Tucker Carlson & Weaponizing “Woke”

Tucker Carlson speaking at 2022 AmericaFest in Phoenix, Arizona

Gage Skidmore via Flickr

“Woke M&M’s have returned. The green M&M got her boots back but apparently is now a lesbian maybe? And there's a plus-size obese, purple M&M so we’re gonna cover that, of course, 'cause that's just what we do.”

If you’ve spent time on the Internet recently, chances are you’ve heard this quote littered across TikTok, with creative uses of the quote raking in views. However, as wacky as this quote about the M&M campaign is without context, it becomes more concerning when you know who is saying it and what he is really trying to say.

Tucker Carlson has been a FOX News mainstay for several years since his show, Tucker Carlson Tonight, first debuted during its primetime slot at 8 p.m. ET in 2016. His program is centered around conservative political commentary from his perspective and features guests on the program frequently to discuss certain topics. Carlson's tenure on television has not been without controversy (and many for a good reason including mischaracterizing Jan. 6, extreme anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and lies about the 2020 election, to name a few). Despite these ills, Carlson’s show is still the most-watched cable news program, with around 3.2 million viewers in key demographics like the 24-54 age range.

Those who are tuning in more than likely would have heard the M&M quote and others like it, coupled with the term “woke.” The beginning of the quote mentioned before is, “The woke M&M’s have returned.” M&M’s rebrand is a very mild example of how Carlson uses “woke” to describe people, attitudes, organizations, etc., and it is worth examining the use of “woke” by Carlson.

According to the Merium-Webster dictionary, woke is a term that is used to describe an individual who is “informed, educated, and conscious of social justice and racial inequality.” In recent years, the term has been used to reflect its original definition, but it has also been used in other contexts to either be critical or supportive of progressive social ideas, ABC noted. Because “woke” can be used in either way, the context in which it is used is important.

So how does a term used to reflect a person’s awareness of social inequality become used to retaliate against M&M’s? Unfortunately, the use of “woke” in a weaponized sense is not accidental and having a household name like Carlson use it to discredit important societal changes has a real impact on the American people.

The CS/HB 7: Individual Freedom Act is a piece of legislation out of the state of Florida that has been dubbed the “Stop W.O.K.E. Act” (which stands for Wrong to our Kids and Employees) and was signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in April 2022. This legislation is designed to limit what is allowed to be taught in Florida public schools, which includes eight components that cover subjects of race, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, systemic racism, white privilege and more. If an educator were to violate the law, they would be subject to termination. 

Fortunately, NBC News reported in March that a Tallahassee judge ruled that the “Stop WOKE” laws would not be able to extend to colleges and universities, preventing the censorship of education from reaching the collegiate level. However, the act has still been consequential for students in the state, with teachers being directed to cover books that were not yet vetted to be sure they did not contain content violating the Stop WOKE standards. 

The Florida judge that banned the act from extending to Florida colleges and universities described Stop WOKE as “positively dystopian,” which is a valid criticism. In fact, this publication would not be allowed to discuss some of the subject matter if it was in Florida if this act extended to higher education. The idea to stop the education of people on vital subjects around gender, sexuality, etc. through legislation weaponizing “woke” in its title is in essence acting as a placeholder term for what people like DeSantis and Carlson really think. It is a way to subvert social progress that the United States is moving towards by making these ideas seem extreme, radical and dangerous. 

Obviously, this issue goes beyond the personal vendetta Carlson has about M&M’s. It is a campaign on America’s most-watched prime-time television show to make the American public fear something that they don’t need to be afraid of. Carlson is known for his influence on conservative politicians and how viewers perceive subject matter they may not know the full story of. 

The idea of being woke is not something to be afraid of. In fact, being woke can mean that you have an informed idea about the machinations of American society and the people that belong in it. To be woke is to be educated, thoughtful and empathetic. To weaponize this is dangerous with real consequences for the American public (and M&M’s).