In a surprise Netflix stand-up special released on Friday, comedian Dave Chappelle delivered a sharp and skeptical take on recent attempts by some conservative voices to draw parallels between the late activist Charlie Kirk and civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr.
A Controversial Comparison Draws Comedic Fire
The segment, which quickly went viral on social media, was prompted by reactions following Kirk's fatal shooting. Some figures on the political right began likening Kirk's life and death to that of King, who was assassinated in 1968. Notably, media personality Glenn Beck urged cities to name streets after the Turning Point USA founder, declaring him “a civil rights leader as much as Martin Luther King.”
Chappelle had a blunt assessment of that claim. “That’s a reach,” the comedian stated in a widely circulated clip. He acknowledged a grim, superficial similarity: “They both got murdered in a terrible fashion. They both got shot in the neck. But that’s about where those similarities ended.”
Chappelle's Scathing Impression Highlights the Divide
Labeling Kirk a “motherfucking Internet personality,” Chappelle then posed a rhetorical question to the audience: “Can you imagine if Dr. King was behaving like Charlie Kirk?” He proceeded to launch into an impression of King’s iconic voice, but filtered through the jargon of a modern online influencer.
Chappelle boomed in his King impression, “‘Smash that like button and subscribe!’” He continued, “‘Follow me for more content like this! I believe all Black people should be free, change my mind!’” The bit humorously underscored the vast chasm between King’s historic, sacrifice-driven leadership and the style of contemporary partisan media figures.
The Context: Kirk's Own Views on King and Civil Rights
Chappelle's critique is underscored by Kirk's own documented statements about Martin Luther King Jr. in the years before his death. According to a Wired report from 2023, Kirk, who had praised King earlier, later called him “awful” and claimed he was someone who merely “said one good thing he actually didn’t believe.”
Furthermore, Kirk expressed the controversial opinion that the passage of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a “huge mistake.” These views stand in stark contrast to King's lifelong legacy and the universal reverence he commands in the fight for racial equality, adding a layer of irony to the posthumous comparisons that Chappelle found so ripe for comedy.
Chappelle's new special continues his pattern of engaging with contentious cultural and political topics, using his platform to challenge narratives and provoke thought through humor, even as he courts controversy.
