Celebrities, Politicians Ignore Super Bowl Mask Mandate

Some celebrities and politicians at the Super Bowl in Los Angeles on Sunday were seen ignoring the event's COVID-19 mask mandate, sparking debate about the need for masks and the end of the pandemic health emergency.

Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti, basketball star Lebron James, actors Ben Affleck, Charlize Theron, Matt Damon and others were photographed without face coverings at the event; attendees ages 2 or older were required to wear a mask unless actively drinking or eating. California's statewide mask mandate expires Tuesday, and other Democrat-led areas such as Washington D.C. announced plans Monday to end indoor mask and vaccine mandates.

One writer for National Review (Right bias) argued that the sight of celebrities and politicians ignoring mask mandates at the Super Bowl marked "the end of the pandemic in the United States — or at least the primary signal that, as a culture, we are ready for the end." One writer for The Atlantic (Lean Left) argued over the weekend that wealthy people "have already learned how to live with COVID-19." Some reports from left- and center-rated sources highlighted criticism of people who ignored the mandate, as well as of the mandate itself. Coverage across the spectrum continues to highlight moves by Democratic leaders to lift mask mandates in spite of federal guidance to the contrary.