In case you’ve been living on Uranus for the past year, you are well aware of this pandemic virus breakout thinga-ma-doogie (it’s a technical term); and how a bunch of drunk parents are teaching their kids the old way of solving math problems. Genius!
Are you aware of the old age question–which came first, the chicken or the egg?
In my years of collegiate master-minding, and three hundred and ten credit hours of Jack of All Trades, Master of None learning, I was posed a similar theoretical question—which came first, pop culture or societal normalcy?
The idea here is that one always effects the other, but the answer is always debatable. For example, the music of the 1960’s, a revolutionary tune, encouraged Americans to stand up against the ways of old and help push change toward a better, more diverse America. On the flip side, some may argue that change was already at the forefront of our country and therefore the music came later to represent those significant changes.
Cause and Effect; Flip a coin.
Now that we have that settled, let’s implement this theory.
Some of you might leave the house on occasion, probably to buy more alcohol, and when you do, you’ll notice most stores have a mandate to wear a mask over your face holes. When the breakout of this medical phenomenon happened, a few exciting things occurred, all relating to commerce.
All of a sudden, your great-aunt Jody turned into a magical tailor and made fabric masks. She even attached the finest rubber band ear pieces for wearing enjoyment. Some of them were sold to friends and neighbors, or donated to the fire department. Then, who knew it, major corporations started developing and selling masks, not just for disease protection, but to market and sell to personal preferences.
Masks soon turned into a fashion craze of individuality sold to the masses. They come bedazzled or have the worn look. There are different colors and shapes. What suits your mood? Do you prefer the lack of enthusiasm surgical mask? There’s the kissy face mask, our favorite cartoon characters, sports teams, the ones for seasonal occasions, or show that charismatic smile with the transparent mask. The famous Gator was born; a mask that saves the ears and hugs the neck, making the wearers look like tortoises slowly emerging from their shell.
Cause and Effect. Which came first–Trendy Masks (Pop Culture) or Disease Control (Societal Norms)?
Masks have been around for ages. Even today, there are many cultures around the world which require an infected person carrying The Booger Disease (also a technical term) to wear a mask, so not to infect others. We are aware that various plagues throughout history have caused genocide to civilizations. Additionally, individuality is human nature. Sure, there are plenty of examples in which countries have stifled self-expression—but—there’s always those few who refuse to conform, the divergent.
We’ve come full circle and you should, not only be able to easily answer our pop culture/ society question, but the age-old conundrum between the chicken and the egg as well. I mean, as a person with an egg allergy, I can easily say that now I know the truth.