Looking back at the spring breakers of 2020
“We’re just living for the moment.”
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The other day, I scrolled back through photos on my phone to see if and how I had changed since the start of the pandemic. Were there noticeable differences? What did I value back then? What seemed worthy of documentation? I flicked the screen and watched the dates whittle down. When I got to March 2020, though, there were only two photos: an exterior of a business that advertised psychic palm reading, and my cat doing a big stretch (as if there’s any other type of cat stretch).
Had I subconsciously deleted those photos from my camera roll? Or had I even taken photos during that first frightening month? Maybe it’s for the best. I can’t imagine I was at a place—mentally, socially, emotionally—worthy of revisiting.
The spring breakers of 2020, however, do not get the mercy of being forgotten.
I remember watching this clip of young partiers in Miami during spring Break back when it first made the rounds on the internet. Back then, I think we had been in lockdown for a week or two, so this clip was only infuriating—and even a little ridiculous—in an “ah of course, Florida” sort of way.
But two years later, this clip just hits a little differently. It’s not only enraging, but frightening. Deep-seated dread oozes from it. It’s like watching the beginning of a found-footage horror film where you know all the happiness and celebration is just a preamble to the incoming horror.
“If I get corona, I get corona. At the end of the day, I’m not going to let it stop me from partying.” - Brady Sluder, spring breaker
It’s hard to imagine Brady Sluder as a real human and not a microcosm of all the shitty people that we’ve had to deal with over the past two years: the anti-maskers, the anti-vaxxers, the Let Them Breathe-ers, the Covid deniers, etc. It’s like someone took all the worst parts of American exceptionalism, poured it into a mold, filled the rest with Jungle Juice, set it out in the sun, and then three hours later out popped Brady Sluder.
Brady did later apologize for his remarks, and, frankly, that’s more than I expected when I googled his name. High-five for low bars, my dudes! Do you think he turned his baseball cap forward to write his apology as a sign of humility and respect? I hope so, bros. I really hope so.
“It’s really messing up with my spring break. I mean what is there to do here besides go to the bars and the beach and they’re closing all of it! I think they’re blowing it way out of proportion”
- Brianna Leeder
Oh Brianna. Your eyes tell the story of a thousand spring breaks. Whatever Faustian pact you made with the devil in order to party forever...well, wherever you are, I hope you’re free now.
I mean, it sucks, but we’re going to make the best of it. We’re enjoying ourselves. It sucks, and I’m from New Orleans, so this really sucks. However, we’re going to enjoy ourselves. We’re having day parties all day. It’s my birthday, St. Patrick’s Day. Turn up.”
- Ni Smith
9 million deaths worldwide. Turn up.
“We’re just living for the moment.”
- Bryson Taylor
YOLO! Amirite everybody who lost a friend or a family member??
“We’re just making the most of it. We met these other people in our little Airbnb spot, so we’re just hanging out with them and trying to get drunk before everything clOSes”
- Shelby Cordell
The little sing-songy way Shelby says “closes” lives rent-free in the part of my brain that produces nightmares.
“The beaches are closed... everything’s been closed for the last couple of days now, and that might be for a longer period of time.“
- Jeffrey Holinka, Bar manager
The clip ends with Jeffery Holinka, perhaps the only one who understands the severity of everything going on around him. The way he hesitates before “for a longer period of time” is very eerie andprescient.
Then we’re left with shots of deserted beaches, which I think were intended to be overlaid with newscaster commentary, but all we get is wind whooshing sounds and Lynchian foreboding.
It’s the most appropriate ending.
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