Italian Second Life User Criticizes Coronavirus-Themed Content Sales in SL

Photo near Ellendir Khandr, and her SL avatar (both courtesy Ellendir) 

We've uneasily chuckled at all the satirical Coronavirus-themed content that's been springing up in the Second Life Marketplace over the last few weeks, most of it avatar fashion accessories. But longtime Italian SLer Ellendir Khandr recently posted this important reminder in the Facebook group Second Life Friends: 

I live in Italy where are a lot of people are dying everyday. I'm sick to see some [Second Life] designers that sell masks or other things against COVID-19.

I just ask for RESPECT, and if you want do something, donate to the Red Cross instead of making a joke about a thing that is taking so many lives.

Quoted with her permission. Ellen went on to tell me her real life situation, and as you'd imagine, it's incredibly dire:

Not only trapped in her home like every other Italian, but with a child who is ill, and an aging mother she can no longer visit, due to the quarantine. Not to mention recent reports on her TV of Italian soldiers moving bodies into her town, because there's no longer any room to house them in the region where they died.

Yes, yes, many of us turn to dark humor in stressful times, and that's fine. But maybe it's not a good idea to thrust it onto people in public places who may not appreciate the humor at all. (I.E., at virtual world events.) Personally I've lost a lot of my own amusement in the last week, not only because a real life friend in New York and her family now has the virus, but because my longtime photo blogger Cajsa likely has it too.

And echoing Ellendir's suggestion, there's a Coronavirus prevention fundraising event in Second Life this Sunday.

Update, March 27: Amended description of daughter's illness, as I misunderstood it to be virus-related.

Comments

[Pulsar]

I can understand her, I have a relative under intensive care because of COVID-19. Until the satire hits some weird behavior, such as the toilet paper craze, that may be fun. The kind of satirical content in the linked March 10th article, instead, like the "spread the infection" one is another story. Maybe someone played "Plague Inc" too much... and didn't realize that the COVID-19 disease is not a game and how insensitive it was, when thousands of people are hospitalized for real and families are mourning their deaths.

I don't find it so ugly if someone releases virtual flu masks, instead, if the designer gives away masks and accessories for motivational / solidarity purposes. Example:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/lpsychol/49666831631
(there is a Spanish version too). Or maybe you are thinking they are just advertising themselves, I don't know the specific case, but I think there is who really wishes to offer some moral support without ulterior motives. Second Life, like tourism, helps to meet people from all over the world and when your friends are from the countries hit by a calamity (and/or you visited those countries in real life), you feel sorry for them.

[Ellendir Khandr]

My daughter is CHD means has a cardiopatici heart disease she hasn’t COVID what I said you can find in the group of Second Life Friends Ingave Asked for to the author to this post to don’t post it saying I was done about it After I read that is published and without my consense So please remove it Ty

[Karen Brady]

"I just ask for RESPECT"

sorry Ellen you don't find any humor or RESPECT, I can tell you what i find unfunny is your country importing tens of thousands of chinese workers to perform slave labor @ .20 Cents an hour for 22 hour shifts. often the women are forced to bring the children to help them, while new mothers are expected to breast feed infants while sewing clothing none stop on the assembly lines.

It's easy to cast a stone online then deal with rapid human rights violations in your own country.

[Claudia]

Estoy de acuerdo con Ellendir Khandir. Fuerza!!! un abrazo a todos desde Argentina.
I agree with Ellendir Khandir. Strength!!! a hug to all from Argentina.
Editar o eliminar esto

[cormoran]

Children are extremely safe and will make it out of COVID19 as with any mild flu, so calm down Ellendir, you guys will be fine. In a week or two your child will have built by gift of his/her own immune system a brand new and lifelong immunity and will laugh at this hysteria. And you will do the same. Get your vitamin D, avoid sugars and eat well. Leave your mother alone and make sure she has the food she needs. You'll make it. I am Italian.

[Wagner James Au]

Ellendir -- I'm very sorry for my misunderstanding, I've amended the post.

[David Cartier]

I'm glad that I'm not the only one to be totally offended and put off, by these masks and bandannas, et c offered as fashion accessories in SL. As a fashion 'accessory' they are on the same level as pink triangles and yellow stars. It's not simply tacky and insensitive; we also need a break from all of the masks we have to see in our real lives.