Page 12 of Wrong Car, Wright Guy
He waves a hand at me, but doesn’t look my way, his distractedness making me grab for the headset even faster. What the hell is going on?
“—PC Culture. Cancel Culture. Everywhere you look, people are fighting about anything and everything. But where does that fight end? When there’s nothing left? There’s a saying—if you walk down the street and find one or two assholes, it’s a normal day. But if you walk down the street and everyone you come across is an asshole, then the real asshole is most likely you.”
As Tanner pauses and leans back in his chair, the poor board operator releases a sigh of relief. I don’t envy his position right now. He’s probably going to come out in hives after needing to react with that bleep button so many times. Funnily enough, cussing during a PG13 time slot isexactlyhow Tanner would get his own show canceled—no social media outrage needed. I glance at Terry, and he looks like he’s about to explode. This isnotgoing well.
“Are we to judge based on words?”Tanner continues.“Or based on actions or intent? Should we judge inaction? What if we just didn’t judge at all? What are your thoughts? How do we come together?”He adds in a dramatic pause and leans closer to the microphone. “I’ll be taking calls after these messages.”
The moment the ads cut in, Tanner removes his headphones and rolls up his shirt sleeves like he’s preparing himself for the fight to come. He’s not even looking out here. His focus is well and truly zoned in on his show. It’s actually quite impressive to watch.
“The censors are gonna have our heads for this,” Terry mutters, reaching for the talk button. “He can’t cuss like that.”
“I’ll talk to him,” I volunteer, sensing that any sort of berating that pulls him out of that deep state of focus may not go down well. “I have to get him more water, anyway. He’s expecting my intrusion.”
Terry pulls his hand back and straightens. “Fine. Remind him it’s PG13 language, we’re not the late-night shift.”
I nod then push through the adjoining door, a bottle of room-temperature water in my hand. “The boards are lighting up,” I say, opening the bottle and topping up his glass.
“Hmm,” he responds, eyes still closed as he waits out the ad break.
“You changed the theme.”
“I had something else I wanted to talk about.”
“Is this because of our argument earlier? Because I’m sorry I called you a bigot. I was out of line.”
He cracks an eye open. “You’re sorry?”
“I am. About the bigot part. Not the boor or the asshole part, because those still hold true. However, I would like to point out that you called yourself an asshole first. I was merely echoing the sentiment when I called you one myself.”
A smirk pulls at the side of his mouth. “And what made you change your mind? About the bigot part, of course.”
“I thought about what you said—how you never state your opinion—and I realized that was true. I have no idea what you really think on any topics your show discusses.”
“Hence why I’m just a boor and an asshole?”
I smile. “For now.”
“No,” he says, with more timbre than I was expecting from within our exchange.
“No?”
“No. I don’t accept your apology. Nor do I want it. You said what you thought, and you meant it.”
“But… I’m taking it back. I’m telling you I was wrong.”
“Exactly,” he says, making my brain hurt just as the intercom clicks and Terry’s voice filters out.
“We’re back in five…”
“Oh crap. I need to get back out there,” I say, taking one step away before stopping. “Oh! And Terry asked me to remind you it’s a PG-13 time slot. No more cussing. They had to bleep you, like, a thousand times just before.”
“I doubt it was a thousand,” he says, just as Terry finishes the countdown and the On Air light switches back on. I spin and try to push the door open before the lock flicks, but I’m too late. I’m stuck in here.
“Welcome back,” Tanner starts as I turn around with a sheepish grin to meet his somewhat amused eyes. He holds his finger to his lips and motions for me to sit in the chair across from him. “You’re listening to WHGC radio for your drive home. For those of you just joining us, I’m Tanner Wright and this isThe Wright and the Wrong.We’re taking calls to discuss political correctness and cancel culture. Why does it exist? Where does it end? And what’s the solution to the fighting we see every day?”
Before he answers the first call, he taps the headset hanging in front of me, obviously wanting me to listen in. So, I pick them up and place them over my ears.
“What are you still doing in there?” Terry hisses in my ear the second I have them on my head.
