In times of crisis, it's incredibly important to sharpen up and stop acting dumb in your day-to-day life. But if there's something we've learned from the hardships of the infamous year of 2020, it's that some people will not listen to reason—not even when lives are on the line. It's not appropriate to laugh about the Coronavirus, and yet it's almost impossible not to chuckle disdainfully while looking at these images.
We've got all sorts of dumb behavior in our pandemic-time menu, from people who still haven't learned how to properly wear a mask to people who've decided to microwave their money. Not to mention the anti-quarantine protesters and the guys who still don't know what to do with their protecting gloves. Coronavirus is always scary, and we're all continuously praying for that vaccine. Yet, the folks on this list make it even more urgent for us to find a way out of this mess!
Outright Bean Prejudice
Things called "corona" have been having a tough time since the start of the pandemic, but it's important not to mistake names with reality. Take the Italian Eurodance band Corona, for instance. Despite their tragic name, you'll not get Coronavirus from merely listening to their number 1 hit song "The Rhythm of the Night." It's just not plausible!
The same applies to corona beans. They have a horrible name, but that doesn't mean they're not safe to eat. But guess what? People at the store have never heard of the expression "don't judge a book by its cover"... Can't we rebrand corona beans and call them something less life-threatening?
Viruses Don't Move Sideways, Right?
There's a good chance you've seen something like this in your local shopping or retail store. For the sake of saving space, some people have convinced themselves that the virus doesn't move sideways and that social distancing only applies if people are standing one in front of the other.
Call it dumbness, laziness, or total disregard for public health. Either way, these ATMs are as distant from one another as two lovebirds in a blanket. Moving the machines was too much work, so they decided to pretend Coronavirus moves like a pawn in a chess match.
When Your Annoying Neighbors Think They're Above the Law
Back in college, getting your house party raided by the Police was precisely the kind of thing your buddies called "epic." Today, though, it's so commonplace it's not even exciting anymore. As soon as you get two pork chops in the grill and open a case of beer, the Police will be rushing in to protect you from yourself.
We get it. It's tough to get around the dullness, and house parties are a super fun time. However, there's a good reason why the Police have been showing up to every rooftop party this year. It's because even small house parties can be hazardous in a time when you're not even supposed to touch your front door's handle directly.
See How Names Matter!
Nobody's eating corona beans these days, but the prejudice against things called "corona" doesn't end there. The multinational pale lager beer brand Corona has been struggling since the start of the pandemic, and it's all because of its name! Call it dumbness or bad luck, but the virus has been costing millions to the Belgian-Mexican company.
Since the pandemic started, Corona (the beer) has suffered a $170-million loss in China alone. They've also been forced to stop promoting their products. According to a CNN survey, 38% of Americans have even said they wouldn't drink Corona under any circumstances, while 14% admitted they'd be ashamed of drinking Corona in public.
Introducing the Catch-a-Virus-Man
We guess not all super-heroes get to be box-office superstars like Spider-Man, Batman, and Captain America. Some remain extremely unpopular and stand at the fringe of the comic-book world, just like the Catch-a-Virus-Man. Riding his Virusmobile, which is nothing but a regular golf cart, the Catch-a-Virus-Man leaves his home every day in the hope of catching life-threatening viruses with his wide-open mouth and nose.
To top it all off, the Catch-a-Virus-Man is a slightly overweight senior citizen, putting him right in the Coronavirus high-risk category. His catchphrase? A repetitive cough and some extremely loud heavy breathing. Go and get 'em, Catch-a-Virus-Man!
We Guess It's Better Than No Mask, But...
We need to start watching Turkish TV more often because there is some delightfully bizarre stuff happening there. A lady in the audience had no surgical mask to use in the studio, so she decided to go with the second-best thing she could think of: a cheap plastic Santa Claus mask!
This mask seems extremely ineffective and unsafe, but who knows? Maybe she can scare the Coronavirus away with that serial-killer-type look. And the best part is that she doesn't even need to change to rob a bank right after her TV appearance.
It's Not Your Money, It's You!
We all know money is dirty, and we don't just mean it figuratively. In these troubled times, it's essential to stay safe while handling cash. But microwaving your money isn't going to solve anything, as shown by this microwaved wad of $50 Canadian bills that now looks like an overused sponge.
If you want to handle money safely, keep in mind it's you who has to change, not your pocket money! Always disinfect your hands after handling cash, use gloves whenever it's possible, and try to pay using a credit/debit card whenever you can.
What In The World Was She Thinking?!
