As the coronavirus spreads and continues to dominate global headlines, a cottage industry has sprung up centered around some, well, distasteful goods. The nu metal band Korn isn’t quite in that same category, as it had been selling branded surgical masks in its web store prior to the coronavirus outbreak. But it was only recently that the masks sold out entirely.
Intended or not, the masks have met with criticism. But the mixed take on the promotional product did not stop fans from scoring all of the available masks, leading Korn to proclaim that a new batch of the items will be available March 20.
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Though surgical masks have received rebukes as possible agents for warding off the spread of coronavirus, the demand for Korn’s version of the would-be germ suppressor brings on a pretty unusual situation. On one hand, it shows that the band realizes it can rely on its established credibility in the music business to draw an overwhelming response to a rather unusual branded item.
On the other, are people that desperate for masks that they would fork over money for one that, no matter how long it has been on the market, has questionable medical value, if any? Or was it just Korn fans buying up masks because of the novelty value, as morbid as that may be? We may never know, but we may know more if the next round of masks sells out, too.
