I forgot how fiction works and also how television production works

I was reading a book the other day and two characters were eating in a crowded restaurant together and I was like OMG WHAT ARE YOU DOOOOOINNNGGGGG and then I remembered that it was a book about a normal time when you could do normal things and they were allowed to be there.

Then a couple of days later I was watching an episode of The Masked Singer (for context: this IS a normal activity for me and NOT a desperate one borne out of isolation) and two people made incidental physical contact with one another and I was like WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOUUUUUUU and then I remembered that it was filmed months ago (and, to be fair, one of them was wearing a mask as per the title of the show).

Going to continue reading books and watching The Masked Singer to remind myself of times / worlds where these things are allowed.