Congratulations, America: this week, we were gifted our very own Marie Antoinette. Except she goes by Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and instead of the infamous “let them eat cake,” we have “let them get a blowout.” 
If you’re on any form of social media, you are probably aware of the now-viral video of Nancy Pelosi walking around a San Francisco hair salon without a mask. Six months ago, there would’ve been nothing wrong with this picture. Now, in the world of COVID-19, there’s just about everything wrong with it.
Since March, hair salons — as well as just about everything else in San Francisco — have been closed down due to the ongoing pandemic. Many businesses are closing permanently, leaving 8.4% of Americans without a job, including over 69,000 residents in Nancy Pelosi’s own district, according to the Los Angeles Times.
But if your name is Nancy Pelosi, the same rules do not apply to you. Forget that hair salons are supposed to be closed. Forget that masks are required in the state of California. When Nancy wants to get her hair done, Nancy gets her hair done. 
Every person on Earth has done something hypocritical at some time in their lives. Shoot, so have I. The difference is that most people try to learn from their mistakes and try to do better. But not Speaker Pelosi. Instead, when given the opportunity to apologize for taking advantage of her power, she blamed the salon owner for “setting her up,” and demanded an apology.  
Erica Kious, the owner of the hair salon responded to Pelosi on “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” saying her business is “pretty much done,” and that the salon has lost “at least 60% of its clients.” Kious went on to talk about her future in San Francisco, and said “since this has happened she has received nothing but hate.” She did not rule out the possibility of leaving the city altogether.  
Time and time again we’ve seen elites using their fame to get out of following the rules. Whether it’s Nancy Pelosi getting a blowout while the rest of San Francisco struggles, celebrities allowed to bypass New York travel restrictions to attend the Video Music Awards or Dr. Anthony Fauci sitting at a baseball game, not socially distanced and not wearing a face covering, when there are Americans dying to get back to normal and still unable to, I for one am over the hypocrisy. 
I’m sick of everyday Americans getting lectured on how to live their lives when those in power won’t even follow their own rules. The “rules for thee, but not for me” privilege needs to end; these elite politicians, celebrities and athletes need to remember the law is supposed to apply to everyone, even “Nancy Antoinette.”
Elizabeth Crochet is a 19-year-old political communication sophomore from New Orleans.