Tony's Diary Package — page 79

yroat. ting If so inclined, you can even decorate your home with an "I Heart Dr. Fauci" throw pillow, or purchase a replica of Fauci's jersey from the time he captained the basketball team at Manhattan's Regis High School. Lingua Franca, which sells cashmere sweaters embroidered with resistance-friendly slogans for $380 and up, recently began taking orders for an army-green "Dr. Fauci Fan Club" knit. In honor of Fauci's Italian heritage, a clam bar in Long Island named a linguine dish after him this week. (Available for pickup only, "the linguine with white clam sauce shares origins with Fauci, as the sauce itself was invented in the Fauci Family's native Sciacca, Italy," the restaurant claimed in a statement.) As countless Americans remain glued to the news while trying to stay indoors, a robust Fauci fandom has flourished online. On Facebook, the "Dr. Anthony S. Fauci Fan Club" has over 32,000 members. Thousands more congregate in groups with names such as "Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the Man, the Myth, the Legend," "Dr. Fauci Speaks, We Listen" and "Dr. Fauci Memes for Social Distance Teens." An unassuming 79-year-old public servant who has advised six presidents, Fauci has become a "reliable constant in a time of uncertainty," The Washington Post's Ellen McCarthy and Ben Terris reported. But his admirers -- and there are a lot of them -- worry that it's only a matter of time before he's sidelined by Trump. When Fauci missed a White House news conference earlier this month, panic erupted on Twitter, along with speculation that he could be sick. There was palpable relief when he resumed his regular position at the podium the following day and appeared to hide some exasperation as Trump referenced "the deep state." Fauci later explained that he had simply been trying to dislodge a lozenge from his throat. But the much-analyzed "Fauci facepalm" had already become a meme, deployed by liberal members of what's known as the resistance. Fauci's newfound fame can be partially attributed to his willingness to engage with all forms of media -- in recent weeks, he's gone on a Barstool Sports podcast, chatted with basketball star Steph Curry on Instagram Live as Barack Obama listened in, and appeared on "The Daily Show With Trevor Noah." But it also undoubtedly helps that his fans tend to take social distancing seriously and consequently have ample spare time to produce fan art or perform songs written (or modified) in his honor. On social media, Fauci's virtual fan clubs peruse old photos of the infectious disease expert in search of "comfy turtleneck vibes," stitch his face on embroidery hoops and discuss erecting statues as tribute. They frost his name on cookies and joke about constructing shrines in his honor. Prominent activists and entertainers confess to wanting to marry him, or have him tuck them into bed.