In 2006, conservative Tucker Carlson did the unthinkable to some — he joined the cast of the American dance competition television series “Dancing With the Stars” (season 3). He said it wasn’t the smartest thing he has ever done but for sure one of the most interesting ones and that he wanted to lead an interesting life.
He added that he was 37, he had four kids and a steady job, and that he rarely does things he is not good at. He was the first to be eliminated. It’s not every day that people of his stature step outside of their comfort zone, so we can at least give him an A for effort.
Goodbye Bowtie
Fun fact: Tucker Carlson's signature look was none other than a bowtie. He started wearing bowties in 1984 when he was in tenth grade at St. George’s, Rhode Island prep school, as part of the school's dress code. He eventually stopped wearing them on April 11, 2006.
Too bad, We're sure that if he would have kept the look for a while the bow tie would have made a comeback in fashion. Then, he would have been considered a fashion influencer!
Carlson's Bowtie in Pop Culture
In 2005, his bowtie was even referenced on a season five episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm , when a character was referred to Larry David as “Tucker Carlson” because he was wearing a bowtie. Carlson should have taken it as a compliment that his signature look made it to the hit show! How many news anchors can say that?
Back when MSNBC advertised Carlson's program, they made posters that read, “The Man. The Legend. The Bowtie.” He had also been wearing a bowtie, in 2004, during the Jon Stewart controversy.
(He Can't) Move Like Jagger
Carlson's dancing partner for the competition, Elena Grinenko, said that teaching Tucker how to dance was “like Einstein teaching addition to a slow child”. We're not sure if she was just teasing him or if she was sore because of their quick elimination. You win some, you lose some.
Carlson took the good memories with him stating in an interview he would miss the dance classes. In preparation for the competition, he took ballroom dance classes for four hours a day. He also admitted his difficulties and said that it was hard for him to remember the moves.
Carlson's Tell All
Back in 2003, Tucker Carlson wrote a memoir titled, "Politicians, Partisans, and Parasites: My Adventures in Cable News", about his TV news experiences which he published through Warner Books. In his autobiography, he revealed how he was falsely accused of unaccepted behavior towards a woman who was unstable. This displayed stalker-like behavior towards him. He described it as a traumatizing event in his life.
The rising awareness of the #MeToo movement has made it harder for men in positions of power to take advantage of women. That being said, sometimes men feel that they are guilty before being proven innocent, so Carlson was lucky to clear his name. Even a false allegation is enough to ruin a person's career.