Arnold Schwarzenegger Shares Perfect Vid Of Getting A COVID Vaccine
Arnold Schwarzenegger nails it as he gets his COVID vaccine: “Come with me if you want to live!”
It’s pretty much impossible to not like Arnold Schwarzenegger, right? He’s like, one of a handful of registered Republicans you don’t immediately want to punch in the face (if you even could, because come on, it’s ARNOLD). And he’s been using his platform as a beloved action movie icon and former Governor of California to get his followers on board with a.) not doing terrorism and b.) getting the COVID vaccine.
In a viral video posted to his social media accounts, Schwarzenegger is seen driving up to Dodgers Stadium to get his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. In the video, he asks a health worker to “put that needle down!” in the same way he delivered one of his many iconic lines, “put that cookie down now!” from Jingle All The Way.
But that’s not all, of course, because Schwarzenegger knows how to work an audience. In the caption to the video, he writes: “Today was a good day. I have never been happier to wait in a line. If you’re eligible, join me and sign up to get your vaccine. Come with me if you want to live!”
If you don’t immediately recognize that last line, well, shame on you. But here’s a hint:
It’s his follow-up comment on his Facebook post, however, that really seals the deal on why his words are valuable.
“I said this to someone in the comments, but I think a lot of you need to hear this,” he begins. “I always say you should know your strengths and listen to the experts. If you want to learn about building biceps, listen to me, because I’ve spent my life studying how to get the perfect peak and I have been called the greatest bodybuilder of all time. We all have different specialties.”
He then switches gears to give credence and validity to why watching a few hours of YouTube anti-vax propaganda is dangerously irresponsible, because no one on YouTube is an expert in vaccines.
“Dr. Fauci and all of the virologists and epidemiologists and doctors have studied diseases and vaccines for their entire lives, so I listen to them and I urge you to do the same,” Schwarzenegger continues. “None of us are going to learn more than them by watching a few hours of videos. It’s simple: if your house in on fire, you don’t go on YouTube, you call the damn fire department. If you have a heart attack, you don’t check your Facebook group, you call an ambulance. If 9 doctors tell you you have cancer and need to treat it or you will die, and 1 doctor says the cancer will disappear, you should always side with the 9. In this case, virtually all of the real experts around the world are telling us the vaccine is safe and some people on Facebook are saying it isn’t.”
Who would have thought The Governator would have the perfect words of wisdom about the epidemic of misinformation that permeates the internet these days? Actually, after his incredibly powerful and moving speech following the Capitol insurrection, Schwarzenegger has been demonstrating why people have admired and trusted him for decades.
He’s really, really saying things so many people need to hear. Especially now, as the U.S. has surpassed 400,000 deaths from COVID-19. Because of the spread of social media misinformation, there is a whole faction of people in the U.S. who still don’t believe we’re in the middle of a mass casualty event almost one whole year after it began.
“In general, I think if the circle of people you trust gets smaller and smaller and you find yourself more and more isolated, it should be a warning sign that you’re going down a rabbit hole of misinformation,” he concludes. “Some people say it is weak to listen to experts. That’s bogus. It takes strength to admit you don’t know everything. Weakness is thinking you don’t need expert advice and only listening to sources that confirm what you want to believe.”
