How do you do, fellow kids? Actor and “certified young person” Paul Rudd thinks it would be totally beast if you and your dank squad could wear a mask.
The ageless (51-year-old) “Ant-Man” star pretended to be 26 in a PSA for young people that was so intentionally cringeworthy it was actually kinda great.
He teamed up with online magazine First We Feast and the state of New York for the meme and internet slang-filled missive to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.
“A few days ago, I was talking on the iPhone with my homie, Governor Cuomo, and he’s just going off about how us millennials need to wear masks because, get this, apparently a lot of COVID is transmitted by us millennials,” Rudd says, wearing a yellow hoodie and New York cap.
“So fam, let’s real talk. Masks? They’re totally beast,” he says at another point, reminding viewers that masks “protect you and your dank squad because caring about other people is the new not caring about other people.”
The PSA also features a mock phone call with Rudd’s fellow youth and mask-wearer Billie Eilish, the inception of the “stop the pandemic” and “save grandma” TikTok challenges, and some seriously bad beatboxing that turns into a very serious reminder: “Hundreds of thousands of people are dying and it’s preventable. It’s preventable. Just wear a mask, I shouldn’t have to make it fun. It’s science.”
Here is the PSA in all its awkward glory, courtesy of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
New York State law requires anyone over age 2 who can medically tolerate a face covering to wear one in public when it’s not possible to maintain social distancing.
Cuomo announced last week that New Yorkers who refuse to comply with mask mandates on public transport could be subject to a $50 fine, effective Monday.
“This nation is still battling the COVID-19 pandemic and young people are not immune from it,” Cuomo said in a statement emailed to HuffPost. “We all need to do our part and wear a mask. Thanks to Paul Rudd for helping us spread this crucial message and reach young people like him.”
The video is part of Cuomo's nationwide "Mask Up America" campaign, which features a series of videos narrated by celebrities.
Rudd’s advice was a home run on Twitter, where his name was the top trending topic on Monday evening.
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