A Vaccine Is Not a Personality

On this episode, Rachelle Hampton and Madison Malone Kircher look
at the way the COVID vaccines have seemed to develop online
personalities. They discuss how the memes and merch inspired by
Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson can actually encourage
vaccine hesitancy—which is all the more disappointing since there
are actually some pretty informative TikToks out there
about COVID-19. Next, they speak to a few Slatesters who might not
have purchased vaxx merch but definitely made their own reckless
online purchases, by buying things through targeted Instagram ads.
Do these impulse buys ever bring us the joy we think they will? For
more on this topic, check out “How Pfizer Became the Status
Vax” by Slate’s Heather Schwedel. Podcast production by Daniel
Schroeder and Derek John. Support ICYMI and listen to the show with
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