Photo : Richard Drew ( AP Photo )

Last month, the 92nd Scripps National Spelling Bee somehow concluded in a historic eight-way tie. Its eight winners dominated five consecutive perfect rounds and spelled 47 consecutive words correctly in order to emerge as co-champions.


Your days are numbered, AutoCorrect.


Of its eight winners, only one was white—which somehow registered to Fox News host and professional irritant Tucker Carlson as irrefutable proof that white privilege is not a thing, despite the fact that ummmm yes, it is.

Thursday on Tucker Carlson Tonight, he who shall not be properly seasoned was joined by guest Heather Mac Donald, who came on to promote her latest MAGA manifesto, The Diversity Delusion.

According to Media Matters, after refuting the existence of “toxic white culture” and contaminating the atmosphere with nonsensical drivel like “the discrimination against whites is compatible with the Constitutional ban on all discrimination,” this doltish duo ripped into what they interpret as reverse racism (SPOILER WARNING: This doesn’t exist) in school systems like New York City, and attributed “behavioral differences” for the gap between the academic achievement of black and white students.


That sounds about white.

But Carlson went peak-MAGA hat when he dug deep, challenging the public to “stand up and fight against this myth of bias,” then uttered this bullshit:


“If white privilege explained everything, please tell me how 7 out of the 8 of the recent national spelling bee example champions were Indian Americans.”

Huh?

“If skin color were the scourge of people of color, they would not be able to succeed.”


What?

“In fact, why do they succeed, Tucker? Because they studied their butts off and that’s what the inner city kids have to start doing.”


Whoa, whoa, whoa. I could pull out a bunch of data and facts that could easily disapprove Carlson’s assertions, but that’s a hamster wheel I want no parts of. Gaslighting and white privilege go hand in hand, so the onus will always fall on the aggrieved to implore the dominant culture to acknowledge our plight and humanity. And guess what the fuck I’m not about to do?

I will—however—say this: Rishik Gandhasri, Saketh Sundar, Shruthika Padhy, Sohum Sukhatankar, Abhijay Kodali, Christopher Serrao and Rohan Raja’s victory at the Scripps National Spelling Bee has absolutely nothing to do with white privilege being a myth and everything to do with those kids prevailing in life despite its existence.


Shoutout to their parents and their village of friends, relatives and supporters. Their future is bright despite the efforts of people like Tucker Carlson who will attempt to stand in their way.