The Perched Eye blog is 14 years old, from 2009 with President Obama's election. Our focus has been eclectic ... the styles and directions of American politics and culture, with an occasional comment on the impact of new technologies. Our observations sometimes attract a critical eye, but the 'pen' remains unblunted.
OK. Tucker Carlson is gone from the media stage,... so far. (Gargle with vinegar and salt.)
For years I’ve wanted the too-contrived, over-practiced, Botox-job voice of Tucker Carlson to disappear from conservative media, specifically from Fox News (Tucker’s employer and Cuckoo’s nest for other MAGA-Republican mouthpieces such as Sean Hannity.)
And lo, Fox News apparently fired Tucker last Friday, April 21 (2023). ‘Apparently’ because Fox held it in close to the chest, then announced Tucker’s ‘leaving’ on Monday morning, April 24, 2023. This is the timeline of things according to media and Fox PR.
Tucker was ‘evaporated’ from Fox News with such an expertly wielded fly-swat … a fingerprint of the behind-the-mirror Murdoch style (the Rupert Murdoch family own Fox News.), that it has left much of the media (right and left) in shock, e.g., Tom Boggioni's piece in Raw Story (‘Did he kill someone?’ Critics stunned by Tucker Carlson’s abrupt departure from Fox News”, April 24, 2023.)
Further, Tucker’s abrupt ‘disappearing’ has so far been marked by the absence of both a ‘lead-up’ fanfare and the ‘traditional’ send-off last show — the protocol that usually bookends the end-of-tenure for such media stars as Tucker Carlson. Instead here has been only a simple ‘thank’s for your service’ from the Fox network.
Without the guidance of a traditional ‘leaving protocol’, Fox News has dropped it in our laps to weave our own ‘splain‘n’… from fog and mirrors. The media has to do its best with ‘Nada’…consequently, it stands agape, ’strung out and tongue-hanging.’ ‘Marvelous,’ because we see now how desperately conservative media needs a lead mule.
(Carlson himself claims he had no clue that last Friday, April 24, was to be his final day employed by Fox News…certainly, we didn’t have a clue, we, the audience to the conservative media circus.
The ‘hidden-meanings’ flavor of Carlson's departure is like the ‘wake and ripple’ of a submerging shark.)
But shark fins do reappear, and we best be ready to administer the harpoon when we see Tucker again at the mike spewing his poison. (Alternet surmises about potential scenarios for Carlson’s resurfacing... somewhere.)
In defense of Democracy, Tucker Carlson should never again be allowed to ‘poison and warp’ America’s minds with his ‘transmissible’ toxicity of hate, racism, fear, and misogyny… all combined, interestingly and like Donald Trump, with an abject bowing to Russia, America’s sworn and very palpable state enemy.
AlterNet reports that Russia Today is hinting at possibly swooping to invite Tucker to join their own ‘news’ staff (AlterNet: ”Russian state outlet RT reaches out to Tucker Carlson.”
Personally, it’s a mystery how Tucker has gotten away with his too-close support of Russia’s foreign policy and propaganda. In this respect, it wouldn’t be a shock to see him again 'at desk’ willingly 'punditing' as a RUSSIAN ASSET at Russia Today…because, well, Tucker is so well-trained in warping Truth without moral remorse…and with a deep, grudging, hate for America. Carlson, in sum, is a privileged, trust-fund, spoiled brat who suckingly bites the hand that feeds him.
(Note: Tucker’s vanishing act so far comes off as masterful Media Empire scripting designed to minimize audience fallout…and it appears this has been accomplished to some degree.)
However, Fox News’ stage crafting may be lost on Tucker’s support base, who are too used to being passively fed, with no thought required, to fill in the blanks.
Second, Tucker’s base are mostly a self-selected bunch who are intellectually unequipped to deal with subtlety. (The Carlson base need direct, crude, dog-whistle ‘triggering’ to energize and send them howling in the desired direction.)
Fox News’ way of removing Tucker Carlson from American airways is like a neat surgical excision of a smelly tumor. Let’s hope Fox‘s surgery will last…although, knowing the greed of Fox News (i.e., the Murdochs), the return of the Murdochs' media cancer will always be possible.
Despite all this turmoil, Tucker’s bad seed might sprout anew from the dank murk of Fox News and siblings such as One America News (OAN).
A final thought: has Tucker Carlson forgotten how ‘Big Wheels’ turn? They have a habit of hitting the hubris-filled in the ass. Cocky Tucker might soon find himself in a ‘Gulag Resort’, sitting neck-deep in ‘it’ with no toilet paper but his left hand. Such would be fitting irony. Karma.
(From Medium, April 25, 2023)
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