Should you read “Tucker”?

 

Without glossing over his mistakes and freely sharing his regrets, Tucker shares his thoughts and feelings openly, these often feeling like stream of consciousness ideas are woven throughout as Moore brings out tidbits of information and background on Tucker throughout the entire book.  It was a somewhat bittersweet read, I’ve been a huge fan for years, but there’s a sophomoric side to Tucker that lacked class and was disappointing as well.  

Whether you think Tucker Carlson is brilliant or a bombastic buffoon, scholar or showman, insightful iconoclast or shortsighted grifter, you might consider reading Moore’s biography.  Will this book help you determine if Tucker is sincere or a snake oil salesman, a sage or simpleton?    The book is an opportunity to form a better informed opinion of one of the most influential people in today’s marketplace of ideas.  

Carlson has been labeled a racist, bigot, and homophobe.  It could be a calculated ploy or something otherwise, but it’s telling that Tucker allowed Chadwick Moore the opportunity to write this bio considering Moore is an openly gay man.  Tucker's longtime TV producer, Wells, also is gay, and the book goes to great lengths to expound on Well's "marriage" and the close working relationship Tucker shares with Wells.  

To have an honest critique of the man, don’t just hate a caricatures of Tucker, that is immature.  Moore is no Walter Isaacson or Ron Chernow but he’s good enough for what he does here.

What Moore does here is give a background into Tucker you probably haven’t been exposed to.  Charmed or privileged, you decide.  He definitely had opportunities many do not, but he also worked hard to make the most of the advantages he received.

You learn about Carlson and the life that shaped him. From his mother abandoning him at a young age, to being raised by his permissive father, to growing up in California, to his educational background, you get an inside look at Tucker you won’t find anywhere else. 

You might be surprised to read about his close friendship with Hunter Biden.  His continued admiration of Rachel Maddow.  Or his stint working at PBS. Or how he failed to graduate from college. Or his decision to abstain from alcohol after years of functional alcoholism.  Or, that he doesn’t own a TV, wear deodorant, or socks.  

Why should we all read this book? Carlson held record ratings on Fox, and his Twitter/X videos have had hundreds or millions of views. He is a lightning rod controversial subject, but he’s not without influence. Cultural differences aside, anyone with the audience capacity Carlson has should be looked into beyond one’s personal preferences. 

Tucker Carlson is just about as polarizing is Donald Trump, but he seems to be way more interesting. As with any celebrity or public figure, you see a side of them they want you to see. I don’t doubt this book is promotional for the author and the subject, and you have to filter what you read, but even so I think this book holds value.  

Fortunately the book isn’t presented as an idyllic gushy “oh look at perfect me” by any stretch.  Even though I appreciated learning more about him, I lost some respect for Tucker while reading the book.  

His gratuitous swearing seems juvenal.  For someone who makes his living in communication, he should know swearing is lazy.  I cringed at the repeated F bombs, not because I’m a prude but the repeated swearing felt so tacky, tasteless, and it simply lacked class. It seemed like a huge contradiction to the persona he tires to portray.  

In the end, the book left me with mixed feelings.  I like Tucker and his approach to current events.  I didn't like everything he had to say or how he said it when he was being quoted in the book, which I guess is healthy, I'm a fan (still) but I'm not a follower.  

The real problem with Tucker Carlson that no one talks about

 

The problem with Tucker Carlson, you say?  The problem with Tucker Carlson is obviously going to be different for many different people, yet there is one single problem nearly all people have with him be it friend or foe.  

If you are with Fox News the problem is, why won't he just go away? The problem with Tucker Carlson if you are in D.C. or the White House isn't is he right?  It's what if the people believe him?  But for the rest of us, what's the real problem?  And yes there is a problem.  

Some people will say the problem with Tucker Carlson is that he's just an entertainer and he takes no responsibility for what he has said, right or wrong.  He's not to be trusted, that's the consensus for many of Tucker's detractors.  But this isn't the real problem we have with Tucker.  There are plenty of talkingheads, politicians, and celebrities which people practically worship, yet we easily overlook their troublemaking, deceptions, their bending of truth, morals, or ethics, etc., so dependability or reliability isn't the real problem with Tucker Carlson.   If he was were merely a charlatan, you'd just ignore him like L. Ron Hubbard, but you can't because of the problem he poses to each of us.  

