Tom Hanks would have a great metaphor on hand to encourage the use of face masks. After testing positive for COVID-19 in March along with his wife, Rita Wilson, the actor and de facto father figure for the United States recently appeared on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert to speak about the symptoms he experienced, the process of donating plasma, and the importance of wearing a mask.
When prompted by host Stephen Colbert to address those who choose to not wear a mask amid the ongoing pandemic, Tom replied: “Are they Americans? I don’t get it. It’s the least you can do. It’s literally the least you can do . . . a mask and wash your hands and try to stay six feet away from a person. Is this impossible now?”
“It’s literally the least you can do.”
To further drive his point home, Tom used driving as a metaphor. “Honestly, if you drive a car, do you think it’s your constitutional right not to use your turn signals?” he said. “You should use your turn signals cause otherwise you might run into somebody and somebody might run into you, right? You want to obey some aspect of the speed limit, right? I mean, you don’t want to go 120 miles an hour in a school zone. You slow down, right? You try not to hit buildings and pedestrians. You give that a shot, don’t you?” Tom added: “I think the least you could do in the United States of America and around the world is wear a mask, wash your hands, and keep your distance.”
Tom’s impassioned PSA comes a month after the CDC recommended that all Americans continue wearing face masks in public and during gatherings of any size because the face coverings can catch respiratory droplets, which are the main source of COVID-19 transmission. If you’re in the market for another mask, refer to this list of 60 retailers currently selling fabric face masks.