The internet was never going to be a safe place. One of the trade-offs of America’s First Amendment is the acceptance of speech and content that do not align with our personal worldviews. The freedom to communicate independent thought is a vital societal function, but in the age of meme culture, it’s also a telling symptom of what is happening inside a nation’s heart.
In early May 2026, news broke that TikTok users were filming outfit transition videos to the sound effect of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk’s assassination. When the gunshot that killed Kirk fires in the audio clip, the TikTokers, some of whom appear to be high schoolers, show off their prom attire, new hairstyles, and other cosmetic enhancements. The glamorous reveals are briefly soundtracked by the screams that erupted at Utah Valley University that day.