Nearly everyone has the same problem with Tucker, be it folks in politics, folks at Fox, folks at NPR or in the Cable News industry, and especially more than likely even his fans share.  The problem with Tucker Carlson in this day and age when we all have been bullied into submission, keeping our opinions to ourselves, the problem is, Tucker says what he thinks.  It should be refreshing, but it's not, it's infuriating to many of us.    

You think UFOS are real, there are some conspiracy theories that are in the realm of the possible, you don't like the LBGQ's militant agenda, you distrusted motivations of the people heading BLM, you question the last election, you don't think drag queens should read stories to kindergarteners, the list goes on, and even though you are in the majority, you are silenced by the fear of being censored or by offending someone.  Not Tucker.  Facebook jail will never deter him, nor will losing his job.  

Is he merely a provocateur?  Does he really believe the things he says?   Those questions don't matter, what troubles us is that he will say what he thinks, or for the benefit of those who doubt his sincerity, he says what he wants to say and he does it better than anyone else.  That's a problem, whether you believe him or not, he says whatever he wants to say and that makes everyone uncomfortable, it causes people to be resentful and bitter, because most everyone wishes they had the courage to say what was on their mind.

No one will have to forcefully take away our First Amendment rights if we allow peer pressure to rule over us and we keep our opinions to ourselves just so we can fit in or be accepted, or make complete strangers happy.  We all feel threatened by Tucker Carlson or challenged by him but for very different reasons.  Make no mistake about, there's a problem with Tucker Carlson, and that problem is that he reminds us of what dialogue and debate used to stand for, and how we all wish we could just "say it like it is."  

Tucker Carlson, welcome to our world.

 Apparently Tucker Carlson has realized what preachers have known for generations, it is risky to speak your mind. There’s a price to be paid for speaking your mind when you communicate for a living. Tucker has experienced the weight of golden chains, this is a pressure well known to ministers and their families.

I learned early on in ministry that the church elder who determines what could be questioned or what questions could be addressed, and who dictates which topics are off limits, that person was the one who was in charge.  Tucker is learning about that firsthand himself, I feel like saying to Tucker, “hold my beer…”

I wish I always had the confidence I have now, to be able to freely speak my mind. Honestly, it is intimidating to know that your livelihood is on the line if you go against the grain. But it shouldn’t be that way. 

I’m not smart enough to know the difference between censorship and power-plays or control and manipulation I don’t know what end of the spectrum Tucker is on, I do not feel his first amendment rights are being violated, or that he is not allowed to speak his mind, he’s only deplatformed at Fox.  He’s too talented to stay on the sidelines for long  

If the Internet is to be trusted, Fox News is paying him handsomely to stay home. I don’t think he is suffering greatly, although I do think he is feeling the pressure of being repressed. 

Tucker, who I’m a fan of, just has to find his outlet. To be honest, I am surprised our local newspaper prints half of the columns that I submit. Also, I love blogging because here I can speak my mind freely and people are welcome to read or not, it is after all a free country.

By the way, if Tucker is in your opinion a persona non grata, sub him from the equation and insert Don Lemon, formally of CNN.   They were coincidently fired on the same day, I like Tucker, but choose your example however you like.  The point still stands, if you communicate for a living whenever you speak your mind, you take a risk.

So Tucker is experiencing how nasty it can get when you speak out and the folks holding the purse strings balk, ministers and their families have known this for a very long time, but there’s a bigger lesson that applies to us all here.

We do not have to agree with people to respect them, it is appropriate to have differing views and to dialogue about them. The problem that Tucker Carlson and his recent experience is highlighting is that we have lost the art of dialogue in this country. We have somehow drawn the wrong conclusion, we have decided as a culture that unanimity & total agreement are necessary for conversation.  Nothing could be further from the truth.