Masks As Class Identifiers

Just so we have our priorities straight, the UK photographer who published this image as part of a lighthearted series was forced to apologize. Masks are very, very serious.

But even the New York Times has begun to take a different perspective -- and since it's of, by, and for the elites, its perspective is through the lens of social class, which for elitists is a very, very serious topic. From this past Saturday, Are Masks A New Signifier of Social Class? (This is normally behind a paywall, but the Times will let you sign on to read it for free.)

On a recent Sunday night at Le Bilboquet, a see-and-be-seen restaurant in the Hamptons, well-heeled diners nibbled on $475 tins of Osetra caviar. A handsome man showed off his gold Audemars Piguet watch to his sparkly female companion. A party of 10 in polo shirts and striped rompers danced to a tropical house remix of Tina Turner’s “What’s Love Got to Do With It.”

They were all unmasked, while the waiters, bartenders and other servers kept their mouths and noses covered.

. . . Those who are still wearing masks tend to be members of the service class — store clerks, waiters, janitors, manicurists, security guards, receptionists, hair stylists and drivers — while those without face coverings are often the well-to-do customers being wined and dined.

. . . “It sends a message — one that’s been internalized on both sides — that the body of the mask wearer is ‘riskier’ than the body of the consumer,” [sociologist] Dr. [Erin] Vearncombe said. “It shows that certain groups have, and even deserve, more civil liberties than others.”

The risky body theme feeds into fear of the unvaccinated, which is also a social class issue: the unvaccinated, after all, are according to even President Biden, blacks, Hipanics, and right-wing anti-vaxxers. The Times piece continues,

“Customers have to be vaccinated to go maskless, but we can’t ask for proof,” said Jose de la Rosa, 26, who works behind the counter at the Juice Generation store in Times Square. “And we have workers who are fully vaccinated, can prove it and still have to wear them. It’s odd.”

Politico quoted Utah Gov Spencer Cox, who seems to be something of a squish, on the Sunday talks:

“Politics is becoming religion in our country,” Cox, a Republican, said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” “Politics is becoming sport and entertainment in our country. That everything is political. It is a huge mistake, and it’s caused us to make bad decisions during this pandemic and in other phases of our life as well. It is deeply troubling.

. . . Utah is slightly below the national average among states in terms of vaccinating adults (approximately 64 percent), which Cox said understates its achievement given the state’s conservative valence and how much of its population consists of younger people, who are generally less likely to be vaccinated than older Americans.

Still, Cox said he is concerned about unvaccinated residents, given the rise of the highly contagious Delta variant that has taken hold.

So he goes on national media to apologize for the right-wingers in his state, but he's doing his best to bring them to heel. Right.

I don't think many people needed the New York Times to remind them that masks are a symbol of subordination, an American version of the tug at the forelock. The problem is that at this point, with herd immunity rendering them moot and vaccination a much harder thing to prove, the elites are desperate to find a new thing to require as an instant class designator. In the meantime, there's the Delta variant. UCLA, an elitist bastion, is on the case:

UCLA reinstated the mask mandate for many indoor spaces on campus, regardless of an individual’s COVID-19 vaccination status, according to a campuswide email Friday.

All individuals must now wear face masks in classrooms on campus, teaching labs, libraries and indoor recreation spaces, according to the campuswide email. Passengers must also wear masks while using BruinBus, BruinAccess and UCLA SafeRide services.

The university’s announcement comes after the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health issued a recommendation Monday encouraging the use of face masks in indoor public spaces in response to the rising number of COVID-19 cases caused by the highly transmissible delta variant.

Even Dr Walensky says you're safe if you're vaccinated. The elites can't let go. Vaccine passports? I still think they should have required forehead tattoos.