Taylor Lorenz’s Power User How Charlie Kirk Memes Are Radicalizing Gen Z w/ Ryan Broderick
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Dec 17, 2025 
Ryan Broderick, an online culture journalist, dives into the bizarre world of Charlie Kirk memes and their darker implications. He discusses how Kirk's death sparked a wave of meme creation, transforming him into an absurd symbol of the far-right. Broderick explores the rise of Groipers and the evolution of meme formats, revealing how these trends often flirt with extremist ideologies. He warns about the dangers of sharing Kirk content, which can lead to algorithmic cascades of extremist material, showcasing the complex relationship between humor and radicalization in today's digital landscape.
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Immediate Memefication Of Charlie Kirk
- Charlie Kirk's death was immediately memefied across the internet, blending sincere veneration with ironic edits.
- That early mix created fertile ground for both leftist mockery and far-right exploitation.
Divergent Right-Wing Audiences
- Different right-wing subcultures shared similar Charlie Kirk content for distinct reasons, creating confusion.
- From afar it reads as algorithmic 'slop,' but it's meaningful to insiders.
Origin Story Of The Face-Swap Trend
- The face-swap trend began with an X account called 'money spread' that churned thousands of Charlie edits.
- Ryan reached out to the creator who briefly engaged and then ghosted him.