Calavera Art As A Tool To Mock Anti-Vaxxers

[Vogon_Glory]

I’m sure a lot of us have seen the anti-Fauci gear hawked by Florida governor DeSantis and other COVID denialists. I won’t go into any detail about them but I couldn’t help but wonder how the saner portions of the political spectrum should respond.

Look, I know that Day of the Dead and Calavera motifs are more of a Mexican and Mexican-American thing than something out of the Latin Caribbean. But still, what with DeSantis and his imitators playing footsie with anti-vaxxer propagandists and recklessly endangering public health, I can’t help that the good guys ought to respond.

If the Mexicans before and during (and since) the 1910 Mexican Revolution can do prints and artwork showing animate skeletons in ordinary and extraordinary activities, surely the State of Florida and similar boneheads in South Dakota, Idaho, and other places can provide similar subject matter.

So, how about: skeleton families visiting amusement parks?
Skeleton hunks and beauties sunbathing on the beach (with or without dead red-tide fish)?


Skeleton families at ball games?
Skeleton families embarking on cruise ships?
Skeletons wearing red MAGA caps?

The skeleton motif is something a lot of our forebears used in art (Not just Mexican). We Good Guys have a range of targets. We can take aim—or wimp out again.

[Effete Snob]

1. In general, hijacking a cultural tradition for a political purpose

…does not fare well.

I don’t have a problem with throwing everything in the blender, and I make a mean Spam vindaloo, but people get excited about these sorts of ideas.

[Vogon_Glory]

2. In general.

On the other hand, these are extraordinary times, and DeSantis’ cavalier attitude and reckless actions have contributed to creating circumstances that led to the deaths of tens of thousands of Floridians, the long term debilitation of thousands more and the financial ruin of COVID survivors and their families.

Calavera art has already been borrowed in Texas and other southwestern states and used from purposes from high art to low-brow tee shirts. It just hasn’t been used in Florida. A pity: it could be effective. Certainly more so than tossing yet more high-minded whiffle-balls at DeSantis.