Sad! WaPo media critic Erik Wemple's thread on Tucker Carlson's outdoor masking rant 'is just one self own after another'

Recently, Tucker Carlson engaged his viewers in a thought exercise. What would it look like if people who didn’t wear masks outdoors gave self-appointed mask scolds a taste of their own medicine?

Tucker Carlson is now telling his audience to harass people who wear face masks outside.

If they see children wearing masks, Tucker says the response should be no different than when you see a kid being abused — "call the police immediately, contact child protective services" pic.twitter.com/4svVH0JY3s

— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) April 27, 2021

It should go without saying that no, you should not, in fact call the police or CPS on parents with kids in masks outdoors. It should also go without saying that Tucker Carlson is not, in fact, seriously telling his viewers to do that.

And it should also go without saying that Carlson’s point was lost on a lot of media firefighters, who are just relieved that Carlson has given them another reason to clutch their pearls.

Here’s Washington Post media critic Erik Wemple, who took the bait like a charm:

Fox News host @tuckercarlson last night urged people to call child protective services if they see kids wearing masks at play. So I've sent inquiries to about 15 state-level child-protection agencies across the country. 1/

— ErikWemple (@ErikWemple) April 28, 2021

Just to see if people are acting upon the host's instructions. Thus far, Alabama and Texas have reported back, saying they've either not had any such calls or are unaware of any. 2/

— ErikWemple (@ErikWemple) April 28, 2021

Remember when all the MAGA-heads were going to inject bleach because Trump told them to? (He didn't tell them to, but whatever.) But then they didn't? Same deal here. Wemple et al. won't learn anything from it, because stoking panic is the only thing keeping media afloat anymore.

— Get vaccinated if you want (@jtLOL) April 28, 2021

If the end result of Tucker's rant was sending dipshits like Erik off in search of anecdotal evidence that anyone took his suggestion seriously, it will have been well worth it. https://t.co/7uR7QDgDtL

— Christy (@NoDramaGal) April 28, 2021

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MSNBC panelist and FBI alumnus says Tucker Carlson’s mask comments could be a ‘nexus to violence’