HANDSHAKES AND HUGS IN THE MEDIA
It's a bit odd that this current virus crisis means we shouldn't have physical contact with each other. At the same time, however, we are urged to come together, working for our mutual survival. In a nutshell, a handshake or hug nowadays can mean death. Yet, images of touching between people featured in the media usually meant something entirely different. The point is this: touching ( or nearly touching ) represents one of the most iconic symbols in all recorded history ( Michelangelo's "The Creation"). Media hugs are prolific and meaningful, but two examples stand out in this critic's mind, even though it's been years since they appeared on live TV. One is Joe Biden embracing his son, Beau, at a national political event. The close-up and look on Biden's face live in our memories perhaps because of Beau's subsequent death and the political position Biden now holds. A second potent example is a heartfelt hug between Al Gor