Coronavirus can be spread by tiny particles suspended in the air, which is one reason why it's so important to always wear a mask in public. However, not all masks work properly when it comes to limiting the spreading of the disease.
Snorkeling masks are not effective for preventing Coronavirus because of their inefficient covering of the mouth and nose areas. Besides, they will make you look like the dumbest person ever, but we guess that's secondary! In the end, being a "snorkeling mask numskull" probably beats being a "no mask numskull."
Essential Workers Don't Have It Easy
Being an essential worker during a global pandemic is not as bad as losing your job, but it's still very frustrating. While many of your friends were probably watching some Netflix back home, you were working 12-hour shifts with minimum to no protection, always surrounded by people who could or could not be contaminated!
That's probably why some essential workers have decided to simply give-up at a certain point. This young man working at the store is a great example. With nothing but a flimsy pair of gloves to protect himself, he seems like he's accepted his fate, and he's not even worried about touching his face with those virus-covered hands.
Quarantine is a Big Commitment
Poor girl. She's still so young, and she's already trapped in a relationship, even though she doesn't know it yet. This innocent young woman thinks she's getting the company of her boyfriend "for the day" because she has no idea about how quarantine works!
According to the World Health Organization, a minimum quarantine time of about 13 days is recommended at all times. So, if you're about to isolate yourself, make sure you're getting the company of your future husband, not some random guy you're glad to have around "for the day!"
That's Not a Good Example!
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee is the Congressional Coronavirus Task Force co-chairperson, and she's been fighting hard to get additional funding for the pandemic since March 2020. On paper, she's a determined politician who takes Corona very seriously and who's doing the best she can to fight it.
But in practice, Congresswoman Jackson Lee forgets all about setting a good example, and she's making mistakes of the most basic nature. Can you spot the major fail in this picture? Yes, her nose is 100% out of her mask, which is now 50% useless.
Protect the Buttons!
Ostriches are weird. When scared, they bury their heads in the sand, hoping that whatever is troubling them will go away. These plastic-covered elevator buttons may have been the work of a human, but we have no doubts some flawed ostrich-like logic was applied here.
No, protecting the elevator buttons from all people will not make riding the elevator a safer experience for humans. It will merely prevent the elevator buttons from getting contaminated with Coronavirus, which is not even possible! It may have an appeasing effect, though, a little bit like a placebo pill.
The Ostrich Man
It seems like ostrich-logic doesn't only apply to random objects, like the buttons on an elevator. In an even better example of irrational ostrich-like behavior, this quite crazy man on the street has decided that going temporarily blind is the best way to fight the Coronavirus pandemic.
He believes that, as long as you see nothing, the virus will never get inside of your wide-open nostrils and mouth. We don't need to tell you why this is wrong and extremely unsafe, right? Let's just assume this guy was trying to make a terrible joke.
Sir, Your Hand is Useless in This Situation.
Nevermind the fact this guy has decided to join a small crowd on the street with no mask. The real problem here is that he thinks that his hand will be able to protect him against the virus. Naturally, it won't, and this dumb improvisation is probably going to make him sick.
There's a reason why people insist everybody should always wash their hands because hands are pretty good at catching viruses! With all this said, we don't have to explain to you why covering your mouth and nostrils with your hand is Covid-19 suicide, do we?
"Let's Get Together To Learn About Not Getting Together"
Work meetings were a dull experience even before the world became the gigantic mess it is today. Yet, getting your entire working staff in the same room just to let them know they should be practicing social distancing is arguably the stupidest pandemic-time idea we've seen so far.
Have these guys ever heard of a little thing called e-mail? Not to mention software like Zoom or Skype, which allows you to meet with your entire office without risking your life in the process. Heck, even a post office letter would send a more effective message than this senseless get-together!
No Time To Read the Sign
Most young people were behaving nicely during the start of the lockdown period. But then, the summer season started, and those hormones kicked in! Suddenly, many youngsters decided to live life as if everything was normal, and people weren't dying every single day from a terrifying new virus.
This daunting picture was captured in Australia, at St. Kilda Beach, and it's sadly not a nostalgic image of our simpler pre-Covid-19 lives. These inconsiderate teens have decided to ignore the "distancing" in "social distancing" and start pretending they couldn't see the gigantic sign that was right in front of them.
A Financial Nightmare
We all know that the Coronavirus has led to a financial nightmare, causing a stirring impact on the world's economy. But things only get worse when people decide to sanitize their cash. These highly-damaged dollar bills were taken to the bank to be replaced after its owner tried to "microwave" the virus away...
