We made the point earlier with Jake Tapper and CNN’s sweater party, where everyone took off their masks for photos. Since the beginning of the COVID pandemic, how many Hollywood movies have you seen with the cast wearing masks? How many TV shows? (Not to mention cable news programs and White House press briefings.) TV and movie productions actually hire COVID staff to ensure that they can go ahead and shoot without masks on. Maybe the filmmakers don’t want their movies to look forever dated, or maybe they consider seeing the actor’s whole face important to their performance.
Bethany “Grandma Killer” Mandel doesn’t want to normalize that which isn’t normal and wrote a note to Highlights asking them to cut it out with the mask illustrations. Highlights replied:
My email to the editor of @Highlights pic.twitter.com/U1BzVoabpv
— Bethany S. Mandel (@bethanyshondark) December 15, 2021
We want our readers to see themselves and their experiences in our magazines, so we've included masks and acknowledgements of the pandemic to help support kids. As one child wrote to us, “Kids need to know that they are not alone.” Like you, we hope that this will be over soon.
— Highlights (@Highlights) December 15, 2021
That note, however, was compared to the Unabomber’s manifesto:
I DEMAND NORMAL CONDITIONS FOR MY CHILDREN I shout as I type a unabomber letter to highlights magazine and post it online pic.twitter.com/HzuyyQakVR
— kilgore trout, death to putiner (@KT_So_It_Goes) December 15, 2021
The usual stuff. What a lot of people are finding unusual is this response to that tweet:
My friend’s kindergartner draws masks on the kids in catalogs because they look “weird without them” pic.twitter.com/y8k1w17UCE
— KDOrganizer (@KDOgGetPOd) December 15, 2021
This is so sad pic.twitter.com/bngWeE7q1T
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) December 16, 2021
This is not making the point you think it is pic.twitter.com/VIQ2Vc6k7t
— Bethany S. Mandel (@bethanyshondark) December 16, 2021
That’s really sad. I hope their insurance covers therapy.
— Scarlett 🍸 (@fledtothesouth) December 16, 2021
I don’t think is the dunk you all think it is
— Greg (@crowbro19) December 16, 2021
This is so sad. Poor kid. Poor kids. What is society forcing on them? What will be the outcome down the road? Serious psychological ramifications here.
— Dakota Case (@DakotaCase5) December 16, 2021
This is one of the saddest things I've seen in a long time.
— Shari (@sharimacm) December 16, 2021
https://twitter.com/SeanWilburn1/status/1471276898072334337
https://twitter.com/ClarkJosephKe13/status/1471273327364816902
That is terrifying.
— Josh the Irish Animator 🇨🇦 🎺🎺 (@JoshAnimator) December 16, 2021
Children learn and mirror what they see others. They aren't able to mirror facial expressions if they don't see them. Who knows how this will reflect the next generation. I can only guess it will be mental health-related.
— Frances Murray (@colorofresil) December 16, 2021
If we ever get out of this mess, it's going to take a lot of work to save the kids.
— Junson Chan 🇺🇸 (@realjunsonchan) December 16, 2021
We think the current generation has mental health issues? The next generation is going to be completely unhinged
— Kimberly Morin (@Conservativeind) December 16, 2021
And about the eyes …
And crossing out the eyes is…..?
— Doomsday Darcy (@DarcyDarcyDot) December 16, 2021
Notice how it isn't just a mask… the kid's also 'coloring' over the eyes, removing as many identifiable features as possible.
Strikes me as rather disturbing, regardless of my stance on masks.
— Grenthblood (@Grenthblood) December 16, 2021
But the eyes though
— Minister of Truth (@Gribbszilla) December 16, 2021
Does that include their eyes? Because those are crossed out too… & def not normal.
— Kayla Rae (@KayRae317) December 16, 2021
This is sad. Why are their eyes crossed out too?
— Courtney Leigh 👑 (@FreeFLGirly1776) December 16, 2021
Scribbling the eyes out a bit concerning
— Engulfingflame (@Engulfingflame1) December 16, 2021
Some are saying this never happened, and hopefully, it didn’t. This kid sees their parents without masks, right? It’s just “weird” to see other children’s faces.
Hoping this is a hoax.
Related:
Bethany Mandel delves into what’s ‘deeply wrong and deeply sinister in a lot of children’s publishing’ — and offers hope to parents who want to fight it https://t.co/mSzJyACgL5
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) November 11, 2021
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