Corey Taylor Criticizes Coronavirus Anti-Maskers: Not Everything Is a Political Statement
Corey Taylor has a bold message for adherents of the anti-mask movement amid the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Especially for those imposing their negligence on others merely following the CDC's guidelines for wearing face coverings to help slow the infectious disease's spread.
The Slipknot frontman, Stone Sour singer and solo musician tackled the topic on a recent Let There Be Talk episode. When asked how his adopted hometown of Las Vegas is handling the health crisis, the musician lamented the pandemic's ebb and flow. But he got heated regarding the city's anti-maskers.
"Vegas, it's up and down," Taylor explained, as reported by Blabbermouth. "There are still a bunch of fucking mooks with no masks on at the casinos. And, actually, the people who were there — tourists or visitors or whatever — were giving shit to people who were wearing masks. That was enough for me to just go, 'You know what, man? Fuck you!'"
The musician continued, "It's like, not everything has to be a political fucking statement. It's better to just be cautious. It's better to be smart. You wanna walk around with no fucking mask on, you go ahead and spin the barrel, and let's see how many times you can click it. But these people who are actually trying to be preventive, there's no reason for you to give them a rash of shit — they weren't fucking saying anything to you. It's just ridiculous, man."
It's not the first time Taylor has broached the subject. In August, the singer urged "dumbasses" to "stop whining" and wear a mask. On Let There Be Talk this month, the Slipknot member furthered that idea.
"Some people are just minding their own fucking business, and a bunch of garbage fucking falls out of people's faces, and it just keeps the fucking wheel spinning," Taylor added. "Maybe if we all just kind of kept some shit to ourselves, maybe shit would fucking quiet down."
In July, The New York Times expounded on the impetus behind anti-maskers' adverse ideas and actions. Regarding the scientific dilemmas surrounding the novel coronavirus, opinion writer Charlie Warzel suggested that public health experts have "eroded trust by not accurately communicating uncertainty and by being stubborn about correcting the record when our understanding evolved."
Taylor's debut solo album, CMFT, arrives on Oct. 2.
Corey Taylor Appears on the Let There Be Talk Podcast - Sept. 13, 2020
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