This is very dumb because it's literally ruining money. Poor President Jackson made it to the $20 bill, but what for? To be heated like some cheap premade meal? People say you can't ever be too careful, but sometimes, people are wrong!
He Probably Thinks All The Alcohol in Those Beers Will Wash Away The Virus
Health advisors say, "leave only if you really need to." Well, this man needed some precious beer, and he wasn't going to let a life-threatening contagious disease get in the way of his Saturday plans. So he decided to protect himself with some black gloves (nevermind the mask) and hit his favorite place in the world: Walmart.
So far, he's acing it. He has at least two different beer brands in the cart and some sugary Coke to go with it. And yeah, he's chewing the black glove he's been using to touch all of the Coronavirus-filled surfaces he's encountered so far.
Covid? Bees? It's The Same Thing!
Beekeeper masks are great for protecting your face from nasty bee bites. They're not so useful for preventing the dissemination of Covid-19, though. These masks have many tiny holes that are small enough for a bee not to enter but way too large to contain an airborne disease like Corona.
As much as you feel like a virus can't be as bad as a menacing flying insect with a powerful sting, keep in mind it's probably way better to be bitten by a bee than to catch Coronavirus. At the very least, bee bites are not something you cannot pass onto the rest of the population.
A March Towards Death
You've seen them on TV, and you thought to yourself: "This has to be staged!" It's not, though. These are real anti-quarantine protesters who have decided THEY'RE the health experts and those lockdown periods are unnecessary and anti-American.
We're not going to pretend we know what being American is all about since that's very open to interpretation. However, it's essential never to mistake your fundamental right to freedom with your primary duty to preserve other people's lives. These Ohio protesters have the two mixed-up in their heads.
The Anti-Mask Paradox
It's tragic, but the people who still don't believe in wearing masks benefit the most from the fact that other people act like responsible and civilized human beings. Nobody understands the struggle against pandemic-time stupidity better than the nurse Emily Annette.
Emily knows just how dangerous Corona can be, and she does her best to ensure others remain safe during these crazy times. Funny enough, the lady behind her still thinks masks are stupid, even though she probably owes her life and good health to her fellow mask-wearing citizens. How ironic!
Pretty vs. Reasonable
This shocking image showing a young clerk wearing her mask completely wrong may be the result of some style-related concerns. Yes, masks will (almost) never make you look prettier, and covering your beautiful lips with some bland tissue can take a toll on your confidence.
But when choosing between looking pretty and being healthy, we believe every sane person would pick the latter. Sadly, you can't have the best of both worlds during a worldwide pandemic, so it's better to simply accept that you'll not be looking like the best version of yourself during the next upcoming months.
Never Trust a License Plate
Misinformation is everywhere, and we all have that one friend or family member who keeps telling us that aliens are real, vaccines kill, and global warming is a scam. And since there's a conspiracy theory for every significant world event, Coronavirus has been wrongfully linked to the installation of the new 5G technology.
Misinformation can be extremely dangerous, especially during a worldwide pandemic. Try always to get your facts straight, and don't just trust anyone who happens to own a license plate saying "Science." These drivers know as much about science as a pig does about air traffic control.
Another Clerk Bites the Dust
If someone in our list deserves our compassion and understanding, that's the essential workers, who have continued to risk their lives to provide us with all the TP, bottled soap, and candy we need to get through these troubled times.
But when clerks decide to give up and leave their health to chance, they're hurting not only themselves but the rest of us. This woman is putting her life on the line by wearing her mask completely wrong. She's also endangering every one of her clients. Remember: You cannot commit Covid-19 suicide without also hurting other people.
At Least She's Half Right!
While the population of many countries has wholly accepted that masks are essential to prevent a global-wide pandemic, masks are still a controversial issue in some of the world's most divided nations. We all know that masks mean trouble in the U.S., but did you know that Indians also have a problem with it?
This picture shows the independent politician Navneet Ravi Rana, from the Indian state of Maharashtra, trying to make a point while wearing a protecting mask. But guess what? While she's doing 50% of the right thing, she's wearing that mask so wrong we don't even know if we should praise or condemn her.
How (Not) To Wear Gloves Part I
It's easy enough to see the point in using gloves. These will protect you from touching surfaces that may infect you with the virus, hence reducing your chances of catching it. However, the deal isn't done just because you've decided to put some gloves on.
You need to be extra careful when taking the gloves off, and you should either get rid of them after use or wash them thoroughly. A big no-no is eating with your gloves still on after spending an entire day touching all sorts of dirty things on the streets!
