The Great Shadow Cast-Off Of 2020

The Great Shadow Cast-Off Of 2020, also known as "The Rocky Horror Karen Show", "Rocky Newbies Show Their Heels", "Revenge Of The Young Queens", "Rocky’s COVID Crack-Up", and "The COVID Generation Coup", were a series of events that took place via social media in the Rocky Horror "community" during the end of June 2020.

Overview

During the height of the worldwide 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic, all North American venues that showed The Rocky Horror Picture Show on a regular basis had been closed for nearly three months or more. All Rocky Horror screenings, Conventions, Audience Participation, and shadowcast events and activities had been cancelled until further notice. In June 2020, a long-time cast leader had resigned from a long-held leadership position. Sensing a void in leadership, and seeking to expand their power and influence over the Rocky Horror "community", several self-appointed, ambitious, and often delusional Rocky Horror shadowcast members, perhaps believing that they were chosen by Loretta, began to vie for the non-existent position of "#1 King/Queen Shit of Rocky Horror". Operating from the relatively safe and comfortable environment of social media, many of these individuals began a campaign with the often-stated goal of seeking out, identifying, purging, and eliminating "abusers" from the Rocky Horror "community", long-time rivalries that had been simmering for years finally reached critical mass, often along generational lines. As a result, an atmosphere of fear, mass hysteria, hostility, mistrust, and paranoia gripped the Rocky Horror "community". Augmented with lies, unsubstantiated claims, rumors, false accusations, finger-pointing, character assassination, smears, cruelty, insults, name-calling, and petty jealousies, some people who had been involved with Rocky Horror for decades were targeted and had their lives negatively impacted. Friendships ended, and old friends became enemies. It is considered to one of the most significant changes in attitudes towards Rocky Horror since Fame opened in 1980, and one of the most unfortunate events in the history of the Rocky Horror "community".