Celebrities

Paul Rudd Asks “Fellow Millennials” To Wear Masks In This Funny PSA

There’s a tendency to look at the crowd of weirdo mask protestors and think that not wearing masks is an issue for the elderly and QAnon crowd. While they may be the most extreme example, plenty of people you might consider your cool contemporaries are letting basic public health measures slide as the pandemic continues.

Yes, even after many, many months, there is still a pandemic and likely there will be one for many, many more months to come. Young people, you’re not exempt.

Actor Paul Rudd is 51 years old, so I think he’s technically Gen X? But he is deeply beloved by the millennial generation who grew up watching him seduce his step-sister in Clueless and then is in basically every Judd Apatow movie ever made.

In an attempt to get them to listen up and act right,  Rudd released a PSA as part of the Mask Up, America campaign, and at the request of Governor Andrew Cuomo.

“Paul Rudd here,” he says, looking hip. “Certified young person.”

He continued, “I was talking on the iPhone with my homie, Gov. Cuomo, and he’s just going off about how us millennials need to wear masks because, get this, apparently a lot of COVID is transmitted by us millennials. No cap.”

“So Cuomes asks me, he’s like, ‘Paul, you’ve got to help. What are you, like, 26?'” Rudd says. “And I didn’t correct him. So, fam, let’s real-talk. Masks, they’re totally beast. So, slide that into your DMs and Twitch it.”

There’s then a scene in which he and web series host Sean Evans try to recreate the famous “look at us” meme of Rudd from Hot Ones, except wearing masks—which does interfere with eating wings, so maybe that should have been cut for time. Millennials love eating wings.

“Masks protect you and your dank squad,” he says, before erupting and yelling, “IT’S SCIENCE! I shouldn’t have to make it fun!”

I agree. It would also be scientific of Andrew Cuomo to keep schools closed, release non-violent offenders from Rikers, and to keep indoor dining a no-go for New York. But most people aren’t focused on how blaming working millennials and essential workers for not wearing masks is a way to divert scrutiny from public officials. They’re focused on how cute and funny Paul Rudd is:

I mean, Paul Rudd is ageless. I’d believe he was 26, no cap.

More Paul Rudd:

Aimeé Lutkin