# The pro-mask side needs to step up its influencing game
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pro-mask-side-needs-to-step-up-its-influencing-game/915842
**Category:** The Quarantine Zone
**Tags:** covid-quarantine
**Created:** [July 20, 2020, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pro-mask-side-needs-to-step-up-its-influencing-game/915842 "2020-07-20T15:21:05Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2020, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pro-mask-side-needs-to-step-up-its-influencing-game/915842/1 "2020-07-20T15:21:05Z")
It’s not possible for these people to simultaneously be so stupid that they can easily be manipulated by Donald Trump and conspiracy theory memes on Facebook, yet also either TOO stupid or not stupid enough to be influenced by propaganda from the pro-safety camp.
NO human being is immune to being influenced by messaging. The messaging just needs to be on point, and delivered by the right influencers.
Maybe they’re all a bunch of stupid sheep. Maybe. But if you can’t corral the sheep, it’s your fault for being a shitty shepherd, not the fault of the sheep.
All this is to say - it’s clear that the safety messages consisting simply of “Wear A Mask” and “WEAR A MASK!” and “JUST WEAR A FUCKING MASK!!!” are not making headway among the contingent of America that continues to disregard safety and continues to jack up the number of new cases every day.
So what COULD actually make headway? There has to be something, I just don’t know what it is. There have got to be at least a handful of real-life Don Drapers who could concoct the right public safety campaign that would ACTUALLY accomplish its goal. I’m positive of it. But whoever they are, wherever they are, they’re not being utilized properly.
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### Author:  [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2020, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pro-mask-side-needs-to-step-up-its-influencing-game/915842/2 "2020-07-20T15:29:35Z")
Talk about blaming the victim. The anti-maskers know why masks are reasonable to end this pandemic, protecting them and everyone else. It appeals to their political agenda to refuse to listen and cooperate. No matter how clever or brilliantly crafted the message, they will refuse to hear it.
At this point only laws and meaningful consequences ($$$ or house arrest) will have any effect on them. Of course this will require a drastic replacement of politicians and national public will. I hope everyone is still alive by the time that happens (Jan 21, 2021, 12:01pm, Washington, DC?)
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### Author:  [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2020, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pro-mask-side-needs-to-step-up-its-influencing-game/915842/3 "2020-07-20T15:32:53Z")
Once we find the way to convince these anti-mask idiots to wear a mask, can we apply the same mind control to anti-vaxxers and climate change deniers?
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### Author:  [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2020, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pro-mask-side-needs-to-step-up-its-influencing-game/915842/4 "2020-07-20T15:32:55Z")
How about a whole panoply of he-men, burly, admired, amateur and professional athletes riffing off the Nike theme of **Just Do It!**
> **[Just Do It](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Just_Do_It)**
>
> Pages for logged out editors learn more
>
>
> Just Do It or JDI for short is a trademark of shoe company Nike. Justdoit.Com is one of the core components of Nike's brand. The slogan was coined in 1988 at an advertising agency meeting. The founder of the Wieden+Kennedy agency, Dan Wieden, credits the inspiration for his "Just Do It" Nike slogan to Gary Gilmore’s last words: "Let's do it." The "Just Do It" campaign allowed Nike to further increase its share of the North American domestic spor...
In fact, maybe Fauci or someone with his gravitas could persuade Nike to get behind this.
I don’t think laws or consequences will have any effect on the anti-maskers. They will love being persecuted martyrs (like their hero).
Wearing a mask has to become the cool, in, trending, Thing To Do. Or maybe it has to be pitched as the ultimate “counter-culture” or “anti-mainstream.” I’m so far out of popular culture that I don’t know what would appeal. I know that logic and reason will NOT appeal.
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### Author:  [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2020, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pro-mask-side-needs-to-step-up-its-influencing-game/915842/5 "2020-07-20T15:37:40Z")
The fact that you think a campaign of pro athletes representing Nike would be the ideal delivery vehicle for the message…I’m sorry, it says that you don’t really understand what’s going on here. And I’m not trying to be mean by saying that. Really. I mean, to be fair, you said yourself “I’m so far out of popular culture that I don’t know what would appeal.”
But Nike is now inextricably linked with Colin Kaepernick, who is inextricably linked with EVERYTHING that the anti-mask people hate. Because they’re stupid - no denying it. The message has to come from something they wouldn’t immediately write off as liberal propaganda!
