Tucker Carlson’s bizarre rant about being “turned off” by a candy company’s move to make brown M&Ms “less sexy” has drawn some spicy takes online.
The Fox News host was unimpressed with M&M’s parent company Mars Incorporated’s decision to give the anthropomorphised candy characters “more nuanced personalities”.
Gone are the brown M&M’s signature heels, replaced with lower pumps, while the green M&M sports a pair of “cool, laid-back sneakers to reflect her effortless confidence”.
Tucker: M&M’s will not be satisfied until every last cartoon character is deeply unappealing and totally androgynous. Until the moment you wouldn’t want to have a drink with any one of them. That’s the goal. When you’re totally turned off, we’ve achieved equity… pic.twitter.com/rz7VtVCHWu
— Acyn (@Acyn) January 22, 2022
In a Friday night segment, Mr Carlson said M&Ms would not be satisfied “until every last cartoon character is deeply unappealing and totally androgynous”.
“Until the moment you wouldn’t want to have a drink with any one of them. That’s the goal. When you’re totally turned off, we’ve achieved equity.”
Social media users mocked Mr Carlson’s monologue.
“Does Tucker Carlson know you don’t actually have sex with the M&Ms?” asked one person.
Whichever M&Ms marketing exec came up with the idea to bait Tucker Carlson into ranting about M&M is getting a raise.
— Ian Millhiser (@imillhiser) January 22, 2022
Another ventured: “JFC the man is worried about candy? He’s politicising candy?”
Writer Ian Millhiser joked that the M&M makeover had been designed to bait the Fox host.
“Whichever M&Ms marketing exec came up with the idea to bait Tucker Carlson into ranting about M&M is getting a raise.”
The Lincoln Project poked fun at the fact Fox News hadn’t mentioned more pressing political news that day.
Responding to a tweet that Fox News hadn’t mentioned January 6 or voting machines anywhere on the network on Friday, the political activist group said: “Okay but their M&Ms coverage was unmatched.”
In a statement announcing the new-look M&Ms, Mars said the move was part of its “global commitment to creating a world where everyone feels they belong and society is inclusive.”