Tucker Carlson's Kid Rock interview was supposed to be explosive. Instead, it was a snooze

Tucker Carlson had been teasing his Monday interview with Kid Rock, posting snippets on social media that make it sound like they were going to rip into the soft underbelly of American liberalism or something.

Then the interview aired on his Fox News show “Tucker Carlson Tonight.” And despite Carlson building it up with his usual bratty hyperbole — “It set us off on a nationwide search for Americans who were living as if this were a free country, like it was, say, 1989” — it was mostly a snoozer.

Kid Rock likes to tick people off. Tucker Carlson likes to try to fan whatever embers of controversy he can find that are of use to him into a full-fledged culture conflagration.

Tell us something we don’t know.

More:Kid Rock to Tucker Carlson in Fox News interview: 'You can't cancel me, I love it when they try'

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Carlson called Rock someone who lives his life like he was free

The interview aired after about 20 minutes of Carlson complaining about Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suspending 11 political parties with ties to Russia. Another story for another day, but it was a reminder that when watching Carlson bloviate for an extended time he comes off like the spoiled rich kid in third grade who complains long and loudly about slights small or perceived.

Eventually he got around to Kid Rock, who Carlson again talked about as an example of people who “live like they are free.” The implication is that the rest of us do not. Because of course that's what Carlson would have his viewers believe.

Carlson brought up cancel culture and Kid Rock took the bait, saying, “I am uncancellable.” Why? “Because I don’t give a (expletive).”

Thus, by his own admission, Rock is not canceled. So basically what you have here is the host of the most popular show on cable TV, free to spout whatever disinformation about vaccinations or whatever else he pleases, complaining that people can’t say what they want.

Kid Rock, not coincidentally, has an album out today, and the interview started like a typical chat with a musician. He used the pandemic to really concentrate on making the album, and he really thinks it’s good, etc. He also talked about his rigorous schedule. “People ask for my advice. ‘I work harder than you.’ That’s how it happened,” he said.

But when Carlson asked for the message behind the album, called “Bad Reputation,” KId Rock said, “To my fans, I love you dearly. To you critics, haters and trolls, go (expletive) yourself.”

Fair enough, but he pretty much admitted to being a troll, saying he says and does some things just to stoke outrage in people and is confident his fans understand this. He boasted that he doesn’t have ties to record companies and corporations, which gives him more freedom to do as he pleases.

“You never see artists talk like that,” Carlson said. “They seem very easy to intimidate.”

Only on planet Tucker is that true. But that is clearly the planet Carlson inhabits. Kid Rock, too, to a certain extent.

The singer bragged about the badge he ordered for his Rolls Royce — it says “Let’s go Brandon,” the slogan used in place of the obscene chant about President Joe Biden a NASCAR crowd delivered (the reporter covering the race misheard what they were really saying). He also says he got a badge for his truck that says, “White boy edition.”

Imagine bragging about this. Then again, trying to make people angry is what’s behind it — and Carlson is an eager enabler of this kind of thing. To them, it’s not off-putting. It’s funny, a joke, haha, and if you don’t laugh, you’re the problem.

Better to be the problem, then.

Kid Rock talked about playing golf with his friend, Donald Trump

He talked about being friends with Donald Trump, with whom he still plays golf. (When he was still president, Trump asked Rock what he thought he should do about North Korea, Rock said. He wisely demurred, saying he wasn’t qualified to say.)

And naturally, when Carlson asked Rock what he thought of Dr. Anthony Fauci, Rock replied with another expletive.

“You speak for many when you say that,” Carlson said.

What a pair. 

It’s all loathsome, of course. It’s meant to be. It’s the kind of small-minded garbage Carlson’s devoted following eats up, and he is more than happy to feed it to them. The angrier he can make his audience, and the more slighted he can make them feel, the better. (And if Kid Rock can sell a few records along the way, he’ll doubtless do so happily.)

“I can already see their headlines on this interview,” Kid Rock said. “It’s like, ‘Tucker and Kid Rock’s love story together.’”

Sorry, no. It was far too cynical an exercise for anything like that.