How (Not) To Wear Gloves Part II
If you think eating a sandwich with your Coronavirus-filled gloves still on is a big mistake, what do you make of this guy? He's devouring those chips like there was no tomorrow because, for him, tomorrow will most likely be an awful day.
No, bagged chips will not infect you with Coronavirus, but eating salty snacks straight out of your dirty gloves probably will. We're not exactly sure what, but something terrible is bound to happen to this clueless man. If it's not Corona, he will at least get minor food poisoning from eating chips like that. Oh, and he's taken his mask out in public too? Now that's a model citizen!
How (Not) To Wear Gloves Part III
Like in most Hollywood trilogies, we've decided to leave the best to the end. While the two previous guys were pretty clueless about wearing gloves, this man is doing it so wrong we're convinced it's probably on purpose.
He's not only binge-eating some Doritos with his dirty gloves still on, but he's doing it right next to what looks like a big pile of trash. Judging by everything that's happening here, the real question is: Did he lick his fingers after he was done with the bag? Somehow, we think he did. Yikes!
Girls, It's Not a Hairpiece!
Working for 8 hours straight with a mask on can be a tiring and nerve-wracking experience. That's why some workers opt to use face shields, which are not as safe as surgical masks but are a lot more comfortable to wear.
But even a face shield can get on your nerves after working at the store for hours. Still, don't act like these women who ignored the most basic of all pandemic-time rules. Do you know what's uncomfortable? It's getting sick with Coronavirus, being forced to quarantine for weeks, and experiencing all sorts of symptoms, from high fevers to breathing problems.
"It's Quarantine Guys, Let's Go!"
Not knowing the meaning behind the word 'quarantine' can have some quite depressing results. This group of young boys heard about it and thought it was some new holiday. So, they got together to celebrate it, and they did it on a Friday (sorry, Fry-day) for some reason.
They look happy, for now. But how will these guys feel as soon as they realize they've most likely contaminated their entire family after this get-together? And was it even worth it? The local well doesn't seem like the ideal place to get a cool party started, either. At least this was a no-girls-allowed type of event.
Don't Be Mean Just Yet
Seeing a baby inside of a comforter bag is a shocker! But let's not jump to conclusions and judge this father just yet. After all, protecting babies against Covid-19 is complicated since putting masks on toddlers can be dangerous.
According to the Nationwide Children's website, infants can have trouble breathing and even suffocate when wearing a mask. So, if you want to protect your baby from Covid-19, the best thing you can do is keep him safe at home or cover his baby carrier with a blanket when in public. Dropping a huge comforter bag on him is not an ideal solution for sure, but it was probably the best this concerned father was able to do.
Meaty Nose
The meat industry was heavily affected by the Coronavirus pandemic, mainly because many meat processing plants have registered massive outbreaks. That's why this man, who's the president of a meatpacking plant, has decided to talk to his workers about Coronavirus safety procedures.
But what's the point of speaking words when your actions don't reflect their meaning? This meatpacking boss had lost all authority when he presented himself looking like that. His mask is all wrong, and his "meaty" nose is sticking out precisely as it shouldn't. Words matter, but setting the right example is way more important than reading from a premade script.
Another Nose Sticking Out
What's wrong with the noses of the people who are supposed to be "in charge?" Don't they know how to wear a mask properly? This time, it's Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner who's joined the surprisingly large group of influential people who don't know how to cover their nostrils during a worldwide pandemic.
Mr. Turner, please just take a look at the man standing behind you, who's sane enough to know how to wear a mask properly. Once again, we see a political figure in a position of power setting the wrong example to his electors.
Covid-19 In a 2D World
If we lived in a two-dimensional world, we would have no other option but to either walk to the left or the right. In such a world, these social-distancing markers would've made sense. But we live in a three-dimensional realm, and so does Coronavirus.
With all this said, keeping your distance at this store is about as useless as a chocolate teapot. Once again, people have wrongfully ignored that viruses can move sideways, just like about anything that's ever existed. Let's hope they are not opening both registers at the same time, and that we're simply jumping to a conclusion here.
Coronavirus Crazy 'bout a Sharp-Dressed Man
It's our favorite ZZ Top song, and it ends with that classic line: "Every girl crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man." But we're wondering if the same principle applies to the Coronavirus! After all, this dandy-looking fellow is as sharply-dressed as he is dangerously on the line.
Considering this man is probably over 60, he shouldn't be wearing his mask completely wrong, especially when he's taking a walk through the public park. We're over here, wishing Covid-19 doesn't have the same taste in men as the ZZ Top groupies do, or this guy is about to get a high fever and trouble breathing!