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### Author:  [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2020, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pro-mask-side-needs-to-step-up-its-influencing-game/915842/6 "2020-07-20T15:39:29Z")
> [@Lamoral](#):
>
> The message has to come from something they wouldn’t immediately write off as liberal propaganda!
There is exactly one person with that power. And he is not up to the job.
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### Author:  [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2020, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pro-mask-side-needs-to-step-up-its-influencing-game/915842/7 "2020-07-20T15:43:59Z")
> [@Lamoral](#):
>
> The fact that you think a campaign of pro athletes representing Nike would be the ideal delivery vehicle for the message…I’m sorry, it says that you don’t really understand what’s going on here…
All right all right all right. Holy shit, man, reel it in. Put down the fucking bludgeon. And keep your disingenuous “sorry” to yourself.
I did say:
> [@ThelmaLou](#):
>
> I’m so far out of popular culture that I don’t know what would appeal.
I meant something with the impact of the original Nike campaign. One would have to find the current equivalent of a single message campaign promoted by some group that these buttheads would listen to.
It takes a butthead to know a butthead, so a butthead should design the ad campaign.
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### Author:  [@RealityCheck71](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityCheck71)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2020, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pro-mask-side-needs-to-step-up-its-influencing-game/915842/8 "2020-07-20T15:44:55Z")
Don’t sell him short.Ted Nugent may surprise us all.
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### Author:  [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2020, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pro-mask-side-needs-to-step-up-its-influencing-game/915842/9 "2020-07-20T15:45:11Z")
A friend of mine makes masks.
She told me that she was conflicted, as someone had asked her to make some MAGA masks.
I gave her a snap answer, “YES!”. to which she was surprised, as she is aware that I’m not a MAGA fan.
I explained that if it gets them to wear them, then it is a good thing.
Now, if we could get the head MAGA to lead by example, that would help immensely.
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### Author:  [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2020, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pro-mask-side-needs-to-step-up-its-influencing-game/915842/10 "2020-07-20T15:48:20Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#):
>
> All right all right all right. Holy shit, man, reel it in. Put down the fucking bludgeon. And keep your disingenuous “sorry” to yourself.
No, now I’m saying sorry for real. I could have been less snide. My apologies.
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### Author:  [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2020, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pro-mask-side-needs-to-step-up-its-influencing-game/915842/11 "2020-07-20T15:53:11Z")
> [@Lamoral](#):
>
> But Nike is now inextricably linked with Colin Kaepernick, who is inextricably linked with EVERYTHING that the anti-mask people hate. Because they’re stupid - no denying it. The message has to come from something they wouldn’t immediately write off as liberal propaganda!
The anti-mask (and anti-vax, and “all lives matter”) crowd has the inherent advantage that they are on the side of laziness and entitlement. It’s not, “one side says I need to do X, and one side says I need to do Y, so let me pick”. It’s, “one side says I need to do X, and one side says I don’t have to do anything I wasn’t going to do anyway, and I get to feel smug about how much smarter I am than everyone else”, and the latter option is always a much easier sell.
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### Author:  [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2020, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pro-mask-side-needs-to-step-up-its-influencing-game/915842/12 "2020-07-20T15:53:18Z")
> [@Lamoral](#):
>
> No, now I’m saying sorry for real. I could have been less snide. My apologies.
Okay. You’re forgiven. These are tense times. And you can lounge on my lawn if you want to. 😉
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### Author:  [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2020, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pro-mask-side-needs-to-step-up-its-influencing-game/915842/13 "2020-07-20T15:54:33Z")
If you want to convince them to wear masks, you’d have to convince them that it prevents them from getting sick. IMO, that’s the problem. They refuse to wear a mask because most masks won’t prevent them from inhaling the virus and they really don’t care if you get sick.
I was just wondering how much of an overlap there is between people that refuse to wear a mask because it doesn’t do any good and people who, three months ago, were buying up all the masks because they thought that was the only way to prevent themselves from getting it.
I mentioned to an anti-masker, just this morning, that they’re more than welcome to wear a 3M respirator or N95 mask if they want. Even though those won’t go as far to prevent them from spreading it, at least it’ll help prevent them from getting it (which means they won’t spread it either).
When people bring up the argument that republicans will carry guns ‘for protection’ but won’t wear a mask for protection. Again, IMO, it’s the same thing. They carry a gun to protect themselves, they refuse to wear a mask because it only protects others.
If you want the anti-maskers to start wearing masks, you’re going to have to do one of two things, again, IMO. Either Trump & Co need to wear and promote them OR they need to given masks that will protect them.
