The Irony of Masks

Covid in many different ways has been ironic. One ironic phrase that I have heard throughout this pandemic is, “I feel naked without my mask." A little over a year ago, masks were something only doctors and a few people wore. Now, it has become mandatory for everyone to wear a mask wherever they go. Some have even made it a point to have their masks match their outfits. People are trying to make a stressful situation a little lighter by creating funny masks. Therefore, the creative and lighthearted side of us shows through our masks. Although we make masks decorative, many still hate the masks. When someone leaves their house without their mask to go on a walk, they feel as if they are forgetting something, or some say that they “feel naked.” This is not something people would have said or even considered about a year ago. The irony is that whether the person hates or loves the masks, they still feel naked without it. The irony is that we all have found common ground in this statement, yet there are still people arguing for whether we should wear masks or not. Regardless of whether a person likes the mask or not, everyone is required to wear it and we have become so accustomed to wearing it that we self-consciously feel naked without it. A comical piece of irony about masks is that in the great movie, “The Princess Bride,” the main character, Wesley, who has been a masked pirate for the last five years, states that he believes everyone will be wearing masks in the future since they are “terribly comfortable.” This was a phrase many laughed at, but it has actually came true. We were hoping that they would be eye masks like the one Wesley wore, but he did not specify, so here we are.