Chad Kroeger and JT Parr were super stoked to “solve the mask shortage” in Huntington Beach, California. Armed with a big box of free masks, the duo hit the city, which lies 35 miles south of Los Angeles and whose residents are notably anti-mask and not exactly fans of the statewide lockdown.
Stoked, at least, until they started getting chased off the beach and fielding f-bombs from the locals.
In a YouTube video posted Tuesday, the internet comedians (or “activists,” as they prefer to be called) walk around Main Street and the beach and ask if anyone wants a mask to help curb the spread of the coronavirus.
“Guys, we’ve got a cure for the mask shortage,” they tell the crowd. “We’ve got masks! If anyone needs a mask, we’ve got ’em!”
Few people take the boys up on their offer. The reasons they say no run the gamut:
“Breathing your own carbon monoxide is not healthy.”
“They’re killing us.”
“I’m walking 20 miles!”
“It’s not a mask, it’s a muzzle!”
“I know where I’m going when I die.”
“It’s all fake, dude.”
Kroeger and Parr ― whose previous viral hits include a video in which they lobby for a Mount Rushmore-style Paul Walker memorial in San Clemente and another in which they speak out against a Hollywood Hills house party ban at a Los Angeles City Council meeting ― selected Huntington Beach as their donation spot for very practical reasons.
“I surf in Huntington Beach all the time, plus they have Bear Flag Poke,” Kroeger told HuffPost. “We noticed that lots of people weren’t wearing masks. We figured this was ’cause, like supply chains are all boned up, but then we realized people weren’t wearing them because they think they suck.”
Though the guys say they’re totally still down to meet up at the local Sharkeez to give away masks and have a beer with anyone interested, they’re a little taken aback by the feedback they received the first time around.
“The reaction that surprised me the most was probably the guy who said God loves me followed by ‘Fuck you,’” Kroeger said. “They seem like disparate thoughts.”
Experts are still learning about the novel coronavirus. The information in this story is what was known or available as of press time, but it’s possible guidance around COVID-19 could change as scientists discover more about the virus. Please check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the most updated recommendations.
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