9 News Covid-19 press conference

This video features in a responsive display in the museum that presents the moments, stories and memes capturing the zeitgeist by going viral on the internet.

At a recent NSW Covid-19 press conference, authorities revealed they’d fined two nudists for sunbaking outside in defiance of stay-at-home orders. While that’s revealed to be contentious (they were inside the designated area), the fact that the duo needed to be rescued after being startled by a deer and getting lost in a forest brought some much-needed light-heartedness to the otherwise dour proceedings.

As ABC producer Justin Stevens’ simple caption of ‘2021’ highlights, we’re living through an unusual and absurd age when these types of things seem the norm. Not to mention the lively Auslan interpretation of ‘sunbathing naked’ and ‘deer’, which was quickly turned into a meme and propelled the virality of the moment across social media.

Aside from being a humorous moment, it also highlighted the importance and highly skilled work of the unnamed interpreter, with one Twitter user commenting, “The woman who managed to do the Auslan today deserves credit.”

As Pedestrian TV reported: “Despite all the anxiety-riddled brouhaha that the global pandemic has beset upon us all, one of the great (and few) shining lights has been the, well, light shining upon the string of Auslan interpreters who have gamely stood next to Premiers and Chief Health Officers and interpreted complex, often rapid-fire information on the fly.”

These live-streamed press conferences also offer the public the opportunity to see the production of media and politics, allowing users to interact with breaking news and opine in real-time on social media, rather than just passively receive announcements from the government.