If you don’t like Tomi Lahren, join the club. The conservative commentator, who’s become famous from her “Final Thoughts” segment that usually covers controversial and sensitive topics such as the Black Lives Matter movement, has faced harsh criticism from liberals. I can understand why. Her segments are rampant with yelling, name-calling and skewed perceptions. She should be criticized for these opinions, but that’s not what’s happening. More often then not, I see images of Lahren that have been edited to make her mouth look larger, that call her a Barbie and that suggest she stick to focusing on her looks rather than speaking her mind.
This has to stop.
Attacking Lahren with these arguments is not only pointless, it’s wrong. Lahren didn’t become successful based off her appearance. She studied journalism at the University of Nevada, applied for internships and worked her way up to having her own program at the age of 24. Although she does yell in her “Final Thoughts” segment, she isn’t alone — yelling is a popular antic among TV personalities, especially political commentators. Ed Schultz and Glenn Beck can both be caught yelling in their commentaries. It all comes down to ratings.
Rachel Maddow explained in the documentary “Miss Representation” that she could present the exact same information, with the exact same phrasing, but if she chose to use her hands and animation, she’d get double the ratings she would otherwise. Another popular delivery style involves comedy, something we see used by Steven Colbert, John Oliver and Samantha Bee. You may not like the fact that Lahren yells — I don’t — but that’s an issue to take up with the industry, not her. Finally, the way Lahren dresses or does her makeup has nothing to do with the messages she gives to her audience.
Instead of attacking Lahren on these points, which are not only baseless but also arguments women have been trying to end for years, criticize her for the messages she chooses to deliver. Talk about how she’s repeatedly condemned celebrities for sharing their liberal political views, such as Meryl Streep, but applauds celebrities who do the same thing with conservative views, like Joy Villa. Talk about how in an interview with Trevor Noah on “The Daily Show,” she was able to recognize that not all or even most Trump supporters are alt-right racists but unable to acknowledge that all or even most of the Black Lives Matter don’t want to kill the police. Talk about how she uses dangerous fear-mongering language such as “yesterday’s moderate is today’s terrorist,” a phrase she used while tweeting about the Paris attack.
It may seem like I’m harping on a small issue. After all, my peers, individuals who aren’t figures in the media, posted most of the examples I mentioned. But the problem is that they contribute to the political divide that seems to only be growing wider in this country. Lahren has used her determination and the social media platform to go viral and build her success. She’s self-proclaimed to give a voice to conservative America.
And they deserve a voice. So does liberal America. So does moderate America. Every one deserves a voice. But by posting something that calls Lahren an idiot, tells her to shut up or degrades her on your Facebook timeline, you’re adding to the idea that you’re unwilling to hear what she and people who agree with her have to say. You’re closing yourself off from someone you may know who shares those views and could have had a conversation about it.
Charlamagne Tha God, the co-host of radio show “The Breakfast Club,” agrees with Tomi Lahren on almost nothing. Yet he has a friendship with her and has even appeared on her show. Why? In an interview with The Daily Beast, he says it’s important for conversation. He said it was important to get her point of view, as well as provide her with his. He also said it was important to poke holes in the narrative that she knows and tells, because otherwise it might go untouched.
You don’t have to like Tomi Lahren or the messages that she spreads. But if you’re going to do something about it, it needs to be constructive and not hateful.
