Coping With Quarantine: Social media manager and stay-at-home parent Ty Forquer

Coping With Quarantine is a recurring feature that examines how people across Greater Lansing are being affected by the coronavirus. City Pulse aims to interview a diverse cast of residents as they adjust to a new lifestyle under the measures taken in Michigan to curb the pandemic. If you are interested in being featured, please contact ashleycitypulse@gmail.com

SUNDAY, April 12 — Ty Forquer, 38, Lansing, owns 517 Shirts, is one of three local satirists running Lansing Facts and — up until the coronavirus and shelter-in-place mandates hit Michigan — was the marketing manager for Elderly Instruments. Forquer is also the former arts and culture editor for City Pulse. But he’s taking a break from full-time occupations to stay home and help take care of his 4-year-old daughter.

“I tried working part-time from home. I found it was causing me so much stress — trying to balance family stuff and the news, all while trying to sell guitars. I felt that I had to step away from that and focus on taking care of my family,” Forquer said.

Forquer is using his newfound free time to do more cooking and finally get around to some home improvement projects he had on the back burner. 

“We cook things I consider to be comfort food, like chicken tacos or chicken enchiladas. We also like goulash and slow cooker stuff,” Forquer said.

Forquer and his wife also entertain their friends with a weekly Zoom chat they’ve dubbed “Zoomie’s Tavern.” But having an energetic 4-year-old daughter can be occasionally difficult in the age of the coronavirus. 

“She demands a lot of time and attention; there’s nowhere we can go right now. We used to go to Impression 5 every other week. We don’t feel good going to playgrounds right now, so we go on a lot of walks and bike rides,” he said. “She gets frustrated because she can’t see her friends or teachers. She kind of understands what’s happening, but she’s 4 so it’s a limited understanding.”

To kill the time indoors, Forquer and his wife Rose seek out creative, educational and engaging activities for their daughter on websites such as Pinterest. “We try to keep up with her education. We’re doing numbers, letters and craft projects. But we’re also carving out time to chill out, listen to music and watch a show,” Forquer said.

His daughter is also a fan “Storyfriends,” an online children’s show created by Dylan Rogers of the Robin Theatre. 

Forquer and his cohorts Emily Syrja and Craig Terrill crack people up with their hyper-local satire at Lansing Facts. It’s become a hit across Michigan via its comedic roasts and memes poking fun at Lansing oddities on Facebook and Twitter. Even Gov. Gretchen Whitmer considers herself a fan of Lansing Facts. Forquer said being a comedian amid a crisis is a delicate balancing act. 

“Early on, we wanted to make sure we were never making fun of the virus. Even as a humor account, we wanted to make sure we were taking it seriously. But we’re also trying to find humor in this shared crappy experience,” Forquer said. “It’s hard to be funny when you’re stressed out about work, money and personal relationships.” 

The coronavirus has slowed down the pipeline of strange happenings across town that provides fodder for Lansing Facts to mock. 

“We can’t comment on the news, because all the news is about the virus. There’s no restaurant openings; there’s no one selling 30 rib eyes at the Lansing Mall for us to rip on, so we have to find humor in other places,” Forquer said.

Forquer said one of Lansing Fact’s current projects is a digital magazine featuring work by Lansing artists that will act as a fundraiser for a local nonprofit. His company 517 Shirts has also produced new, comfy clothing to help people stay cozy while stuck at home. 

Forquer has been following the national news closely, and worries about the potential confusion being caused by mixed messaging at the federal level. 

“I think Gov. Whitmer’s leadership has been decisive and important. It’s been frustrating at the national level to see the confusion and lack of leadership,” Forquer said. ”I know a lot of people running small businesses who are hearing about these things that can help, but there’s no clarity on how they will be doled out or how to even apply to them. I think everybody is stressed out about how they’re going to keep their livelihoods going through all of this.”

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