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Wearing a Mask!
Wearing a Mask! is a Arthur internet short that features Francine Frensky and Muffy Crosswire talking about the COVID-19 pandemic and the importance of wearing a mask in public. The short was published to YouTube and the PBS Kids website on September 30, 2020. Arthur Read does not appear in this short.
Video[edit]
Plot[edit]
Francine and Muffy video chat, discussing how they've been keeping busy, though Muffy admits that she's been getting very bored. Ed then asks her if she's ready for their trip to Crosswire Motors. She tells Francine that she's going to have to go, as they're having a humongous sales event. Ed agrees that she is the best sales event decorator in Elwood City. She says that she's ready as soon as she grabs her purse and Francine asks if she isn't going to wear her mask. At this, she states that only sick people need to be doing so. Francine explains that she could spread the virus without even knowing it, and it doesn't matter if she's not sick, she should always wear a mask every time she's in public no matter what because it's the rule. She cites that even if she seems healthy, she might spread it to someone who could get seriously sick. She then complains that wearing a mask is uncomfortable and fogs up her sunglasses.
Francine reminds Muffy that a lot of people look up to her. She agrees that she is a role model and tells Ed that she's going to need a mask before they leave. Hearing this, he tells her that he's already had some made and presents a box filled with some in stylish designs. She selects a pink one with stripes and puts it in, asking Francine how she looks. Francine agrees that she looks like a kind and thoughtful person who cares about other people. She asks the question again. Francine replies "Perfect!" and gives her a thumbs-up.
Characters[edit]
Trivia[edit]
- COVID-19 is not referred to directly by name, instead being referenced simply as "the virus."
- This may be done to avoid the video being deleted or age-restricted, as YouTube didn't allow videos to say COVID-19 on 2019/2020, unless with special permission, which PBS never got.
- This is the first Internet-only short in which Arthur is absent.
Episode connections[edit]
- Francine refers to Buster and Mrs. MacGrady as people who could be particularly vulnerable, citing his asthma in "Buster's Breathless" and her cancer in "The Great MacGrady."
Transcript[edit]
Sources[edit]
