Even with the Omicron variant, social life hasn’t again ground to a halt. People are still flocking to the movies (or at least one of them). Concerts are still going, albeit with mandates, which have earned the ire of certain performers. But some are hesitant to go out amidst a high number of cases (which, for the most part, are going down again). One West Coast bar tried to combat this with a bizarre campaign that only wound up backfiring.
As per The Everett Herald (as caught by The Daily Beast), Vessel Taphouse, a pirate-themed bar in Seattle, shocked patrons and even scheduled bands with a message on Facebook advertising an upcoming show.
“Come see the show, maybe catch the virus or just stay home and whine,” the message read. “Tickets 10 bucks or 6 with proof of Omicron positive test!!”
After the post, which prompted inevitable furor, four employees at the Vessel Taphouse quit in protest. Three bands scheduled to play there pulled out, including local headliner Atrocity Girl.
Bar owner Steve Hartley told the Herald that the post was “an ill-advised attempt at humor,” and that the person who posted the message, whose identity was being protected, had been fired.
One bartender who’d left the bar told the Herald that she and her fellow staffers followed public health guidelines. “I, and most of my friends, will not be back,” she said. “That bridge is burned.”
So please, stay safe and don’t piss off Howard Stern.
(Via The Everett Herald and The Daily Beast)