Some interesting news from The Hollywood Reporter:
Hollywood Boulevard Struggles Amid Pandemic: "75 Percent Is Boarded Up"
Hard-hit by the pandemic, the iconic street struggles amid a plunge in tourism and the months-long shuttering of theaters and other draws: "I don’t know what we're going to do."
On a street typically lined with superheroes and Disney characters, Batman, with precious few tourists to greet, sits on a quiet corner doing crunches.
This is Hollywood Boulevard today, nine months into the pandemic-induced shutdown that has stripped the tourist destination of its usual 10 million annual visitors who clamor to take photos with costumed street performers and pose with their favorite celebrity's star.
"The pandemic has canceled what I do for a living," says another street performer, Mark Roman, who for the past six years has worked on the boulevard as Captain America and Reno 911!-inspired Lieutenant Frank. He has not busked since COVID-19 hit, partly because he cannot naturally incorporate a mask into his costume. "I don't know how I'm going to financially survive," says Roman, who has attempted to replace the money he once made from tips with background acting gigs and personalized videos on Cameo, "but I'm trying to figure it out."
All of this for nothing. This is not a public health issue, this is a political issue.
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