Silk and chiffon moss, mesh and lace: these are not the fabrics that make up a mask designed to protect your carrier from the capture or transmission of COVID-19, according to the guidelines of the global fitness organization, but the artisans who manufacture and sell this type. etsy masks are not interested in blocking debris or flattening a curve. Some seek to sell what they believe is the oppression of mask warranties, while others need to meet specific medical needs. by a loophole to hide purchase orders.
It has been scientifically proven that the use of a mask slows the transmission of COVID-19. While not the best solution, case studies, laboratory experiments, and anecdotal evidence are all CDC rules that present dressed in a mask to slow the spread of COVID-19 and others. airborne viruses. But those rules, and the mandates they encouraged in the United States, encountered primary cultural and political obstacles.
Although it is scientifically simple, the concept of masking has become almost politically loaded since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, local police forces have largely refused to enforce the mask costume and the shops have had to. enforce those regulations themselves, with explosive results: angry and screaming anti-mask consumers physically attack employees, prick their hands with cameras or are transported out of stores, kicking and screaming at their own children.
The resistance of COVID-19 deniers to the truth of the global pandemic appears to be greater only when state legislators rushed to make the use of masks mandatory after peaks of infection after reopening. The newest form of protest? A type of covering the lower face that does nothing to prevent the spread of the coronavirus but that may seem, at a glance, like a mask; you in the form of PPE. A quick search for ‘freedom masks’, ‘breathable masks’ or ‘unmasked’ etsy offers a number of effects for consumers who need to circumvent security measures.
“This mask combines Nah, NO! Technology with the “governor’s” recommendations or as some like to confuse it with”the law “that protects the user not only the workers from heroes, but even regulates their oxygen levels!Read a description on a mesh mask, called “breathing” through your seller. “For all Karens, keep in mind that this mask, like the maximum models on the market, offers a COVID-19 0 policy worth 99. 7%. “
Other masks available in the virtual market speak for themselves, such as a seller’s mesh offerings, with slogans like “God has control”, “Placebo”, “MAGA” and “My governor is an IDIOTA!”(The owners of those two Etsy retail stores did not respond to a REQUEST for feedback from VICE).
According to product reviews, consumers respond in the same way, with reviews like, “You’re a real patriot!Master, master, love this mask of freedom, do you have any more?Thank you very much!” or “I bought two of your antifaces and use them when I’m forced to do it through our tyrannical governor. It’s still you, I appreciate it!”
Etsy screenshot
Etsy screenshot
Etsy screenshot
VICE spoke to an Etsy saleswoman named Chelsea, who started crocheting about a year ago and said she had to knit a crochet mask at the suggestion of her 10-year-old daughter. “I never planned to sell them,” he says.
But when a Facebook post he made about his crochet mask exploded, Chelsea made the decision that he had a commercial concept in his hands. “After my post, there were more than 1000 comments, either for and against my mask. . . One woman told me she would use me as an example of why young people deserve not to go back to school, because she is a teacher. I said I’ll use it as an example of why I’m going to school at home.
The mask sold through Chelsea comes in a variety of patterns, such as the “stupid mask that may not keep you safe” (sic) depicting the American flag, or another, crocheted in blue and black, intended to sign police support. “Most other people support the company a lot,” he said. “Some even said they wore it on the same old mask and forced others to react. “
According to Chelsea, he sold more of those masks on Etsy and earned more than $1,000.
Kyoko, a saleswoman who joined Etsy in search of a wider audience for her baby clothing line, told VICE that she had created her mesh mask with a very express purpose in mind. He made the first pair as part of a traditional order. for a couple with hearing problems who approached her and told her that they needed a product that would allow them to read their lips without restricting their breathing. After creating a chiffon mask and sending it to the couple, her comments encouraged her to list the mask in her tent.
“They promptly responded and said, “This is amazing, you don’t even perceive how useful it has been to us,” he said. So I like it, oh, maybe there are other people who want a lot more things like that. “Since then, she has gained feedback from other clients in the darkest segment of the general population who cannot wear a mask for medical reasons, such as a woman whose brain surgery left her with a panic disorder caused by respiratory restrictions. He also said that the popularity of the product had exceeded its expectations up to a degreeArray . . . Worrying.
“I started posting it on Etsy, and it started exploding. So I thought, “Wow, are they all deaf and I didn’t know it, or other people with breathing problems?”What is it? Since then, I’ve won messages from other people saying, “I hate the mask, but I love yours!How I am, yes, it’s okay, but if you can wear a general mask, I need you to. I think the hardest component is that I can’t the customer».
Another detail beyond your control is the reaction of others who consider your product to be a public health hazard.
“I got a message from someone saying, “Murderer!” said Kyoko. “It hurts. ” Lately he’s wearing a more protective edition of his mask, but in the meantime, he’s striving to stay too. . . as transparent as possible. ” I put on my list to say that coverage is minimal, it is specially designed for other people with disabilities or fitness disorders who simply cannot wear a common mask. And knowing that and opting for that, I don’t mean I’m not in control, but I don’t have it.
Etsy told VICE that brands promoting transparent masks violated its banned products policy). Although many of them seem to inspire customers to exploit the technical facets of mask commands for potentially harmful purposes.
“Masks sold on Etsy are not medical grade and classified ads cannot include medical or fitness statements,” an Etsy representative told VICE’s email. “While we are not guilty of determining the effectiveness of any indexed masks in our market, we are committed to ensuring the protection of our network and actively reviewing and cutting the pieces that violate our policies. “
This is an attractive contrast to the company’s movements prior to this year, when it got rid of COVID-19-themed products from its site in March. According to a BuzzFeed News report, he did so to prevent the dissemination of incorrect information and to prevent distributors from trying to “exploit” the pandemic.
Unless the company makes the decision to replace its position, the distributors of the mask of freedom do not plan to avoid in the short term, the court cases of other Etsy users are doomed.
“If you tell me I shouldn’t be allowed to sell [my masks], I remind you that I have the freedom to do so,” said Chelsea, the crocheter, “just as they have the freedom not to. “
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