The Brief: As COVID-19 cases surge across the United States, these memes drag anti-maskers for refusing to do their part to protect public health.
DEEP DIVE
Anti-vaxxers and anti-maskers are two of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Anti-anti-masker memes dunk on those who refuse to protect the safety of others by wearing a mask or cloth face covering.
One of the easiest ways to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 is to wear a face-covering when in public. In spite of widespread evidence that this true and repeated announcements from scientists and public health officials, some people still refuse to wear masks, citing personal discomfort or disbelief in the legitimacy of the science around it. These anti-maskers have been documented publicly freaking out in many viral videos.
In recent mask news, Walmart announced that it will mandate that customers wear face coverings in stores starting Monday, July 20th. A video by the YouTube channel Chad Goes Deep of people refusing free masks in Huntington Beach, California is…an oof size large.
As more and more people and organizations urge Americans to wear face masks, pro-mask and anti-anti-mask memes are spreading online. If you’re looking for some friendly reminders to wear a mask, check out our roundup of memes on the topic.
I think the biggest mistake we made is telling Americans that wearing masks is to protect other people. Know your audience!
— Jenni Konner (@JenniKonner) June 26, 2020
Many anti-anti-masker memes use names like Karen and Kevin to label people who won’t wear masks as entitled and selfish.
Good morning huntington beach pic.twitter.com/GQ1hBlxLdW
— Princess Yue ☽ (@elorathewitch) July 15, 2020
dudes be like "i REFUSE to wear a mask. I CANT BREATHE WHEN I WEAR ONE!!!!!!!!! THIS IS CONTROL! THIS WILL KILL ME!"
– but then smoke 20 cigarettes a day
— inabber (@iNabber69) July 15, 2020
men who yell at employees who asked them to please wear a mask inside the store starter pack pic.twitter.com/pBsIPQuGgo
— Lane Moore (@hellolanemoore) July 15, 2020
Twitter physiologists, help me out here.
Why is that only people with strong rightwing political leanings seem to find it difficult to breathe with a face covering?
— Dr Mike Galsworthy (@mikegalsworthy) July 12, 2020
AntiMasker: “I can’t get in without a damn mask?! Where am I supposed to buy stuff now??”
Wal-Mart Health Ambassadors: https://t.co/Mf6AHEDQUH pic.twitter.com/uyVFSbtdmV
— •Box Ghost• (@xxbone_daddyxx) July 15, 2020
Passenger: why should I have to wear a mask if yours works?
Driver: damn good point *turns off headlights*
Passenger: what are you doing it’s dark
Driver: chill the other cars have them on
— clean slate (@PleaseBeGneiss) July 15, 2020
How Huntington Beach be looking like right now: pic.twitter.com/Ih4FxEHgw2
— K (@kkay_laa) July 15, 2020
This is how my fellow hospital employees talk about anti-maskers from vegas
Anti maskers from memes