We’ve seen an Alien face hugger mask already, right? Well the first one was a bit too real given that it was a full-sized version that looked eerily like the real thing. At the very least this cloth version doesn’t look so real that it might start laying eggs in a person’s body. It’s still enough make certain that people might maintain their distance since it is kind of creepy. But then if one looks at a good number of the masks that people have been sporting and those that are up for sale it’s fair to say that some folks are banking on people staying away from them because of the mere image they’re presenting. There’s still something insanely disturbing about the appearance of a face hugger covering the lower half of a person’s face, even if others know it’s not real. The small, dexterous creatures from the popular franchise are after all among the most dangerous of creatures that have emerged since the movies started up. In fact one could easily say that in the first Alien movie this little thing took up its fair share of screen time since the crew of the Nostromo really had to try and figure out just what it was and how they could get it off without killing their crew member. With a prehensile tail, eight gripping ‘arms’ that were seen to be exceptionally strong and of course the acid for blood like the rest of the species, this thing is an egg-laying monstrosity that is actually fairly dangerous all on its own since its one goal in its lifespan is to impregnate whoever or whatever it can in order to continue the species. In other words it’s not a fighter, though it can and will attack with the egg-laying proboscis as it was seen in Aliens when Burke attempted to use a face hugger to impregnate Ripley and Newt.
The cost of this cloth version feels a bit expensive since there are many upon many masks out there with a wide number of designs, some of which are far less in price and in some cases come in packs of 3 for the same price. Of course some would claim that the materials used, the shipping costs, and any other variables are the reason why the costs have to go up. If that’s the case however then people can usually find the fabric and materials and make their own masks or find people that can do this for them for a greatly reduced cost. There are even many out there at this time that are telling people, healthy people not infected with COVID-19, to stop buying or wearing masks as it might only exacerbate the problem. Julia Naftulin of Business Insider has more on this topic. While some people are likely wondering how this could possibly be, the mask sales are still happening and designs such as this are still drawing the attention of many people since pop culture has been used to push just about everything throughout history, even some things that make little to no sense. It’s not the least bit surprising to see a popular image on something like a facemask that’s designed to help people stay safe, as folks are going to use images that inspire them, that give them some comfort, and in a way they’ll turn to just about anything that helps with their own anxiety in times such as these.
True, it’s odd to turn to the image of a creature that is intent on continuing its species at the expense of any and all other species that can serve as an incubator for the eggs it lays, but for one reason or another there are a lot of people out there that revere the Alien franchise for one reason or another and if it eases their anxiety to have this kind of an image on something that’s designed to keep them safe then so be it. There are worse images to have on a face mask after all, and there are those that for some reason think that cutting a nose hole in their mask makes it easier to breathe while being just as effective. Of course a lot of people might think twice about these masks if they realize that cloth and the filters that some masks use still aren’t much against a determined virus, though they’re for peace of mind at least. Some masks might work a little better than others, but the widespread panic concerning the masks is, unfortunately, something that’s been generated for one purpose or another, and the safety of the people isn’t always the driving force. Much like the human antagonists in the Aliens franchise that think they know best and are attempting to do what is ‘best’ for humanity, there are unfortunately plenty of people out there that believe in keeping people on edge will keep them safe.
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