Yet another person in the entertainment industry has decided to hop on Twitter and showcase their ignorance about vaccinations—IN A PANNY.
This time, it’s Pete Rock.
“Vaccine shit is real stupid. How you giving [a] vaccine to people who aren’t sick???” Rock tweeted along with a “syringe” emoji and a “no entry sign” emoji.
Clearly missing “Vaccinations 101,” the iconic hip hop rapper, DJ and producer failed to realize that a vaccination is a preventive measure. In fact, we have entire organizations dedicated to providing that information. I got you, Pete.
Per the World Health Organization (WHO):
Immunization is a global health and development success story, saving millions of lives every year. Vaccines reduce risks of getting a disease by working with your body’s natural defences to build protection. When you get a vaccine, your immune system responds.
We now have vaccines to prevent more than 20 life-threatening diseases, helping people of all ages live longer, healthier lives. Immunization currently prevents 2-3 million deaths every year from diseases like diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, influenza and measles.
Immunization is a key component of primary health care and an indisputable human right. It’s also one of the best health investments money can buy. Vaccines are also critical to the prevention and control of infectious-disease outbreaks. They underpin global health security and will be a vital tool in the battle against antimicrobial resistance.
Needless to say, Pete got “ratioed” on Twitter. At the time of this blog’s publishing, his tweet is currently at approximately 2,000 Quote Tweets versus 86 Retweets. Yikes.
Unfamiliar with the “ratio” concept on Twitter? Basically, when a celebrity or otherwise influential person tweets something controversial or just plain ignorant, you can tell the general consensus based on the ratio between plain Retweets and Quote Tweets—because if they said something ridiculous, most people are prone to comment on the matter than simply retweet the statement, the latter of which is often perceived to be a sign of endorsement (which is why some people have “RTs are not endorsements” in their Twitter bio).
Now, back to the foolery. Along with folks earnestly trying to talk some sense into him, Pete got trolled, y’all. I mean, he walked right into it. It was an easy lay-up.
Sigh. Let’s reminisce over the time our fave celebrities were delightfully mysterious and we could simply stan their products and projects in peace without having to know what was going on inside their minds.