Maren Morris just turned that Tucker Carlson insult into $100,000 for trans community
"Lunatic country music person."
Those four little words just helped country musician Maren Morris put her money where her mouth is when it comes to supporting the trans community.
Over the weekend, the "Middle" singer raised more than $100,000 for GLAAD’s Transgender Media Program and Trans Lifeline by selling T-shirts printed with "Lunatic Country Music Person," along with her name and the phone number for a hotline for trans youth.
Morris was inspired and fired up after Fox News host Tucker Carlson criticized her for calling out Brittany Aldean, the wife of country star Jason Aldean. On Aug. 23, Brittany Aldean posted a makeup transformation video on Instagram that featured a transphobic caption.
"I’d really like to thank my parents for not changing my gender when I went through my tomboy phase," Aldean wrote. "I love this girly life."
On Aug. 26, Morris shared her outrage over Aldean's caption on Twitter, writing, "It's so easy to, like, not be a scumbag human? Sell your clip-ins and zip it, Insurrection Barbie."
It’s so easy to, like, not be a scumbag human? Sell your clip-ins and zip it, Insurrection Barbie.
— MAREN MORRIS (@MarenMorris) August 26, 2022
During his "Tucker Carlson Tonight" segment on Sept. 1, the anchor highlighted Aldean's post and interviewed her about the backlash. Carlson also took a swipe at Morris and fellow country artist Cassadee Pope, who also spoke out against Aldean's comment.
"No sane society would have a problem with or even notice words like that, but in 2022, this is a time when you are led to believe that minors should be castrated by their parents," Carlson said, referring to gender-affirming surgery and treatment.
Then Carlson called Morris "a lunatic" and a "fake country music singer." However, Morris didn't take Carlson's dig personally. Instead, she owned it.
"#NewProfilePic," she jokingly captioned a tweet on Friday that featured a chyron reading "Lunatic Country Music Person" under a photo of her.
Later that day she unveiled the black "Lunatic Country Music Person" shirt, which sells for $35, noting that all proceeds would go to the aforementioned organizations. By Friday evening, Morris said fans raised $63,000 in two hours. The next day sales hit more than $100,000.
In addition to shirts supporting the trans community, Morris' fanbase also got a cheeky new name out of the Carlson insult.
"Have a great Labor Day weekend, lunatics," Morris wrote to her nearly 850,000 Twitter followers.
The "Make You Say" singer is up for album of the year (for "Humble Quest") at this year's CMA Awards, which announced its nominations Wednesday.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
