Need help with Kirk cluelessness

[Dear_Prudence]

Until he was killed, I don't recall ever hearing of Charlie Kirk. The hoopla following his death seemed unreal to me. Generally, I check the daily online headlines on DU, Huff Post, ABC, NBC, CBS (not anymore), Google News For You (has some local headlines), and Ms-now. Maybe I skipped over stuff about Kirk? Maybe those outlets never featured him? If you had heard of Kirk before his death, what was the source of that news stream? 🤔 What am I missing? 😕

[newdeal2]

1. He was big in conservative circles

Online and with his college propaganda machine, which is maybe why you never heard of him. There are a ton of these conservative voices now with millions of followers and weird ideologies. I find out about new ones every so often - good to know who you are up against because it’s not just Fox News anymore.

[Dear_Prudence]

10. You are right.

My son and husband are right wingers and conspiracy followers. I keep the peace by keeping my mouth shut. But, a few years ago, wanting to build a bridge with my son, I printed-off the list of about 30 news outlets that Pew Research had ranked by how trusted each was by the left or by the right. The list included Fox, Breitbart, Joe Rogan, MSNBC and Huff Post. I checked off the ones I relied on and asked my son which ones he relied on. He said none of them; he gets his news from online sources. Those sources would probably be the 'weird ideology' you mentioned and Alex Jones spin-offs. So, no bridges were built. I guess I chose to not delve deep enough to bump into Kirk-types. Thank you.

[Shellback Squid]

2. background noise, he was over rated

[Iggo]

3. He was being groomed as the next American Fuhrer.

None of that matters now.

He’s dead and gone.

[buzzycrumbhunger]

4. Same, kinda...

I think I’d at least seen a photo or two but just winced and looked away because he was so uncomfortably creepy-looking, like a balloon over-filled so the face looked ridiculously undersized for that giant heid… Couldn’t imagine he’d have anything worthwhile to say, and in this case, my prejudice proved true. Clearly, the right wingers eat up. ignorant propaganda, especially when it comes from a morally bankrupt goon who justifies their insecurities and hatred of “others” in general.

[eppur_se_muova]

5. He was a bloviating, racist, misogynist boor -- i.e., a hero to the "bros" on the Right.

If you had enough class not to follow the SO-CALLED "manosphere" online, you had no reason to take any real interest in his activities. He was just a big mouth with a lot of free PR he didn't deserve.

[Dear_Prudence]

12. Oh, a Rush Limbaugh knock-off

Actually, I followed Rush Limbaugh some and he saved my life. Maybe 30 years ago, I used to go to activist meetings all around Oklahoma. Sometimes I had a 4 hours of meetings with a 6 hour round trip. The ride home, alone, after dark, was tough. FM radio wouldn't come in, but I could get AM talk radio with Limbaugh. I never fell asleep behind the wheel because I was listening to Limbaugh, steam coming out of my ears, shaking with anger, yelling at the radio. Thankfully, now we have Zoom for long-distance meetings and Limbaugh is dead.

[valleyrogue]

18. Not Limbaugh. David Duke.

His views were identical to the KKK but with billionaire backing.

[walkingman]

6. The first time I ever heard of the guy was when my nephew told me about

a Turning Point gathering on his college campus that was giving away free t-shirts. He said it wasn't for him but lots of students were coming for the Ts.

This version of religion is toxic and has been around maybe forever - they are evil and use their influence to push a political agenda that seems to have been very successful.

It kind of reminds me of when I was a kid in the deep South and the revivals. Many believed they could be healed, etc. IMO, it is based on ignorance similar to professional wrestling.

[RockRaven]

7. I had heard of him a fair bit. Usually from left-leaning independent journalists and pundits

who cover the right-wing political ecosystem/infighting, as best I can recall. More through podcasts or online articles than television.

I cannot point to any particular outlet that I consumed which covered him regularly. It was just a mention here and there, usually around CPAC or the RNC, or when there was a big online drama/feud in RW social media. But also one of those figures who has been around long enough, and was boring/banal enough, not to have a distinct memory of their discovery.

[LogDog75]

8. MAGA want mandatory Charlie Kirk chapters on college canpuses and his teaching taught in high schools

He really was a nobody who became famous for being assassinated by one of his own. However, MAGA is silent on the murders of Rene Good and Alex Pretti who were exercising their Constitutional right of peaceful protest.

So in MAGA-world, they want to honor a person who worked to divide our nation while ignoring those peacefully demonstrating against those who would violate other's Constitutional rights.

MAGA live in a Bizaro World.

[flvegan]

9. Once The Outrage Factory and The Grift Machine start working together

nobody can hide from it. It's everywhere.

[LudwigPastorius]

11. Charlie Kirk was the first featured guest on Governor Gavin Newsom's podcast.

I had heard of him before then, but Kirk's media profile seemed a bit elevated after that.

[Dear_Prudence]

13. Good info. Thanks. nt

[applegrove]

14. Psychopaths look for cognitive opennings in people

in order to control their minds. Being a young adult is a cognitive opening. So too is an emotional trauma. They tried to force that on everybody where Kirk was concerned. A certain percentage knew of him even though they didn't follow him. I bet they were the target of the exaggerated tragedy. MAGA trying to rope them in.

[highplainsdem]

15. I'd posted some threads about him before he was killed:

February 2024:

RWNJ Charlie Kirk & equally crazy cohosts fantasize about public executions, televised, w/ children as young 12 watching
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100218696131

June 2024:

Charlie Kirk's Young Women's Leadership Summit. (Ron Filipkowsi tweet with video)
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100219020694

August 2024:

Charlie Kirk, who'll join Trump at a rally tomorrow, says the Democratic Party is infected by "hypertoxic femininity"
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100219370503

[Dear_Prudence]

16. Thank you highplainsdem

Interesting that you got 72 responses, but only 10 recs on the Aug 2024 post. I take that to mean that there was interest in Kirk before he was killed, but DU members didn't choose to direct others to Kirk's awful rhetoric. You have been keeping us informed, and checking under the rocks (where the scorpions lurk).

[highplainsdem]

20. You're very welcome!

I've always found lots of important info on DU, so I like to repay that favor DU does for all of us by sharing information I've found elsewhere here.

[tanyev]

17. I also think RW media and personalities are itching to capitalize on violence.

Their reactions would have been the same for any victim they claim as their own.

[oasis]

19. Same here. Never heard of Kirk until he departed.

“Ignorance is bliss” worked for me in his case.