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Some businesses might have reopened but the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread throughout the world. Naturally, some shop owners want to protect themselves, their employees, and their customers, so they put up signs asking clients to come in through the door wearing face masks. Easy, right? Nope!

Unfortunately, some customers see wearing a mask as a political issue and refuse to put one on. This increases the risk of Covid-19 spreading, so stores have had to get… creative with their signs. Bored Panda has collected some of the wittiest, funniest, and most blunt ‘wear a mask’ signs that shops and restaurants have put up. Upvote your faves and let us know which ones you like best and why.

Bored Panda spoke to Sarah Bingham, one of the co-owners of the vintage clothing shop Antique Sugar, whose hard-hitting and dark sign made a huge splash on the web. She told us all about how she feels about getting so much attention, about the anti-maskers who are sending her hate mail, and whether or not she thinks she’s changed anyone’s mind about putting on a mask.

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Sarah, who has co-owned Antique Sugar with her friend Annamarie Sanchez for the past 10 years, told Bored Panda that she never imagined that the sign she came up with would blow up the way that it did.

She said she expected only the people who come into the shop to see it. However, she posted a photo of the sign on her personal Facebook page where she asked people if they thought it was too dark. “It was immediately shared several times, and from there someone posted it on Reddit and it took off.”

Sarah confirmed that they’ve been getting lots of hate mail. “From what I’ve seen in some of the hate mail we’ve been receiving, the most vehement anti-maskers seem to be far-right politically. They seem to have the ‘don’t tread on me’ mindset. They really don’t want to be told what to do by me, or scientists, or the government, or the media. Which is fine, but in the same sentence, they threaten to report us for violating the ADA.”

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She revealed that in her opinion, she doubts that she changed the mind of anyone who had a solid opinion about mask-wearing before she posted the sign. “But I also haven’t had any non-mask-wearing people in the shop since it went up. So I’m declaring my personal battle a victory.”

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There have been over 11.4 million cases of people infected with the coronavirus worldwide; more than half a million people have died from the illness. The United States has more than 2.89 million cases, the most in the entire world. Brazil is in second place with over 1.6 million infected while India has nearly 698k cases.

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vikrant-talponkar avatar
Vic
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Karen has gone from a name, to a trait identifier. I feel bad for all the good Karen's out there.

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Stille20
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm also getting progressively more disturbed that is a slur against specifically white woman. I've worked in customer service and child care for most of my life and I can tell you while there are no storage of Karens that are white women, most verbal abuse I get comes from men. I also get people playing the minority card and sexual orientation card now. Sorry you can't get the child price. It's not be cause you are a black trans person, it's because you are 35.

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Karen Johnston
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is becoming a problem. Mostly I think it makes actual racism sound less serious than it is. In addition, I have actually had people assume that I'm a racist, simply because my name is Karen. I understand that that is not the norm, but there are people out there that can't differentiate. Look at the poor kid that played Joffrey in Game of Thrones. He gave up acting because he got so much backlash.

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Id row
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have a late aunt Karen who would have been first ancestor for all the Karens out there today. The woman was a walking nightmare.

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Karin Gibson
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Couldn't they have chosen another name to use as an insult???

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Bender Bending Rodríguez
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

But then the person with "another name" would be asking, "Couldn't they have chosen another name to use as an insult???"

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Evil Little Thing
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When a dirty buffalo tells you to grow up, you have bigger problems than you realize.

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Pretty Pangolin
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The only good thing about the Karen meme is that we no longer get "OK Boomer."" Hopefully soon "Karen" will be replaced by something else.

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Oma Dudley
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This meme has hurt the daily lives of many nice people named Karen. Those of you who torment real life nice women who through no fault of their own have this name are the real "Karen's", insensitive and mean spirited.

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Karin Gibson
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Couldn't they have chosen another name to make into an insult.???

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Karen Moyers
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Another name would not make a difference...It would just hurt another person in my opinion... really sad 😔

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Karen Moyers
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It really sucks! I am a good person but everyone loves to comment for a laugh...Sooo over it.. I don’t think people realize what they do sometimes...🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

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Louloubelle
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Another Karen here, Karen. Actually changed my name on things (Like Bored Panda - I'm going by my middle name, kind of, Louise - so now I'm my childhood nickname of Louloubelle)

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Simon Smith
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Bit rude, putting blame on someone on a out door sign🤬

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Vicki Perizzolo
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My sister is getting really disgusted with the 'trait identifier' her name has become...that's find another phrase

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JJM
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To all the legit Karens in the world...........I am truly sorry.

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JJM
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To all the legit Karens in the world.....I'm sorry.

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Rosemary
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I bet all the Sharons are happy that their name is no longer used like this.

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Amanda Hunter
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

ALL of the people I've seen not wearing a mask were not the same race as Karen, sorry if this offends you but it's true.

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Dan Pieniak
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Just a stupid idea using the name Karen... A few people even go as far as to call is racist.

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Demongrrrrl
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think that people should use "Ivanka" instead of "Karen".

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Summer
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

got me thinking if karen will be on the fake good place, lol hahahaha

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Ria Murphy
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

poor karens of this world . not happy with this new phrase

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Si
Community Member
3 years ago

This comment has been deleted.

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Lindsay J
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Because most of the time the people being ridiculous and stupid about this are self entitled obnoxious white women who are approximately boomer aged. Also I believe the term "Kevin" is for the male version of this so... chill out.

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Karen Hopson
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Where on earth did they get that name!!! Why not Susan, or Nancy, or Linda

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Louloubelle
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As another Karen, we don't want this to happen to other people's names, do we? And it was those names for a bit before they focused on Karen.

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Edward Hara
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Fine. I'll cross you off my list of places to eat, since you apparently don't understand freedom and adult responsibility.

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Christine Royce
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ok, so I get this is supposed to be a joke, but I am also a bit disturbed that this is becoming a slur for a racist, entitled white woman. Please, stop using Karen as a slang word.

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Oma Dudley
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Karen's need to unite and start class action lawsuits against those who use their name as a racist insult, as it has truly damaged the lives of some real Karen's I know who have had people be rude, mean and racist toward them because of the name they were given at birth.

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Aria Whitaker
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Lawsuit? Are you insane? If black folks have not been able to sue people for the horrible names we have been called over years...then no, you cant sue people for calling you a karen...lolol.

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Oma Dudley
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The Karen meme has destroyed the daily lives of some nice women named Karen. Shame on those who use it, they are the real "Karen's" for their insensitivity and mean spiritedness.

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omadudley avatar
Oma Dudley
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You are an insensitive jerk for using the name Karen as an insult. This has destroyed the daily lives of some very nice women. Sham on you! Stop the Karen meme, it is destructive, racist, mean and petty.

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Bill
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Can I still take all my clothes off if I choose to wear my mask?

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Catlady6000
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've seen this one on BP ABOUT 4 times now, and I still like it!

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Valquerys
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The monsters are still better than the Karens who stay literally 1 inch away from each other. Guess the monsters are us...

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