‘Survivor’: When it Comes to Masks, Russell Hantz Wants You to Suck it Up
Survivor was just removed from CBS’ fall lineup in 2020 due to the ongoing concern over coronavirus. While the network explained that they’re trying to look out for the best interest of their cast and crew, there are still those who believe precautions like these aren’t necessary. Now, Survivor alum Russell Hantz is taking to Twitter to tell fans to put on their masks and deal with it.
Russell Hantz tells fans to wear their masks
Survivor legend Russell Hantz wants you to put on your mask already. The CBS reality show alum, who previously was not wearing masks regularly during the COVID-19 outbreak, has decided it’s time to stick with the advice of health professionals and don his mask.
He’s encouraging others to do the same as well. Hantz took to Twitter to explain why he thinks folks should be wearing their masks. He wrote, “With the Mask thing…You do know the government MAKES you wear your seatbelt right?? This isn’t the first time the government mandated something to protect you or others.”
Hantz added in another tweet, “Why wouldn’t i wear a mask?? I think it’s smart to wear a mask even during flu season. To me it’s not political….”
Hantz, who tends to lean fairly far to the right when it comes to politics, has been taking pains to point out that keeping your friends and family healthy should not be a matter of political discourse — rather one of common sense.
‘Survivor’ star responds to critics on Twitter
Some critics took to Twitter to try and put Russell Hantz on blast for his new stance regarding wearing masks.
One user wrote, “What changed your mind from the moment you were walking through the grocery store with your daughter getting steaks without a mask on youtube? It just appears like youre doing this to change your public perception….”
Hantz replied, “Because it was not mandatory and now it is and I accept it!”
Another user added, “I mean… to be fair, wearing a mask shouldn’t be a left vs right thing. We don’t have to turn everything into some political debate here.”
Hantz replied, “Agreed!”
When another user suggested that this is a matter of pushing a political agenda, Hantz wrote back, “I don’t let that bother me. I’m just trying to protect my family the best I can.”
Jeff Probst dishes on the future of ‘Survivor’ amid COVID-19
Russell Hantz isn’t the only one looking out for his people. Jeff Probst has been opening up about CBS’ choice to pull Survivor from the fall lineup, as well as what the future of the show may look like amid the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.
The legendary host wrote a letter to the cast and crew explaining the decision. As reported by CBS News, Probst wrote, “hough Fiji has no reported cases and is beautifully remote, our crew numbers over 400 and are flying in from over 20 different countries, creating a need for more time to fully analyze and create our new production safety plan. The situation is unprecedented and we are learning more information every day. It is out of concern for the well-being of all of you that we have taken this step.”
As for the future of Survivor amid the pandemic and the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement, Probst added, “Our job is to use this format to explore new ways to examine how we’re behaving as people and how we’re relating to each other. There are all kinds of things happening in the world right now — certainly they impact the physical aspects of production, but they’re also going to change the tone and subject matter of a lot of shows. I think Survivor is going to be one of those shows.”
He went on to explain, “The entire culture is in a beautiful upheaval, and our job is to respond to it to make sure that Survivor continues to reflect our culture and our behavior and how we’re interacting with each other. Everything that’s happening is going to inform the future of Survivor.”
