For the second time in the past two weeks, hundreds of wealthy celebrities gathered at a large, lavish event where the coronavirus was just an afterthought and restrictions did not apply. This wouldn’t have been a problem if the rest of the country, the lower and middle-class folks whose salaries don’t even come close to the cost of a table at the Met, were allowed to live by the same care-free standards.
But at this point in the pandemic, hypocrisy is to be expected. We’ve learned repeatedly over the past year and a half that the people who scream the loudest about the necessity of coronavirus restrictions are the same people who don’t have to abide by any of them. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was allowed to get her hair cut at an indoor salon without a mask while the rest of the city’s salons were forcibly shut down. California Gov. Gavin Newsom was allowed to host a fancy dinner party for his socialite friends while the rest of the state was being told to stay at home. And San Francisco Mayor London Breed was allowed to party maskless at a bar, but children attending in-person school are still told to keep distance from their peers.
The examples are numerous — the Emmys is just the latest. Pictures of unmasked celebrities posing on the red carpet Sunday night and socializing in close proximity to one another were all over the internet, but there was hardly a hint of concern from public health officials. No warnings, or threats, or public sneers of condescension as there were when North Dakota hosted its annual outdoor Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. The only reason Dr. Anthony Fauci might have been upset about the Emmys is that he didn’t receive an invite himself.
And though none of this double-dealing is surprising anymore, it should not be any less consequential because it reveals that none of this is about “the science,” or protecting others, or saving lives. All of that “we’re all in this together” talk was just theater, and every restriction still in place is just an act to make it seem like the people in charge care. But clearly, the elites don’t think restrictions are all that necessary, so why should anyone else?
The obvious answer is: You shouldn’t.
