In a blatant act of defiance against mandates that are only in place to keep people safe, some anti-maskers are opting to wear mesh face masks which, while seemingly complying with the rules, will protect absolutely no one from the coronavirus.
You know, the whole reason the rest of us are covering our faces.
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A Facebook post from a salon in Brazil advertising these so-called “breathable” masks has recently gone viral, bringing attention to this unfathomably selfish counter-culture of people who are doing everything possible to avoid masking-up properly.
In the original post from Zilda’s Beauty Center, the salon owner is photographed wearing a white mesh mask.
When translated to English, the post , which currently has over 95,000 largely negative reactions on Facebook, reads:
“Folks! A new batch of masks arrived, beautiful and super comfortable. It allows for much easier breathing, in addition to the delicacy and femininity that his tulle mask brings to the female face. You can now order, girls!!”
It is unclear from the post whether the owner of the salon is making a joke, or if they’re actually suggesting people buy these mesh masks to wear in public spaces.
Whatever the intent, the photo and its caption have certainly caught the internet’s attention. Users have flooded the comment section on both Facebook and Instagram to condemn the salon for promoting such a pointless, not to mention unsafe, product.
“How do you not realize how useless and stupid this is,” one person wrote, while another added, “Beautiful! Matches the coffin veil.”
Whether Zilda’s post was satire or not, it highlights the fact that there are indeed people out there who are spending money on mesh face masks.
Twitter user Shattered-Earth recently shared some disturbing screenshots showing creators on Etsy who are actually selling these products.
“I hate that making maliciously compliant ineffective mesh face masks IS A THING,” they wrote alongside a photo of the products.
What’s especially troubling to see is that one of those very sellers actually branded their product an “Anti Mask Mesh Face Mask.”
“If you are going so far as to make and buy FAKE MASKS like you really can’t just wear a real one at that point?” User Shattered-Earth implored in a follow-up tweet . “You have to trick people and endanger people who justifiably do not want to be around your stupid ass?”
The original post now appears to have been removed by the site or taken down by the seller, but there are still plenty of other mesh face masks available for purchase online.
So why are anti-maskers spending money on mesh, lace, and even yarn masks? Simple: to make a point.
As WTOL 11 reported, these people are going out of their way to make a statement: if you’re going to make them wear a mask, then fine, they will.
But they’re going to wear one that offers absolutely zero protection for anyone, while still covering their noses and mouths.
One Florida man admitted he wore one such useless mask while out shopping recently and insisted “nobody cared.”
In fact, he even filmed himself leaving the location while still wearing the mesh face covering.
“I wore a mask that is designed for protecting your face in a paintball battle,” Russ Ward of Tampa said in the clip. “You can easily breathe through it. I walked all around the store, talked to employees, and other shoppers, and every one of them could see my mouth.”
“It was almost like not wearing a mask at all. Nobody cared. That’s because it’s not about safety. It’s all about compliance.”
Other anti-maskers have publicly shared the ways they found to get around their own region’s face mask mandates.
In this Twitter post from a user protesting the coverings, a woman can be seen wearing yet another mesh face mask while echoing Ward’s insistence that such rules are “about compliance, not safety.”
But the evidence is clear that wearing face masks truly does help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
“We are not defenseless against COVID-19,” CDC Director Dr. Robert R. Redfield said in a recent press release . “Cloth face coverings are one of the most powerful weapons we have to slow and stop the spread of the virus — particularly when used universally within a community setting.””
“All Americans have a responsibility to protect themselves, their families, and their communities.”
So perhaps it’s about time that those anti-maskers who are wasting their time, energy, and money on so passionately opposing a potentially life-saving face covering smarten up and just put on a legitimate mask already.
h/t: CDC , Yahoo News , WTOL 11
