This is the guy who will talk politics on Twitter. His name is Tucker Carlson.Chip Somodevilla/Getty
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On Tuesdayformer Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson announced that he would be sharing his political views on Twitter, just like the rest of the idiots.
Carlson, who was let go by Fox News a few weeks ago, said he would relaunch his show “soon” on the social media website now run by Elon Musk. Has been reported that he is violating his non-compete clause to do so, at a cost of $25 million. It’s a high fee to tweet. (Carlson also has a blue check, but it’s unclear whether he’s paying Musk’s monthly fee for that.) Axios reported that Tucker’s lawyers will argue that his contract was unfulfilled.
Personally, just between this reporter and a guy talking on camera to reporters, I would have kept the $25 million. In my experience, Twitter is mostly made up of other journalists and anime avatars yelling at you about Marvel movies that they think are movies (read: 17-year-olds). Not a fun or interesting crowd.
It’s also not very user-friendly for Tucker’s usual demographic: the elderly. Unless there is a New Deal style program to teach seniors how to use the app, I don’t think their show will do as well as it did on Fox. Also, it’s no longer competing for TV numbers, where a few million is great. Instead, he’s competing against a guy with over 100 million subscribers whose topic is bribing people very well.
Tucker, as his platform demands, frames his movement as a battle for speech. In a frontal video with an odd aspect ratio, he says Twitter is the “only” big platform that still allows for full expression. This is part of a broader thesis about the journalist’s gaze. There is not much:
we are back pic.twitter.com/sG5t9gr60O
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) May 9, 2023
Tucker capitalizes on the word “Truth”—squeezing and stress-testing it like a grad student on his way, badly, Richard Rorty. I found this related. But also, you’re supposed to grow out of it. Every decent journalist knows that there are nuances and difficulties in conveying the facts. (Janet Malcolm said it’s stronger, and better, at the New Yorker decades ago.) The fact (sorry) is that most reporters try to say the real thing. It is difficult.
And I guess the other rule is you try not to sell them or aspire to powerful people. Maybe consider it too.
