Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco pose on the red carpet at the 83rd Annual Golden Globes in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., January 11, 2026. REUTERS/Daniel Cole
(Beverly Hills, California) – When Charlie Kirk was shot and killed in front of thousands of students at Utah State University, the murder sent shockwaves through American politics.
Yet just days later, as millions tuned into the Emmy Awards, there was no mention of Kirk’s death- no moment of silence, no acknowledgment, no words of sympathy. The omission stood out even more because a nationally televised memorial for Kirk, attended by senior Republican officials, was happening the very same night in Washington, D.C.
Emmy organizers and the show’s host insisted the ceremony was meant to be “non-political,” arguing that Kirk did not qualify for the In Memoriam segment because he was not a television industry figure. But that explanation quickly fell apart under scrutiny.
Throughout the broadcast, celebrities openly injected politics into their speeches, using the stage to criticize ICE, comment on Gaza, and promote progressive causes. Profanity-laced denunciations of U.S. immigration enforcement drew applause- proving Hollywood had no problem “getting political” when the message aligned with its worldview.
For many conservatives, the silence surrounding Kirk’s assassination revealed an uncomfortable double standard. Hollywood regularly honors activists, movements, and victims tied to left-wing causes, even when they fall well outside the entertainment industry. Yet when the victim is a prominent conservative voice- one who challenged the cultural and political beliefs dominant in Hollywood, the industry suddenly retreats behind technicalities and claims of neutrality.
The result is a growing perception that awards shows don’t avoid politics, they curate them. By choosing which tragedies deserve airtime and which are ignored, Hollywood signals whose lives and ideas matter in elite cultural spaces.
For Kirk’s supporters, the Emmys’ silence wasn’t about eligibility rules or keeping the show light. It was a reminder that in modern entertainment culture, compassion often comes with an ideological filter.
