The Villain Unmasked: COVID-19 and the Necropolitics of the Anti-Mask Movement

Abstract

Despite over 2 million deaths from COVID-19, the Anti-Mask movement has grown in Conservative spaces. This article takes a closer look at the breadth of the Anti-Mask movement, unpacking specific signs, cards, and anthems. I explore the necropolitical implications of their rhetoric, critiquing the ways American Conservative leadership, through the megaphone of the Trump administration, Senator Cruz, and Governor Kemp, facilitate this rhetoric. I aim to contextualize their rationale and explore how the rhetoric surrounding refusing to wear a mask ultimately leaves us with the harsh reality that they, and the politicians who support them, prioritize individual comfort over protecting vulnerable lives.