Editing 2437: Post-Vaccine Party

{{comic
| number    = 2437
| date      = March 15, 2021
| title     = Post-Vaccine Party
| image     = post_vaccine_party.png
| titletext = [Future update] Well, someone accidentally dropped an M&M in their cup of ice water, and we all panicked and scattered.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a POST-VACCINE PARTYGOER. Go into further details regarding individual elements of traditional parties vs. this party (maybe make a table?). Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

As more and more people are getting vaccinated against the Covid-19 virus, and as the CDC released guidelines suggesting vaccinated people can start gathering in larger groups, including some groups of unvaccinated people, there is increasing excitement about the possibility to resume get-togethers, and have a party.  However, being very cautious, Randall is detailing the plans for his first "post-pandemic" party by cutting it down from the scope of a normal party.  Some of the cut-downs may make sense from a health safety standpoint, others are less likely to be health-based and may be just to deliberately make the party boring, thus limiting attendance, with the effect of it being safer for the few who do come.

* Drinks
Instead of soda and various alcoholic beverages, he's opting for small glasses of water.  Alcoholic beverages could encourage a lowering of inhibitions, help some participants to make bad social decisions, to the detriment of hygiene and reasonable social distancing.  Soda would have less of that problem, though some might argue the sugar or caffeine might have some similar effect.  Drinking alcohol immediately after vaccination may "accelerate" allergic reaction according to an article on WebMD [https://www.webmd.com/vaccines/covid-19-vaccine/news/20210127/covid-19-vaccine-how-best-to-prepare]

* Food
Instead of traditional party foods like pizza, nachos, and snacks, only three individual pieces of candy ({{w|M&Ms}}) and one cracker will be provided.  Pizza could be a health issue as people reach into a common pizza box to grab their slice, and likewise snacks if they are in communal bowls. Another possible motive for such meager offerings are the concern that people may have gained weight due to a more sedentary lifestyles while staying home a lot more during the pandemic, so he didn't want them eating a lot of fattening snacks and drinks at his party.

* Entertainment
Instead of music and {{w|karaoke}} singing and watching sports, the only music allowed will be {{w|ambient music}}, such that is would be hardly noticable, and the only entertainment being displayed will be {{w|Bob Ross}}, who was famous for his very calm, low-key, painting lessons.  Music, singing, and watching exciting sports games can cause a lot more movement and airborne particles with the potential of spreading the virus.

* Activities
Board games, video games, {{w|ping pong}}, and good conversation are already relatively low-key activities, but not low-key enough.  The only two games allowed will be 3-card pickup (trimmed down from {{w|52-card pickup}}, which would typically use a full deck of 52 cards), and a single video game, the ancient "{{w|Pong}}" game.  Also, while conversation will be allowed, it will not be "good conversation", presumably preferring the conversation to be boring or uninteresting, or even repulsing. It might also be that Randall anticipates the pandemic [[2424|will have worsened peoples' ability to converse normally]], and so is saying that people won't be held to any 'standards' regarding the quality of their conversation.

In the end, despite Randall's efforts, even the incredibly mild disruption of an M&M falling into a cup of water caused the party-goers to panic and flee, much as Cueball and Ponytail panicked at a meeting in spite of their precautions due to their highly-strung natures in [[2330: Acceptable Risk]].

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

<u>Drinks</u>

<s>Soda

Wine</s> <font color="red">Small cups</font>

<s>Beer</s> <font color="red">of ice water</font>

<s>Cocktails</s>


<u>Food</u> <font color="red">Three M&Ms</font>

<s>Pizza</s> <font color="red">and a saltine</font>

<s>Nachos</s> <font color="red">per person</font>

<s>Various snacks</s>


<u>Entertainment</u>

Music <font color="red">(Ambient)</font>

<s>karaoke

Big screen</s> TV

showing <s>sports</s>

::<font color="red">Bob Ross</font>


<u>Activities</u>

<s>Board games</s> <font color="red"><s>52</s> 3-card pickup</font>

Video Games

<s>Ping</s> <font color="red">(</font>Pong<font color="red">)</font>

[A red arrow points from Video Games to Pong]

<s>Good</s> conversation


:[Caption below the panel:]
:We're planning our first post-vaccine party, but we want to start slow.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:COVID-19]]
[[Category:Social interactions]]