Hand an anti-masker a mask and say “this will help people around you from getting sick in case you have the virus and don’t realize it yet” or “this will prevent you from getting it”. Which statement do you think is going to convince people to wear one.
In the end, it’s not going to matter. The more they don’t wear masks, the further behind they’re putting us and the more cities/counties/states/private establishments are going to require them. Eventually they’re not going to be able to do much more than wander around their house if they continue to refuse.
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### Author:  [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2020, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pro-mask-side-needs-to-step-up-its-influencing-game/915842/14 "2020-07-20T15:55:13Z")
As mentioned, the only way to get Trumpers to wear a mask is if it is perceived as something Democrats don’t want them to do.
You need several Democrats to loudly complain in the media that MAGA masks should be banned, a YouTube video of liberals crying because such masks trigger them, that Trump mask-wearers should be banned from stores, and those masks will sell like **wildfire**.
Brer Rabbit and briar bush approach.
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### Author:  [@eschrodinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschrodinger)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2020, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pro-mask-side-needs-to-step-up-its-influencing-game/915842/15 "2020-07-20T15:56:03Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#):
>
> I gave her a snap answer, “YES!”. to which she was surprised, as she is aware that I’m not a MAGA fan.
Yep. That’s what I’m thinking. Make masks that themselves are a way of flipping off liberals, and some people will replace flipping off liberals by not wearing masks with wearing offensive-to-liberals masks.
Those people will be ones who know deep down that a mask will protect them and others, and would like a way to do it while still maintaining group cred.
Another portion of the non-mask-wearers don’t believe there is anything to protect against, so it won’t work on them. Maybe a new conspiracy theory that coronavirus was a hoax, but now that people have been sorted into mask wearing and non, a pathogen really will be released, which would be thwarted by a simple mask, which they have tricked you into not wearing.
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### Author:  [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2020, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pro-mask-side-needs-to-step-up-its-influencing-game/915842/16 "2020-07-20T16:06:50Z")
In another thread, someone shared this, which I thought was helpful:
> **[The Psychology Behind Why Some People Refuse To Wear Face Masks](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/psychology-why-people-refuse-wear-face-masks_l_5efb723cc5b6ca970915bc53)**
>
> As coronavirus cases spike, those who refuse to wear face coverings remain as firm in their choice as ever. Here's what psychologists say is driving their behavior.
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### Author:  [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2020, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pro-mask-side-needs-to-step-up-its-influencing-game/915842/17 "2020-07-20T16:20:15Z")
> [@leahcim](#):
>
> The anti-mask (and anti-vax, and “all lives matter”) crowd has the inherent advantage that they are on the side of laziness and entitlement. It’s not, “one side says I need to do X, and one side says I need to do Y, so let me pick”. It’s, “one side says I need to do X, and one side says I don’t have to do anything I wasn’t going to do anyway, and I get to feel smug about how much smarter I am than everyone else”, and the latter option is always a much easier sell.
Yes, this. Looking at the sheep herding analogy, it’s a lot easier to herd sheep in a direction they already want to go than it is to get them to go somewhere they don’t want to go.
It doesn’t matter what the issue is, really. The “You need to do X” side will always have an uphill battle when compared to the “You don’t need to do anything” side.
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### Author:  [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2020, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pro-mask-side-needs-to-step-up-its-influencing-game/915842/18 "2020-07-20T16:35:58Z")
> [@eschrodinger](#):
>
> Make masks that themselves are a way of flipping off liberals, and some people will replace flipping off liberals by not wearing masks with wearing offensive-to-liberals masks.
Seems like MAGA masks would fit the bill nicely. That’d be fine with me. Granted, it’s a little more in-your-face than the hats, but it’s not like it changes how you feel and at least you’re wearing it now.
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### Author:  [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2020, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pro-mask-side-needs-to-step-up-its-influencing-game/915842/19 "2020-07-20T16:43:03Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#):
>
> How about a whole panoply of he-men, burly, admired, amateur and professional athletes riffing off the Nike theme of **Just Do It!**
Arnold Schwarzenegger, a solid Republican who once was practically the definition of “tough guy,” has been out there promoting masks.
The non-mask wearers have chosen to die on this hill.
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### Author:  [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2020, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pro-mask-side-needs-to-step-up-its-influencing-game/915842/20 "2020-07-20T16:44:35Z")
> [@amarinth](#):
>
> The non-mask wearers have chosen to die on this hill.
The non-mask wearers have chosen to kill _us_ on this hill.
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