COVID

woman in bookstore pointing hand at employee with face mask on (l) face masks laid out on table medical mask protective worker organizing (c) woman in bookstore talking to employee with face mask on (r)

‘I have the right to explain to you that mask doesn’t help’: Woman badgers Half Price Books manager over mask policy

'Why can't people just not be difficult?!'

On Jun 18, 2022 by Brooke Sjoberg

IRL

Man in hardhat speaking outside caption "Gasoline has no smell anymore" (l) Man walking on sidewalk caption "Somebody said they haven't smelled the gas at the gas station in a minute... And you know what..." (c) Man in car speaking caption "50% ethanol in the gas. 5/26/22 could be other stuff as well maybe even drop emoji" (r)

‘I’m just putting 5 dollar Dasani water in my tank’: TikTokers think gas has lost its smell

'We all lost our smell from COVID.'

On Jun 3, 2022 by Audra Schroeder

Internet Culture IRL

Ice-cream shop blurred background tweet by Lindsay Fogarty "A grown adult man who owns an ice cream shop in Tennessee made my 10 year old autistic son cry because he wouldn't sell us ice cream because we wouldn't take our masks off. We have a rare disease, and our immune compromised."

‘I don’t have words right now’: An ice cream shop reportedly turned away a disabled customer and her son when they refused to take off their masks

The ice cream shop has reportedly made anti-masking posts in the past.

On May 15, 2022 by Dan Latu

IRL

Note with $20 tip caption "$20 tip I had Covid, so please disinfect the room as much as possible/be careful. If you get sick I am sorry I tried my best" (l) hotel reception desk workers blurred bell on counter in front (r)

‘It’s not hard to stay home when you’re sick’: A hotel worker showcased a $20 tip they received disclosing a guest had COVID-19. Commenters told her to be grateful for the money

'95% of people would not disclose that.'

On May 14, 2022 by Braden Bjella

IRL

elderly woman on stage scoffing at an audience member

‘Who do you think you are?’: Patti LuPone blasts Karen audience member who wouldn’t put her mask up during Broadway show

'After 2 years, it disgusts me that people still think they can disregard rules meant to prevent people from becoming ill and dying.'

On May 11, 2022 by Michelle Jaworski

Internet Culture

‘Scam artists for real’: TikToker says Walgreens gave her ‘free’ COVID tests that were actually billed to her insurance

'My pharmacy did the same thing.'

On May 1, 2022 by Braden Bjella

IRL

Man with mask on face in airplane seat with two tweets in opposite corners left tweet reads "My wife texted me that the pilot of @Delta flight 769 from ATL to SFO just announced that #masks are now optional. Mid-flight, no less! And some people are taking them off, of course. Feels unfair to the people who boarded with a different expectation." right tweet reads " Mid-flight to Burbank on @AlaskaAir and the flight attendant took it upon herself to announce that the mask mandate was lifted and encouraged everyone to take their masks off and blank were hooting and hollering. Fun fun fun times."

People are pointing out how airlines’ new mask-optional policy alienates young children and the immunocompromised

They're livid about the change, which in some cases was announced mid-flight.

On Apr 19, 2022 by Michelle Jaworski

Internet Culture IRL

brady bunch opening theme but four of them are holding covid tests

‘4 Covid tests’ meme illustrates the insufficiency of the U.S.’s new program

Which members of the family can't get a test?

On Jan 20, 2022 by Michelle Jaworski

Internet Culture

‘That’s fine come to work we will give you patients who are also positive’: Nurse alleges he has to work despite COVID in viral TikTok

'They did that math.'

On Dec 31, 2021 by Rachel Kiley

Internet Culture

Multiple planes outside of an airport and a woman in a mask

Video: Passengers on flight from South Africa to Denmark told to stay on plane due to COVID-19 variant fears

Passengers were stuck at the Schipol airport for hours while waiting on COVID test results.

On Nov 27, 2021 by Brooke Sjoberg

IRL

anti-vax protesters outside of glass doors

How anti-vax protesters caused chaos as Los Angeles voted to mandate vaccines for students

It was a contentious scene.

On Sep 10, 2021 by Eric Levai

Tech

People think this reporter sounds like a Muppet in a viral interview

The reporter was asking Colin Hanks about his brother.

On Sep 2, 2021 by Michelle Jaworski

Internet Culture

gavel on red blob with "r/nonewnormal has been banned from Reddit. This subreddit was banned due to a violation of Reddit's content policy against promoting community interference."

Reddit responds to sitewide blackout by restricting over 50 communities pushing COVID disinformation

Some subreddits are satisfied; others want more demands met.

On Sep 1, 2021 by Claire Goforth

Tech

josh mandel us senate candidate ohio celebrates sick maskless restaurant worker in tweet

Senate candidate tweets out photo celebrating ‘sick’, maskless server who came to work, igniting social media backlash

The restaurant featured in the tweet has since shut down their social media pages and received a number of negative reviews.

On Aug 22, 2021 by Phil West

Tech

LaKeith Stanfield deleted an Instagram post with anti-vax sentiment

His post addressed the false belief that people are being forced to put something in their body.

On Aug 12, 2021 by Michelle Jaworski

Internet Culture