"In the absence of evidence, superstition. It's a Middle Ages thing. That's my theory anyway"
About this Quote
Carlson is doing a neat bit of double bookkeeping here: he gestures at Enlightenment rationality while keeping one hand on the escape hatch. “In the absence of evidence, superstition” sounds like a crisp, science-forward maxim, the kind of thing you’d expect from a debunker. Then he undercuts it with the smirk: “It’s a Middle Ages thing.” The jab isn’t really aimed at medieval Europe; it’s aimed at people he wants framed as backward, credulous, aesthetically unmodern. “Middle Ages” works as cultural shorthand for ignorance without requiring him to name a target.
The last line is the tell: “That’s my theory anyway.” It’s a performative shrug, a hedge that inoculates him against the very standard he’s invoking. If challenged on the lack of evidence, he can retreat into banter: not a claim, just a “theory.” This is a common move in opinion-media rhetoric: dress up an intuition as empirical common sense, then downgrade it to a vibe when accountability arrives.
Context matters because Carlson’s brand sits at the intersection of skepticism and insinuation. His segments often criticize elites for “official narratives” while floating counter-narratives built more on suspicion than proof. The quote lets him occupy both roles at once: the guy calling out superstition and the guy who can traffic in it, as long as it’s packaged as irony. It’s less about medieval history than about permission structure: you’re allowed to believe something because it feels true, and you’re allowed to laugh while you do it.
The last line is the tell: “That’s my theory anyway.” It’s a performative shrug, a hedge that inoculates him against the very standard he’s invoking. If challenged on the lack of evidence, he can retreat into banter: not a claim, just a “theory.” This is a common move in opinion-media rhetoric: dress up an intuition as empirical common sense, then downgrade it to a vibe when accountability arrives.
Context matters because Carlson’s brand sits at the intersection of skepticism and insinuation. His segments often criticize elites for “official narratives” while floating counter-narratives built more on suspicion than proof. The quote lets him occupy both roles at once: the guy calling out superstition and the guy who can traffic in it, as long as it’s packaged as irony. It’s less about medieval history than about permission structure: you’re allowed to believe something because it feels true, and you’re allowed to laugh while you do it.
Quote Details
| Topic | Reason & Logic |
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