The death of Chuck Norris spawned both humor and heartache.
Fans of the action star rushed to social media to mourn his loss while recalling some of the funniest memes tied to the “Walker, Texas Ranger” standout.
BREAKING: Chuck Norris woke up briefly from death this morning to correct an error on his death certificate.
He then shook hands with the doctor, laid back down, and died again.
— U.S. Ministry of Truth (@USMiniTru) March 20, 2026
Chuck Norris told a woman to calm down and she did.
— Frank J. Fleming (@IMAO_) March 20, 2026
When Chuck Norris installs Windows, Microsoft accepts his terms and conditions pic.twitter.com/k5PyXvpOL1
— Marie Isabella (@MarieIsabellaB) March 6, 2026
Humor can help us process grief, honor the dead and remember those who impacted our lives in a positive way.
This … was different. And not remotely funny.
Variety rushed out a think piece tied to Norris’ passing Friday at the age of 86. The article didn’t celebrate his impact on Hollywood, the legend that grew around him or his durability as an action hero.
Instead, the piece attacked Norris on two key fronts. He shared a “cop agenda,” and his pro-America movies equated to “dangerous propaganda.” The tortured headline says it all: “Chuck Norris Was a Great Action Star — but Politics May Overshadow His Legacy”
RELATED: YOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO HOLLYWOOD MEDIA BIAS
Once again, an anti-American scribe attacks a star for making patriotic films. That’s something today’s Hollywood rarely, if ever, does.
Was Norris a brilliant athlete and top-shelf star? Yes. But there’s no denying that his roles were part of a body of work used to show American strength, might and the pernicious attraction of taking the law into one’s own hands — something that seems less fun in a year in which our country is funneling money into bombing Iran and ICE agents are acting like one-man militias.
You’ll never see a similar think piece tied to the late, truly great Rob Reiner. Imagine a Variety article saying how Reiner’s crazed political views might overshadow his legacy, published the day of his death, no less.
Reiner’s political views were, indeed, crazed. His Trump Derangement Syndrome lapped everyone save Rosie O’Donnell and Robert De Niro. It was embarrassing.
You simply don’t pen that piece the day of Reiner’s death. Nor do you suggest those views could or should diminish his contributions to the culture.
They can’t.
That rule didn’t apply to Norris, apparently. The actor/martial artist leaned to the Right in his personal life and loved his country. Those factors made him a target.
When a star is the poster boy for American exceptionalism and might, at what point does his legacy transition from escapism to dangerous propaganda?
It never does, Variety. It never does.
Thankfully, X users let the outlet have it.
This was what you posted about radical left wing activist Harry Belafonte. How come this burnished his legacy but political engagement takes away from Norris’?https://t.co/xnI5yvvMAP
— Megan Basham (@megbasham) March 20, 2026
Variety Is a Great Magazine — but Politics May Overshadow Its Legacy.
— Roger Avary (@AVARY) March 20, 2026
Legacy media makes Iranian leaders sound like saints… but stomps all over the graves of American heroes.
— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) March 20, 2026
Same writer btw pic.twitter.com/mtGijRs8RN
— Chris Martz (@ChrisMartzWX) March 21, 2026
