The familiar figure strides down the aisle of the airplane offering free face masks to passengers and leaving everyone with a smile on their face. Who is the Maskalorian and why has this unique approach been so popular over the last few years? Is this the way?
The past few years have been fraught with an unhealthy amount of chaos, tension, frustration, fear, grief, anger and everything in-between as society wrestled with the reality of a pandemic – something that was a first for most. Confusion about science and facts and what is safe or unsafe reigned supreme. Did we have to wipe our food down? Should I get the vaccine? Should I drink bleach (ok…obviously not…sheesh). But one subject has created quite a stir: masks.
A controversial subject for many, mask-wearing in any setting has been a touchstone issue throughout this pandemic. Heck, this travel blog has covered multiple incidents of mask-wearing drama in the travel universe alone. Never mind schools, churches, birthday parties, stores, etc.
We aren’t here to debate the efficacy of masks. Or the lawfulness of orders requiring them. We are just here to tell an interesting story about one guy who has a unique – and cute – take on mask-wearing.
According to a piece written by the Washington Post, 43-year-old filmmaker Matt Adams felt inspired after watching the wildly popular Mandalorian series on Disney (hello Baby Yoda!). And, given his artistic bent, it made perfect to do a little wordplay and thus the Maskalorian was born.
Over the course of the next several months, Adams would hand out free face masks and even hand sanitizer all while bedecked in some pretty neat cosplay and with a totally adorable (and masked) Baby Yoda (more accurately, the Child or Grogu) hanging from his armor.
The reactions? Mostly pretty good, it would seem. He’s done this on an airplane, a train, a Ferris Wheel and several other places.
And we love it.
Like we said earlier, we aren’t here to debate mask-wearing. You can take that to another blog if you want. Or Facebook. Or wherever you do your yelling-into-the-wind.
We just like this idea. First off, it’s great wordplay (wish we’d thought of it), and second, it’s great cosplay (and Star Wars cosplay – which makes it even more awesome).
In the midst of all this chaos, we kinda need some of this lighthearted silliness. It makes us laugh, smile and relax a bit.
Kudos to Adams for his creativity. Well done, sir.
Oh, and no word on whether the flight crew allowed the helmet to serve as an acceptable face mask on the flight. 🙂
