The week of December 10, 2023, Tucker Carlson announced the launch of his new media outlet, the aptly named Tucker Carlson Network, or TCN. Avid fans of Carlson have been anticipating an announcement of this kind since Carlson’s abrupt and controversial ousting from Fox News in April of 2023. Carlson had been at odds with Fox after a string of contentious monologues centered around topics such as the validity of the 2020 presidential election, the efficacy of vaccines, and the events surrounding January 6th. His removal from the network was sudden, but did not come as much of a shock to those who were closely following his career. In fact, many had predicted the separation in the leading months. As Carlson’s status as the most popular cable news host grew, he became more willing to vocalize opinions that clearly made Fox nervous. However, the focal point of Carlson’s firing has not been Fox’s milk-toast, middle-of-the-road political leanings. Rather, the spotlight has followed Carlson as he began posting lengthy video segments on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
Now that Tucker has launched his own network, his status as a cultural icon has exploded in magnitude. After all, with the dramatic decline of cable television, the idea that anyone with a background in cable could explode into new media forays with such force is incredible. That fact is partially an indictment of the mainstream media, as it has not risen to the occasion of the new cultural online landscape. Yet, primarily, the whole situation highlights Carlson’s illustrious strength. Against all odds, he has become a beloved public figure, spending his evenings with other cultural phenoms like Donald Trump and Kid Rock. The videos he posts on X receive tens of millions of views and his nationwide public speaking events are often sold out. Tucker Carlson is, effectively, a rockstar.
It’s no secret that social media has radically changed our concept of fame. The rise of platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and Tik Tok have reshaped how the public is able to interact with celebrities. Social media platforms have made the once-elusive lives of celebrities increasingly available for consumption. Stars no longer hide behind the walls of their exclusive clubs and overwhelming mansions. Instead, they regularly post about their day-to-day habits online, giving the general public an ever-available glance into their world. As a result of this overexposure, many people have become disenchanted by the once-mythical appeal of celebrities. The constant live streams, behind the scenes photos, and twitter threads of late night thoughts have diluted the concept of stardom.
Similarly, the increased availability of social media has allowed most people the opportunity to get their fifteen minutes of fame—if they so desire it. Almost anyone, from an off the beaten path artist to a radical activist to a niche comedian, can become a sensation overnight. Social media content goes viral overnight and is forgotten just as quickly, falling back into obscurity with the same speed that it became sensational. Fame is no longer relegated to the cliquey echelons of the upper crust. Celebrity status has been cracked open; it no longer hides in the Hollywood Hills.
In the aftermath of this social media surge, many people are not as receptive to the idea of traditional megastars. The days of celebrity worship have passed. The post-social media age has produced very few iconic figures. Contrarily, the culture rides the coattails of eras past, banking on the legacies of big names such as Tom Cruise, Will Ferrell, and Eddie Murphy to reprise their former glories to keep up with the demand of churning out new content. The lack of what would be considered ‘classical’ stars has left a hole in society. Perhaps that is why the most popular names have ceased to be singers and actors, and have instead become political figures.
Carlson gained notoriety in the 2000s and 2010s by appearing across cable news networks, slowly building a profile for himself as a reporter who sought out truth. This led to his eventual success at Fox, becoming their most-viewed host. After the COVID-19 pandemic, his influence grew further as his search for truth placed him at odds with the majority of mainstream media outlets. Since then, his views have started even further from traditional expectations. His departure from Fox confirmed that he had gone too far off the beaten path even for what is considered to be the most “republican” mainstream cable network. Carlson evolved into so much more than a mere news host; he became a symbol of distrust, touting his investigative mindset to get past socially acceptable lies in favor of delving into the treacherous and tumultuous truths.
This propensity for risk made Carlson radical. He was not a sit-down and shut-up talk show puppet, he was asking tough questions, trampling on common narratives, and shaking up the complacency of corporate media. Carlson interviewed the people impacted by a train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio after the Biden administration ignored their suffering. Carlson released the January 6th footage of the Capitol that had previously been hidden to the public. He even frequently questioned the supposed suicide of Jeffrey Epstein, inquiring about redacted flight logs and client lists. He did not merely accept the reports that were passed down to him from corporations, politicians, and journalists, instead he put pressure on them. He turned their rehearsed reports into tense demands for truth. Carlson has become the anti-establishment.
For many people, Tucker Carlson feels like the real deal, a return to something that our society has otherwise lost. With a lack of celebrities left to rally around, eyes turn to Carlson as he shakes up the stale, overexposed social media landscape. In recent weeks, he has interviewed personae non gratae such as Javier Milei and Alex Jones, and regardless of individual opinions over these controversial figures, his willingness to speak with individuals who have otherwise been silenced shows that he is a risk taker.
Punk rock and alternative cultural scenes have consistently arisen in societies when establishment forces have overwhelmed the voice of the people. In the late 1700s, the Founding Fathers were outspoken radicals who fought back against the oppressive forces who tried to control them. In the mid-1800s, men such as Frederick Douglass wrote pieces like “What, To the Slave, Is the Fourth of July” that challenged the idea of what it meant to be an American citizen. In the latter half of the twentieth century, rock music became a beacon of novelty that shook up how young people interacted with the culture as opposed to their parents. This last example is, perhaps, the best way to describe Carlson—he’s rock and roll. He’s all “Johnny B. Goode” and “Blue Suede Shoes”. He’s something that people are afraid of because what he has is the real McCoy, the genuine article, and genuine. With the launch of Tucker Carlson Network, subscribers will be given a closer look into Carlson’s investigations, interviews, and ideas. However, unlike the over-saturated and over-exposed lives of celebrities we traditionally see online, Carlson is giving us a glimpse inside a world that the establishment doesn’t want the public to see. He is exposing a sphere of society that has been stashed away for the elite. In an age where everyone can be a celebrity with a wave of the social media wand, Tucker Carlson has emerged as a lionheart.
