Tucker Carlson, the far-right former Fox information host recognized for his incendiary takes, might need really made himself the darling of liberal Gen Zers. Throughout a current look on comic Theo Von’s “This Past Weekend” podcast, Carlson, 54, took an surprising angle: Supporting younger employees who’re exasperated by thankless work.
“I just so hate that culture that treats people like they’re not people,” Carlson stated. “And for what?”
Von posted a clip of Carlson’s feedback to TikTok, and it rapidly went viral, amassing over 453,000 views—and almost 1,500 feedback agreeing with the bombastic newscaster’s opinions. It appears out of left discipline contemplating that Carlson was as soon as Fox Information’ highest-rated and most-viewed star—he was abruptly fired by amid contract negotiations to proceed his gig via 2029 (He was eliminated quickly after the far-right community agreed to pay almost $788 million to Dominion Voting Methods, which filed a defamation lawsuit in opposition to Fox in 2021 for spreading falsehoods in regards to the 2020 election.). However Carlson, who now hosts a present referred to as “Tucker on X” on X, previously Twitter, spoke on to the issues Gen Z has with right this moment’s work tradition.
“If your life is all about efficiency, and every moment is being monitored and counts towards something, then you’re not really human,” Carlson stated. “You’re a machine at that point, aren’t you?”
Carlson went on to reference a video posted by a current school graduate that went viral on TikTok. The poster, fighting time administration and work-life steadiness, advised viewers she doesn’t perceive how a typical 9-to-5 is sustainable.
“If I was able to walk to work, it’d be fine,” the poster stated. “Nothing to do with my job at all…Being in the office 9-to-5, like, if it was remote, you’d get off at 5, and you’re home and everything’s fine.” However as a result of her job is in particular person, “I get on the train at 7:30 and I don’t get home till like 6:15 earliest. How do you have friends? How do you have time for, like, dating? Like I don’t have time for anything, and I’m like so stressed out.”
Naturally, sure corners of the web had been fast to ridicule the poster, saying she wants a wake-up name. As Carlson put it, “Everyone’s like, ‘shut up and work, honey.’” However he, famously short-tempered, took a extra sympathetic method. “I watch this, and I’m like, ‘no, no, I hope you win.’ The seeds of revolution are sprouting in my heart.”
Growing into a very good boss and chief was robust, Carlson went on. “Learning to do that has been a journey for me. With companies, it’s like, how do we get away from that? Sometimes I think America was just this Christian experiment that got compromised and turned out poorly.”
Inspired by Von, Carlson continued that although he hated to say it as a result of he didn’t wish to admit it, “what’s obviously true is you can’t have a democracy unless it’s a voluntary system…there has to be some sense of the common good. You can’t just be like, how much can I grab?” In any other case, humanity will merely “descend into greed and selfishness—which is where we are now.”
“Never thought I’d agree with Tucker on anything, but here we are”
Gen Zers, who comprise the biggest share of TikTok customers, are recognized for his or her outspoken want to carry their complete selves to work and really feel valued as people. Many viewers of the Theo Von clip had been fast to precise appreciation for Carlson’s phrases, which they could have learn as help for his or her trigger.
“Was Tucker Carlson playing a character the entire time he was on fox?” one commenter wrote. “Did I just find myself agreeing with Tucker Carlson?????” one other added.
“I might actually kinda like Tucker Carlson after all,” one other stated.
Some expressed perception that maybe the Carlson they knew was merely a caricature made for TV. “Used to hate Tucker Carlson but now I think that may have just been a character he was forced to play on Fox News.”
Others had been merely content material to understand the brand new iteration of the firebrand. “How in the absolute hell am I enjoying something from Tucker Carlson right now? Someone tell me.”
The feedback is probably not shocking—even when the commenters themselves are stunned by Carlson’s new stance. However Gen Z is notorious—and sometimes ridiculed—for his or her resolute anti-work stance. They’ve expressed, in several phrases, Carlson’s exact sentiment. They’re sick of being handled as cogs within the machine, and are bucking custom by looking for out “lazy girl jobs,” “acting their wage,” and “quiet quitting” to point out their bosses how they really feel about being underappreciated.
And maybe one person summed it up finest: “Never thought I’d agree with Tucker on anything, but here we are.”