On Masks

“Hiyo Silver!” Most people my age, nay all of them, recognize that cultural reference very well. Many children of a certain era had a first exposure to classical music with the accompanying and rousing William Tell Overture. (the cartoon-infected Light Cavalry Overture also had a delicious effect). The mask of The Lone Ranger barely hid his identity but every episode moved along with everyone pretending that he was an unidentifiable hero. Now masks have become a necessary safety accessory rather than as a costume fashion. The more willfully obstinate among us operate under the delusion that not wearing a mask is a sign of freedom when in fact they are being simply antisocial.

Be that as it may, face masks fundamentally alter our interactions and it is now very difficult in conversation to judge the mood of the wearer. Eyebrows and frown lines don’t act as adequate substitutes for facial signals. The whole picture is so important. If wiggling your ears could replace oral motion there might be some hope. Alas, we are left to assume the disposition of a person with whom we communicate. Having only part of the picture is really quite limiting when it comes to judging another’s frame of mind, which is exactly the purpose of masks in Un Ballo in Maschera where the titillation of not knowing is part of the game. Even the Phantom of the Opera was famously misunderstood, much to the detriment of his musical career. You know lots and lots of literary references to masks: The Masque of the Red Death, The Man in the Iron Mask, etc. Popular culture revels in the fascination for disguise. The imagination (not just juvenile) soars with comic book super heroes and now that movies have absorbed this potency, masks are clearly entrenched in modern western civilization. The ancient Greeks sensed the fascination with alter-egos in their theatrics well before any Freudian interpretation of behavior and maybe that is a hint for the revival of the theater arts. Who knows?

Many societies have long used masks for diverse purposes but this new worldwide trend cuts across all social, political, religious and ethnic lines. Many traditional masks, whether full-face or partial, have remained unchanged for centuries. We are struggling with the new protocol. I have observed many imaginative design interpretations and I have to give high marks to some of the creators. There is a mask for every mood and intention. There are diverse styles: medical, “outré fashion”, Day of the Dead, space age, cowboy, scary Halloween, bank robber and more with or without added venting. Their attachment passes over the ears, under the ears, over the head, around the neck in all sorts of tethering permutations. Ingenuity is riotously and imaginatively expressed.

What I would like to see is something functional and feminine. By that I mean a covering that is clearly a gender indicator. I know such distinctions are out of fashion and while gender bending is rampant, I don’t consider myself a fuddy-duddy on that topic. To me that term describes a crabby and unswerving traditionalist. Pas Moi. When it comes to this sort of distinction, I hope there must be plenty of room under the tent for one such as myself. I am not condemning anyone for their choices. Unisex has its place in modern living and I pride myself for my sense of discernment. I am wishing for some mask adaptation that is medically effective but which also has a lacy, even frilly, signature without looking like a repurposed doily. Maybe there are lots of them out there. I am certainly on the hunt. Sequins are appropriate, feathers may not be necessary.

All the hugs,                            Celeste