Bill Pullman invokes 'Independence Day' in a PSA for responsible mask-wearing

Call them 'Freedom Masks' if that makes it an easier pill to swallow.
By Adam Rosenberg  on 
Bill Pullman invokes 'Independence Day' in a PSA for responsible mask-wearing
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Bill Pullman wants you all to wear your masks on this pandemic-stricken Fourth of July. Call them "Freedom Masks" if that makes it an easier pill to swallow. It's accurate, even! If enough people wear masks that we can beat this pandemic back, we may get to enjoy some of our basic freedoms again.

For many Americans in 2020, Bill Pullman is the only U.S. president worth recognizing on July 4. In the 1996 Roland Emmerich blockbuster, Independence Day, Pullman's fictional President Thomas J. Whitmore delivered a stirring speech in the midst of a global catastrophe, and one could argue that his inspiring words are part of the reason the people of Earth won the day.

That kind of leadership simply doesn't exist in the real United States of 2020, with a president who refuses to wear a mask himself and who seems to think that a global pandemic is just going to magically dissipate. (It won't.) So instead we have this public service announcement from Pullman, created for the Alamo Drafthouse theater chain.

Topics Activism

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Adam Rosenberg

Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.


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