You can add location information to your Tweets, such as your city or precise location, from the web and via third-party applications. You always have the option to delete your Tweet location history. Learn more
The purposes of the gloves for me when I paint is cleanup and to save my skin which is sensitive. But, the cleanup is the main thing b/c painting outside you don't have access to water and soap. When I pack up I just snap the gloves off and pack, so no paint gets anywhere.
Now this is a perfectly reasonable reason to use gloves when you're painting. It says nothing about my masculinity, skill as a painter, or anything other than it's easier. Buuuut, I'd say 80% of the time when almost anyone sees me wearing gloves they ask, "You wear gloves?!"
They're almost *offended* that I'd cover my hands while I paint. Painters will make fun of me with this weird kind of toxic masculinity like I'm missing a testicle because I wear gloves. A "real painter" gets paint all over and drinks cadmium and turpentine straight!
It's even worse if they find out I'm a programmer. They already think I'm a dork for wearing gloves--and in the US being a dork is the worst thing you can be--but throw in programmer and clearly I have no idea what I'm doing and am a real wuss for wearing gloves.
I started wearing masks early on in the pandemic and I had the same reaction. People yelled at me that the mask was useless, why am I wearing that, looking at me like I'm a weirdo. They went out of their way to shame me in much the same way as when I wore gloves.
I can't explain why, but Americans have some kind of weird aversion to protective gear. If you wear earplugs at a concert you're a dork. If you wear gloves while you paint, put on a N95 mask, have your guitar at a comfortable height, all bring shaming and claims you're a dork.
Why I find this strange is the USA is also a culture of invention. We've been finding clever ways around problems for hundreds of years, and are known for this, so you'd think they'd be like "Wow cool hack! You should get patent." But when it comes to protective gear, nope.
Now if you compare that to a country like Japan you see that they have no problem wearing masks, following guidelines, and that doing this is perceived as being a good citizen. This may be the same in Sweden, where (I'll let a Swede tell me) maybe this is also a social good.
This experience just wearing gloves when I paint makes me think a severe quarantine lockdown in the US is actually pointless. Not because it wouldn't work, but because culturally Americans just think it's the worst thing ever and won't even follow it if it was mandatory.
This also tracks w/ why we have a quarantine in many places and it's just not working. I walk outside and people just DGAF, no mask, no distance, just fuck it. NYC reports people still go running ffs. They lined up by the thousands to watch a boat pull in and still had concerts.
Rational people can't understand, but being a "glove and mask dork" is simply culturally the worst thing to ask someone to do in the US. Americans absolutely hate dorks and will do almost anything to avoid that shame. Then you have prominent leaders adding to the dork factor.pic.twitter.com/44WdKoEOlI
So, I sadly believe that the US quarantine will be worse than doing nothing. Not only will it basically be like doing nothing because people won't listen, but it will also destroy the economy and take a decade to recover. All because Americans don't want to look like dorks.
On the flip side, this cultural norm in the US is why we couldn't ever do it like Japan or Sweden. If we said, "country open but wear a mask" it'd be pointless because Americans just won't listen. I really think the virus will explode and be pervasive no matter what we do.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.
