold up to 5,000 doses of its vaccine at minus 70°C for those 10 days .
The company is also spending more than $ 2 billion to create its own distribution network , aiming to ship these containers on a just-in-time basis to the places that need them , bypassing the need for warehouses .
However , this strategy could run into its own supply chain constraints .
There may be shortages in critical components for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like the dry ice required to keep those super-cold temperatures .
Many of the Covid-19 vaccine candidates , including the one from Pfizer and Moderna , also require two doses , spaced several weeks apart .
“ It does mean double the capacity requirements , so yes , there is an additional complication , ” Seidel said .
Ensuring there is the right number of doses available at just the right time for everyone ’ s second dose will require even more storage capacity and precise tracking and timing of shipments .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One stark lesson of the Covid-19 pandemic is that an outbreak anywhere in the world can ripple across the whole planet .
So the effort to contain the disease has to reach every country , in every circumstance .
Some health systems do have experience with keeping finicky vaccines frigid , even in places with limited resources .
The Ebola vaccine , for instance , had to be stored at minus 80°C in remote areas of Guinea and the Democratic Republic of the Congo .
But the looming question is whether limited resources @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid-19 vaccination effort .
“ We are leveraging our experience in Ebola-prone countries to develop guidance on that , but that is something where we do lack funding , ” Seidel said .
And ensuring distribution is seamless and also fast is critical .
Every day , thousands of people are dying from Covid-19 , so there is intense pressure to get people vaccinated as quickly as possible .
That would require a simultaneous effort , in the United States and around the world .
However , if governments and private companies make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the supply chain can be strengthened and ideally avoid the same mistakes made in the earlier stages of the Covid-19 pandemic that left many scrounging for vital masks , gloves , gowns , and tests .
The true test of the vaccine supply chain will come when vaccine vials start heading to hospitals , which could commence within days .

The epic global effort to develop a Covid-19 vaccine has been unmatched in its scale, speed, and scientific advances. Now a vaccine for the disease, developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, is on the verge of being rolled out in the US under an emergency use authorization by the Food and Drug Administration, raising hopes of an end to the pandemic.
But the vaccine’s potential to provide immunity to the broader population is now threatened by a massive logistical hurdle in actually getting it to people safely: keeping the vaccine doses cold.
Vaccines are fragile drugs that demand strict temperature controls lest they spoil. And they spoil a lot. According to the World Health Organization, about half of the vaccines distributed around the world go to waste, in large part because of a failure to properly control storage temperatures. That in turn undermines efforts to contain and eradicate disease.
“They lose effectiveness and their potency if they’re exposed to temperatures outside of the range that they’re supposed to be kept in,” said Michelle Seidel, UNICEF’s immunization supply chain specialist.
This vulnerability stands to be an even bigger problem for the campaign against Covid-19, where just about everyone in the world is vulnerable, so just about everyone will need the shot. Containing the disease will require billions of people to be immunized around the world — likely with two doses — and fast.
Pfizer and BioNTech have reported that their vaccine is 95 percent effective at preventing the disease in a preliminary analysis. A vaccine using a similar approach from Moderna also reported 95 percent efficacy and will be evaluated by the FDA for an emergency use authorization this month.
But these vaccines, which use strands of genetic material known as mRNA, also have stringent temperature requirements. Moderna’s vaccine requires long-term storage at minus 20 degrees Celsius (minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit) and is stable for 30 days between 2° to 8°C (36° to 46°F). Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine, however, requires some of the coldest temperatures of any vaccine under consideration: minus 70°C (minus 94°F) or lower.
Pfizer, BioNTech, and other companies whose vaccine candidates require very cold storage say they are already preparing for this challenge, investing in freezers, transportation, and temperature-tracking devices. But with so many moving parts, there’s a lot that can go wrong. With recent struggles in the United States to maintain adequate supply chains for Covid-19 tests, masks, and personal protective equipment, the concern is that the same mistakes could be repeated in a high-stakes vaccination effort.
While full approval of a Covid-19 vaccine may still be months away, the infrastructure for getting it to people has to be coordinated now.
The vaccine cold chain, explained
Getting a vaccine through clinical trials and approved by the FDA is a tedious, expensive, and time-consuming process. But it’s not the finish line for a Covid-19 immunization campaign. It’s just one of the first hurdles.
“There’s almost an assumption that once a vaccine is created and approved, then everyone is healthy and fine, but the operational component is pretty complex,” said Caesar Djavaherian, an ER physician and chief clinical innovation officer at Carbon Health. “We’ve never tried to administer vaccines to 100 million Americans in a short period of time.”
To prepare for that, Covid-19 vaccine production is already underway. The idea is that once a vaccine does get the green light, doses are ready to roll out right away. Operation Warp Speed, the $10 billion US government vaccine development effort, is aiming to have enough vaccines to immunize 20 million Americans in December, another 30 million in January, and another 50 million in February.
But at that point, vaccines have to go from factories to shipping facilities to trucks to hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies, and, eventually, into the arms of people — all while without budging from narrow, specific temperature ranges.
This series of handoffs under strict temperature controls is known as the cold chain. It’s this chain — between the manufacturer and the clinic — that represents one of the biggest challenges of the vaccine distribution effort, and each step could potentially become a weak link.
It’s particularly challenging because vaccines are only manufactured in a handful of facilities around the world, demanding a sprawling international network of transportation and storage sites in order to get immunizations to wherever they’re needed.
Many major hospitals may have the specialized cold storage facilities needed to stockpile vaccines, but smaller clinics and pharmacies don’t. And even some of the big hospitals may not have the specialized ultra-cold freezers needed to store a vaccine like the one developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, especially in large quantities.
