Thursday, Fox News Channel’s Tucker Carlson sounded off on a Washington, D.C. ban on dancing at weddings in the name of mitigating the COVID-19 virus.
Carlson questioned the science of the perceived overreach and called Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser “irrational” for the ban.
Partial transcript as follows:
CARLSON: So let’s say you want to get married in Washington, D.C. You can do that. The authorities will allow it, but let’s say you have a couple of drinks and want to move your feet. You can’t do that, because in Washington, D.C., there is no dancing. That’s according to the City’s Mayor, Muriel Bowser.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Here’s what’s getting a lot of attention. Standing and dancing receptions are not allowed. What good is a wedding without dancing, Mayor? And why no dancing?
MAYOR MURIEL BOWSER (D), WASHINGTON, D.C.: Well, I think there’s a lot of good to a wedding like people starting off their lives together and doing it in a safe way and not doing it in a way that puts themselves or their guests in danger.
CAMEROTA: But, Mayor, just — is there any way that you would reconsider with masks on and say a card that shows fully vaccinated that you’d allow dancing?
BOWSER: We’re absolutely considering opening more activity as our case rates go down and our vaccination rates go up. And that’s in our hotels, and that’s in our other venues.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARLSON: So when you might ask did Muriel Bowser become an Ayatollah and in charge of whether you can dance or not? Muriel Bowser is one of the least impressive, most irrational political leaders in the history of the country.
Her order is among other things, stupid and crazy. Whoa, but no, her fellow Democrats popped up, leaders in Illinois and Michigan who have similar bans to say, she is great. Meanwhile, the Governor of New Mexico has come out to call her courageous.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAMEROTA: Is there dancing allowed in New Mexico, Governor?
GOV. MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM (D-NM): Well, I’ll tell you what, if you’re socially distanced and you’re wearing a mask, and you meet the other requirements with our level of vaccinations, yes.
CAMEROTA: Okay. Right.
GRISHAM: And I want to give the Mayor — it takes courage to be really clear about what constitutes high risk activities and behaviors.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARLSON: So if you’re wearing a mask and you’re socially distanced, and you’re vaccinated, then possibly we will allow you to dance.
Now, as an epidemiological matter, that is ridiculous, but no, says the deeply mediocre dumb Governor of New Mexico, that’s courageous and at CNN that’s all very normal because weddings are, needless to say, super spreader events.
Yesterday, some newsreader at CNN interviewed a woman who would like to get married in Washington, D.C. soon and that woman pleaded with the Ayatollah Mayor to reconsider her anti-dancing ordinance.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: Okay, Jillian, let me just challenge you a little bit here. You know that weddings have been super spreader events. What were you planning to do for precautions?
JILLIAN HARIG, GETTING MARRIED IN WASHINGTON, D.C. IN JULY: For sure, and really, the safety of all of our guests should be the number one priority. So I really think at this point, there’s a reasonable solution for this. We were planning to all wear masks this entire time during the wedding. And you know, if D.C. wants to meet halfway and allow standing, dancing, mingling, I mean, we can even require a negative COVID-19 test or show a vaccination card.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARLSON: The most important thing about the wedding is the safety of the guests. No, the most important thing with the wedding is the wedding. It’s the marriage between a man and a woman and if that’s too dangerous for you, don’t comment. If you’re worried, get vaccinated, then you have to care if anyone else has been vaccinated because you’re vaccinated and vaccines work, right?
Oh, no, says the newsreader who said, oh, wear a mask, socially distance. Show your vaccine card.
It used to be that only religious crazies, the extremists on the radical right were against dancing. There was a whole movie about it back in 1984.
[VIDEO CLIP OF “FOOTLOOSE PLAYS]
REN MCCORMACK, FICTIONAL CHARACTER:” And there was a time for this law, not anymore. This is our time dance. It is our way of celebrating life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARLSON: Yes, Kevin Bacon, an inspiration to potential brides and grooms all across the District of Columbia. If you’re as brave as Kevin Bacon, this could be your wedding.
[VIDEO CLIP OF “FOOTLOOSE” PLAYS]
MCCORMACK: I thought this was a party. Let’s dance.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARLSON: People used to make fun of the year 1984, the haircuts and everything, looking back. It wasn’t bad.
Follow Jeff Poor on Twitter @jeff_poor
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