TIME’s Charlotte Alter, two Julys ago, interviewing Fox News‘ Tucker Carlson:
Near the end of our call, I asked Carlson if he’d been vaccinated against COVID-19. He paused. “Because I’m a polite person, I’m not going to ask you any supervulgar personal questions like that.”
I told him he was welcome to ask me whatever he wanted.
“That’s like saying, ‘Do you have HIV?’” he said. “How about ‘None of your business’?” He broke into a cackle, like a hyena let loose in Brooks Brothers. “I mean, are you serious? What’s your favorite sexual position and when did you last engage in it?” (This has apparently become his go-to line when asked whether he’s been vaccinated; Carlson offered the same retort to Ben Smith of the New York Times.)
Recommended comeback, which Alter apparently didn’t have ready:
Why, dear boy, who do you think my sexual positions endangers, life and limb?
From there he can only frantically quibble and look like an idiot. Pity Alter was not prepared.