That’s why vaccines are typically sent from factories to regional warehouses. These facilities often have sophisticated freezers for long-term storage, as well as a reliable electricity supply and backup generators. They aren’t set up to administer the vaccine to people, however, so the vials still have to be delivered to the final users.
But every time a vaccine moves, it introduces yet another risk. Bad weather can delay delivery flights. Freezers can fail on refrigerator trucks. Vaccine shipping containers can end up stuck on the tarmac. Coolers can leak. Even opening freezers repeatedly to move things in and out can harm vaccines stored inside. Every breach in temperature control degrades the vaccine, and every time the vaccine moves, the chances of this happening increase, so health officials need to plan carefully to ensure the absolute minimum amount of movement.
Once a clinic receives a vaccine shipment, health workers can thaw out the vials in a refrigerator as they prepare to give injections to patients. But once a vaccine is warmed up, it’s only viable for a few days. For clinics without their own cold storage facilities, the clock starts ticking as soon as they receive their doses. So getting everyone vaccinated requires a precisely coordinated series of complex events spanning the globe, and any break therein could derail an effort to control a deadly disease.
Why supply chains are even more complicated for the Covid-19 pandemic
All that said, health systems in the United States and around the world have been administering vaccines for decades, and there is plenty of experience and know-how for effectively bringing vaccines to people.
But again, the Covid-19 vaccination effort has to happen at an even larger scale than just about any other vaccination effort to date. And it can’t seize infrastructure from existing vaccines, since immunizations for illnesses like measles, influenza, polio, and meningitis are still needed at the same time.
That means many of the things needed to distribute a Covid-19 vaccine have to be added to what’s already on the market; freezers, refrigerated shipping containers, and remote temperature monitoring systems can’t simply be cannibalized from other vaccine supply chains.
The scale of a Covid-19 vaccination campaign could also create other bottlenecks. Vaccine vials require a specific type of glass that can tolerate low temperatures and remain sterile, and there may not be enough of this glass to go around right away. Even the self-sealing rubber stoppers on the vials could face a shortfall. Syringes, personal protective equipment, and trained personnel to administer vaccines are already facing a crunch from dealing with the ongoing pandemic.
Then there are complications that arise from the Covid-19 vaccines themselves. Covid-19 vaccine development has allowed researchers to showcase new technologies that have never been tried before at scale. In particular, multiple companies are developing vaccines based on the genetics of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the virus that causes Covid-19, rather than the classical approach of using the structure or pieces of the virus itself.
The problem is that these fragments of DNA and RNA are delicate. They can degrade quickly on their own, even at refrigerated temperatures. That’s why freezing them is so important for keeping them intact.
But that’s hard to do for vaccines like Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine candidate, which requires storage at such extreme temperatures. Some experts are concerned these cold requirements could end up being a deal breaker for widely distributing these vaccines. “These mRNA vaccines, which are stored at minus 80°C, from a practical perspective are showstoppers right now,” said Vijay Samant, the former chief operating officer of Merck’s vaccine division.
Ultra-cold freezers that can reach the requisite temperatures cost between $10,000 and $15,000 each. That’s out of the budget for many clinics and hospitals. With these logistical and storage constraints, that may mean that people will have to travel to centralized locations like regional hospitals to get vaccinated, instead of to their local clinics and pharmacies.
But Pfizer and BioNTech said they have a solution.
“We have specially designed, temperature-controlled thermal shippers utilizing dry ice to maintain recommended temperature conditions for up to 10 days,” said Jerica Pitts, a spokesperson for Pfizer, in an email. “The intent is to utilize Pfizer-strategic transportation partners to ship by air to major hubs within a country/region and by ground transport to dosing locations.”
According to the Wall Street Journal, Pfizer’s vaccine shipping system can hold up to 5,000 doses of its vaccine at minus 70°C for those 10 days. The company is also spending more than $2 billion to create its own distribution network, aiming to ship these containers on a just-in-time basis to the places that need them, bypassing the need for warehouses.
However, this strategy could run into its own supply chain constraints. There may be shortages in critical components for Pfizer and BioNTech’s containers, like the dry ice required to keep those super-cold temperatures.
Many of the Covid-19 vaccine candidates, including the ones from Pfizer and Moderna, also require two doses, spaced several weeks apart. “It does mean double the capacity requirements, so yes, there is an additional complication,” Seidel said. Ensuring there is the right number of doses available at just the right time for everyone’s second dose will require even more storage capacity and precise tracking and timing of shipments.
The Covid-19 vaccination campaign has to be global
One stark lesson of the Covid-19 pandemic is that an outbreak anywhere in the world can ripple across the whole planet. So the effort to contain the disease has to reach every country, in every circumstance.
Some health systems do have experience with keeping finicky vaccines frigid, even in places with limited resources. The Ebola vaccine, for instance, had to be stored at minus 80°C in remote areas of Guinea and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
But the looming question is whether limited resources can also be stretched to accommodate a Covid-19 vaccination effort. “We are leveraging our experience in Ebola-prone countries to develop guidance on that, but that is something where we do lack funding,” Seidel said.
And ensuring distribution is seamless and also fast is critical. Every day, thousands of people are dying from Covid-19, so there is intense pressure to get people vaccinated as quickly as possible. That would require a simultaneous effort, in the United States and around the world.
However, if governments and private companies make the investments now, the weaker links in the supply chain can be strengthened and ideally avoid the same mistakes made in the earlier stages of the Covid-19 pandemic that left many scrounging for vital masks, gloves, gowns, and tests. The true test of the vaccine supply chain will come when vaccine vials start heading to hospitals, which could commence within days.