On the anniversary of Charlie Kirk’s death, many Gen Zers are sharing odd posts. Here’s why

In August, something peculiar started happening on TikTok.

Charlie Kirk, the political commentator and Turning Point USA founder who was killed in September of 2025, started appearing in increasingly distorted, nonsensical and sometimes morbid memes and short-form video clips.

Sepia-toned photos of him smiling were featured in nostalgic, autumn montages between cuts of pumpkin spice lattes and “Gilmore Girls.” His face was superimposed onto iCarly, Birkenstocks and Lana Del Rey. Users remixed Spalexma’s AI-generated "We Are Charlie Kirk" song, originally intended as a tribute, over other songs.

The memes have ramped up in the lead-up to the one-year anniversary of Kirk’s death on Sept. 10. It’s something users across social media are calling the “Kirkiversary.”

On its face, these posts may appear bizarre, tasteless and tone-deaf. But experts who study media and digital culture explain that as Gen Zers make sense of political violence, polarization and constant exposure to bad news, these posts are actually a good example of how many young people today use humor to distance themselves from the emotional weight of reality.

The Kirk content is a striking example of that, as his image and death have been absorbed into the same internet culture that turns celebrities…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/life/