Vaccines for COVID-19 may have started hitting America this week, but there’s still a bumpy road ahead. Cases around the world continue to explode, and they’ll almost certainly get worse over the coming holidays. So what we need now is jokes. We need gallows humor. And we got it when we learned the scary news that the virus had finally made its way to Antarctica, meaning it’s now on every continent on the planet.
Sadly #Antarctica is no longer free of COVID-19! The Chilean army today reported 36 personnel at O’Higgins Base have tested positive (26 military and 10 civilians); the station has been undergoing the annual exchange of personnel over the last few weeks; pic @Base_OHiggins pic.twitter.com/OKtjqQQ4Om
— The Antarctic Report (@AntarcticReport) December 22, 2020
Previously the southern land was the only respite from the coronavirus pandemic — until 36 cases were suddenly reported at a Chilean research base. According to The Guardian, those infected were quickly escorted back to their native country, where they immediately went into isolation. It’s a reminder that nowhere is safe from COVID, not even remote research bases on the bottom of the planet, where conditions are not fit for man nor beast — nor, it was assumed, highly contagious viruses that have been spreading in congested cities and in places where masks and social distancing have been ignored.
But in these stressful times, it was also a time for dumb jokes. And a lot of people had the same one: An easily spreadable and fatal disease running amok amongst a tight-knit group of researchers in the Antarctic, causing widespread mistrust? That’s the plot of The Thing, John Carpenter’s 1982 remake of the ‘50s sci-fi/horror classic The Thing from Another World (which actually took place way up north, in the Arctic). And a lot of people immediately thought that even COVID is no match for Kurt Russell’s MacReady.
Joke’s on them it is actually The Thing which has just taken the form of the virus.
“COVID-19 has reached a research base in Antarctica” https://t.co/W7xx8NaL9S
— Eric in the 21&⅕th Century (@EJT___) December 22, 2020
Somebody give Kurt Russell a bell.
COVID-19 has reached a research base in Antarctica https://t.co/fwPdRDE2WR
— Alexander Capstick (@ajlc1985) December 22, 2020
the fact that COVID reached Antarctica basically means that John Carpenter’s The Thing could come to life
— alex // nothing ever really ends (@evilmimes) December 22, 2020
This just got me thinking long and hard about how John Carpenter’s The Thing is such a good COVID metaphor even though it came out almost 40 years before COVID. https://t.co/ShiUcpi3C7
— adelmonk (@adelmonk) December 22, 2020
Covid-19 has reached the O’Higgins Base at #Antarctica pic.twitter.com/pz2swGHX7H
— Paul Boxshall (@Superbokka) December 22, 2020
Covid 19 reaching a research base in Antarctica is when it will mutate & people will start becoming killer aliens just like in John Carptener’s “The Thing” pic.twitter.com/jylzf9SIMY
— Jordan Lilley (@jlil10146) December 22, 2020
What if they are just saying COVID-19 has reached Antarctica to keep us away from the Alien base there? We are developing a Space Force. WAKE UP PEOPLE! Also side note didn’t think I’d see The Thing turned into an actual event.
— Matthew Elmore (@MatthewCElmore) December 22, 2020
Fuuuck. John Carpenter films are not a how to guide.#COVID19
“COVID-19 has reached a research base in Antarctica” https://t.co/WsjlN1jXXj
— Toby Woods (@tobyjwoods1) December 22, 2020
MacReady is awaiting and ready. If you wanted the Thing, this is how it starts!
“COVID-19 has reached a research base in Antarctica” https://t.co/m5BGagrXXj
— ASH (@Ashy_slashee) December 22, 2020
Or maybe this one has a happy ending.
The Thing has died of COVID-19 https://t.co/hyYjqj1pvq
— Cruel Angel’s Thesenuts (@aanand) December 22, 2020
(Via ComicBook.com)