For some time now, Tucker Carlson has been telling his television audience that he is the sworn enemy of one thing or another. There is his loathing of “lying, pomposity, and smugness.” On his website, he claims to be the “enemy of censorship” and makes multiple references on his massively popular Fox show to “groupthink,” which he also detests. That’s a lot of enemies, yet Carlson purposefully invites this characterization.
These self-identifying expressions are suggestive of someone who loves a good fight. But just beneath that realization lies someone who lives by a clear set of values and social mores coupled with a no-nonsense demeanor. One may not like Mr. Carlson, but one would never walk away wondering where he stands. The 53-year-old TV host leaves you with the impression that he wouldn’t have it any other way.
Most TV professionals would admit that broadcasting carries an element of smoke and mirrors behind its gauzy scrim. They understand that the medium has an enormous capacity to create illusions. From a purely physical standpoint, people appear heavier, and the studio set usually camouflages their height. As such, Carlson presents as lanky and just a tad taller than expected. But his most striking feature -- an expressive and animated face most often seen in close up on TV -- is softer in person. Of course, as host of the popular primetime show “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” his raison d'etre is to inform his audience - which he does with a uniquely irreverent, caustic delivery that is conveyed with more than a touch of sarcasm. In person, though, Carlson’s delivery is much lighter and more amusing. He still commands center stage but without the sharp edges and bite.
This weekend, the veteran journalist was the keynote speaker for The Heritage Foundation’s 50th-anniversary gala. In a sit-down interview with the think-tank’s president, Kevin Roberts, Carlson waxed about the age of the internet:
“A lot of Americans – I don’t mean like hundreds of Americans, but l mean hundreds of millions of Americans – have no idea what’s going on. They don’t know the facts about certain things and it’s not because they are dumb or distracted on their iPhones. The whole point of the iPhone was to inform you and the net effect has been to make people completely ignorant of the actual facts, like the non-disputed facts about a lot of different things and you saw this certainly during Covid. So that challenges the idea of democracy which rests on the notion of an informed voting citizenry – and we don’t have that.”
Carlson is a classic example of an apple that doesn’t fall far from the tree. His father, Richard (Dick) Carlson, who became successful despite an inauspicious childhood, spent his adult life as a journalist and U.S. diplomat. He served as the Director of the U.S. Information Agency under Ronald Reagan and ambassador to Seychelles under George H.W. Bush. Both father and son share a conservative worldview – though Tucker claims no strong allegiance to either political party.
Although he dresses like someone in the famously hilarious Smirnov’s preppy ads, Carlson exudes none of the privileged smart-aleck attitudes in person. He admits he loves to talk but is also someone who loves the serve and volley of a good intellectual debate. At the Heritage dinner, he displayed patience as people cued up to chat briefly or have their pictures taken with him and his demeanor was warm and friendly with a beguiling and genuine smile.
The traditional view of high-profile personalities is that they come off as the boy or girl next door on television but are irascible and petulant in person. Tucker Carlson turns that notion on its head, appearing hot-tempered on the air and easy-going in person. Perhaps this paradox is what makes Carlson so intriguing.
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