#QuaranTay[lor Swift] sparks cardboard companion trend among friends
On a typical St. Patrick’s Day, Laura Lee, a self-described extrovert from Durham, N.C., would typically be out at a bar, wearing a “Kiss me I’m Irish” T-shirt. But with coronavirus sweeping across the globe, she was home alone, religiously following guidelines for social distancing.
Lee was getting antsy, until she remembered her life-sized cardboard cutout of Taylor Swift — a gag gift leftover from her birthday. “I had some St. Patrick’s Day decorations, kinda adorned her with them, took a picture, and titled her ‘QuaranTay, my companion for quarantine,’” Lee said.
Then she posed QuaranTay washing dishes. Then cooking. Then standing on the patio in sunglasses with a swimsuit draped around her neck. The posts to her Instagram account, @Pearl2137, include corresponding lyrics.
“I’ve been trying to coordinate the song lyrics that go on the Instagram post with whatever QuaranTay’s been doing that day,” Lee said. The next post shows QuaranTay sporting a feather boa and crown for #FormalFriday, accompanied by the Taylor Swift lyrics “They took the crown but it’s alright.”
Lee’s friends, including Miami resident Josh Keller, have gotten used to seeing QuaranTay. “I think at this point, we all know if you are on a video chat with Laura, QuaranTay will be attending and usually dressed in theme,” Keller said. “Laura is one of the most entertaining people I know and it seems right she’s stuck quarantined with her favorite entertainer.”
Keller has since dusted off his Marilyn Monroe cut-out, which he got from a friend years ago. He poses her around his apartment, calling her “Marilyn Monrona.”
“Marylyn is hanging out...mostly on the balcony and video game night,” he said.
Another of Lee’s friends, Suja Thomas of Durham, said she’s impressed at how Lee turned a tough situation into a fun one. It’s tough to be single, Suja said, in self-isolation during a pandemic. “It then struck me that I could enjoy and celebrate my singleness and solitude and bring similar company in — and Pierce B[rosnan] is my dream man — so why not ride out my quarantine with Agent 019, Covid Bond?” Thomas said. She jumped on the trend and bought a cardboard cutout.
“I didn’t really set out to do this as an ongoing project. It just sorta happened that way. But it is a nice distraction for me,” Lee said. Photographing the persona QuaranTay is also how Lee copes with anxiety about being away from her aging parents, including her father who is immunocompromised.
“I’m not sure how long I’ll stay quarantined... The goal is to isolate myself long enough so hopefully I’ll be able to go see them in the near future,” she said. “Hopefully QuaranTay and I will be taking a road trip very soon.”