It felt like things were slowly beginning to get back to normal. COVID-19 cases were diminishing, businesses were reopening and yes, movie theaters were in the early stages of gearing back up with new safety measures in place. But in the past couple of weeks, there’s been another surge in states like Florida. In addition, a number of viral videos on social media show individuals freaking out over being told to wear a mask inside a store.
It seems like such a simple thing to do and yet, people don’t want to be told what they can and can’t do. New York is one of the states hit hardest by the virus and is also beginning to reopen. And in the wake of this and wanting to help curb another spike in cases, the state has released a new safety advertisement featuring Friday the 13th’s Jason Voorhees.
The ad, which you can see below, features the serial killer as he walks around the city in his iconic hockey mask. But unlike the killer we’ve seen in a number of movies, he’s sad because his face frightens people. That is, until a little girl hands him a face mask to wear.
The ad ends with the message: “Wearing a mask can be scary; not wearing one can be deadly.” The post also singles out young people as a demographic not wearing a mask because they feel invincible, and encourages individuals to use non-threatening or preachy dialogue to get them to be safe, which may include pop culture references or making them smile.
It’s an effective ad and it’s surprising that California didn’t think of doing something similar with the film industry angle. But at the end of the day, it’s up to each person to set an example by helping prevent the spread of COVID-19 and the easiest way to do that is to wear a mask. How ironic is it then that they turn to Jason Voorhees, one of the most vicious movie killers, to help save lives.
