Tucker Carlson Is So Worried That ‘WAP’ Will ‘Hurt Our Children’ That He Played Nearly The Entire Grammys Performance

Instead of responding to John Oliver calling him a “performatively outraged wedge salad,” Tucker Carlson returned to one of his favorite subjects during Monday’s episode of Tucker Carlson Tonight: “WAP” (it does not stand for “white angry pundit”). He’s just concerned for the children! Carlson first covered the Billboard-topping Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion single back in August, calling it “garbage” and “crap,” but he railed against it again following the Grammys. This time, he tied it back to “cancel culture.”

After showing a clip from the Grammys performance, Carlson sneered, “No more Dumbo. It’s too filthy. We get that instead.” (I’m not sure the issue with Dumbo is that it’s “filthy”…) After bring in Candace Owens, he added, “It is hard not to conclude that they are actively trying to degrade our culture and hurt our children.” Owens, who has a history with Cardi B, agreed with Carlson, calling “what we were looking at last night… a lesbian sex scene being simulated on television, and this is considered feminist.”

“I agree with you 100 percent in the assessment that this feels more sinister. This is starting to me to seem like it’s not even left or right, it’s not a political issue. This seems like an attack on American values, American traditions, and you’re actually actively trying to make children aspire to things that are grotesque,” Owens said, adding: “We are celebrating perversity in America.”

The best part of the segment, outside of Owens’ faux outage over Mr. Potato Head, is that despite the conservative commenters calling “WAP” the “destruction of American values,” footage from Cardi and Megan’s performance played over and over again. It’s objectively very funny to see Carlson’s befuddled face next to this:

Carlson summed up his thesis with: “Totally degrading. And the same people who make it will lecture you about ‘you hate women’ or something. Who hates women, really?” You can watch the segment here.

(Via the Daily Beast)

Cardi B Claps Back After A Conservative Brought ‘WAP’ Into A Discussion About Dr. Seuss’ Book Ban

Earlier this month, it was revealed that six of Dr. Seuss’ books will cease publishing due to racist imagery. The decision was made by Dr. Seuss Enterprises in order to ensure it “represents and supports all communities and families.” But even still, the news caused outrage among some pearl-clutching conservatives who were also shocked at the success of Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s song “WAP.” One conservative brought the song into a conversation about Dr. Seuss books, but Cardi wasn’t having it.

Comedian Tim Young offered his two cents about the Dr. Seuss book ban on Twitter. “The lyrics to ‘Wet Ass Pussy’ are more welcome in some schools than Dr. Seuss books… just let that sink in for a minute.” But Cardi, who infamously shields her daughter’s ears from the song’s lyrics, had the best response. “When has a school made kids read the lyrics to wap,” she wrote. “I get it wap might be a lil vulgar but stop comparing a sensual song to books that has RACIST content! How can ya not tell the difference?I see that common sense aint that common.”

Continuing to make her point, Cardi said that Dr. Seuss Enterprises decided to stop printing specific books on their own. “By the way Dr Seuss publishing company made the decisions to remove those books on their own,” she wrote. “Black people are not the one telling these companies to do things that they think Is ‘progressive’ black only ask for equal justice.”

Parents who are concerned about some of the vulgar language in “WAP” got a taste of the clean version at Sunday night’s Grammys. Cardi teamed up with Megan to perform their No. 1 single at the 63rd annual ceremony. The version was heavily censored, bleeping out words like “bucket,” but surprisingly electing to keep the word Kegel.

Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Cardi B And Megan Thee Stallion’s Wild 2021 Grammys Performance Combined ‘Savage’ And ‘Up’ With ‘WAP’

After a whirlwind summer that saw their collaboration go No. 1, take over the national discourse, and “piss off a bunch of Republicans for no reason,” Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion finally got to perform a watered-down version of the raunchy “WAP” on the Grammys.

Opting to use the clean version — which contains one of the three words Cardi says she hates the most — Cardi and Meg hit the stage together for a smashing, roaring 20s-inspired performance. Opening with a jazzy medley of Meg’s “Body” and “Savage,” Cardi appeared via a wild, LED screen, dancing in a gleaming futuristic ensemble to start her performance with her new song “Up.” Then Meg joined her after a very quick costume change for a performance of “WAP” backed by a giant stripper shoe with a heel that doubled as a pole.

After releasing “Up,” the follow-up to “WAP,” Cardi commented on the reaction to her and Meg’s hit, saying she was surprised because it was “really mild” compared to the continuum of randy sex raps from previous female stars like Lil Kim and Trina. The song’s title was censored at the Emmys, confusing and delighting fans, while “WAP” became a political lightning rod, drawing responses from the likes of Republican Congressional candidates, and Congresswoman Maxine Waters. Cardi even joked she was originally supposed to perform the song at the 2021 Presidential inauguration.

“WAP” isn’t nominated for an award this year, but Cardi made sure to congratulate overlooked, under-the-radar nominees ahead of the ceremony. Meanwhile, Megan actually did win an award before the televised portion of the ceremony for her “Savage” remix with Beyonce, making them the first women to win the Best Rap Performance award.

Watch Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s performance above.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Congresswoman Maxine Waters Applauded Megan Thee Stallion’s ‘Audacity’ In ‘WAP’

Last summer the internet went into a tizzy following the release of Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s NSFW song “WAP,” which debuted at No. 1 and welcomed some harsh criticism by conservative thinkers. But unlike other politicians, California congresswoman Maxine Waters actually enjoyed it.

Rep. Waters and Megan sat down for a conversation for Harper’s Bazaar where they talked about education, the importance of standing up for yourself, and, of course, “WAP.” Waters revealed that some of the younger people in her life had played her the song, and she was impressed by Megan’s candor:

“I listen to the young people around me and they may tell me something maybe you ought to pay attention to. But then they told me to look at, was it WAP? Don’t worry, don’t worry, don’t worry. I said, ‘Now that’s audacity. That is audacity.’ And that is the ability for women to take charge of what they want to say. I had paid attention to the young gangster rap time, when men were in charge. They said whatever they wanted to say about women, what have you. But women didn’t say, for a long time, what they could say or wanted to say or dared to say. And so I thought ‘that’s audacity.’”

While this was the first time Waters and Megan had chatted in person, it was not their first correspondence. After Megan penned her powerful New York Times op-ed about the importance of speaking up for Black women, Waters responded with her own open letter. “I write all this to say that I’m so incredibly proud of you and how you have used your voice to uplift Black women,” Waters wrote. “I know that Black women and girls everywhere thank you for the way you so fiercely have their back. I want you to know that I have your back, too.”

Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.