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America, the land of the mighty, might as well 'let go' of their macho imperialism because tiny LEGO plastic 'bricks' (not BRICS ,though Iran is a member of this group from the Global South) are toppling US President Donald Trump’s reputation worldwide.
These hilarious satirical videos from Iran state media and independent animators are winning the optics war in the global narrative on the current Iran America conflict. Brutal and heart-rending as the real war is, its virtual avatar is a meme-fest.
The Ayatollahs have cottoned on to the fact that a massive social media presence of 5.66 billion globally has to be harnessed via memes and attention getting Lego animations which wrap political commentary in humour and satire. As a clever headline put it, “ War by all memes”.
These are grabbing eyeballs and proving so effective that even Americans are praising the clips. Many netizens are calling them creative propaganda not 'slopganda' as some do. It is particularly surreal as this viral content is emanating from a conservative and a wounded enemy nation.
Trolling has become an art and a deadly dart with Trump's social media obsession. A cascade of political volcanic eruptions in tandem with his troll army, it is centre stage and thriving.
Iran, though pummelled and pushed to the wall by the powerful military combo of Israel and America, helmed by the hegemonic duo of 'King Trump' and Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (often called Satanyahu), has kept its nerve.
Like an astute chess player it has studied the war playbook of the adversary. Resorting to multiple strategies and subterfuges it has refused to be dictated to by Trump and his partner in crime. It has internalised the LEGO meaning, which is an abbreviation of the Danish phrase, "leg godt" meaning play well.
And it is playing well by using Minecraft (the most popular LEGO toy brand) as 'mindcraft' by way of digital warfare in an unequal war. To use a current internet slang, Iran has totally 'mogged' (outclassed) America in the Al generated digital war using Lego bricks.
Using iconic LEGO heroes like Batman, Superman, and using Donald Trump's juvenile repetitive vocabulary from his online media platform 'Truth Social' (that title needs to be contested hugely!), it continues to burst the balloon of Don's unfounded swagger.
This meme battle on the current war was initiated by the White House a month ago by releasing a media mashup with actual footage of missile strikes in Iran with bits from war movies like Top Gun plus TV shows etc.
It was criticised for its “gamification" of war--- reducing serious geopolitics to a video game. Iran is paying back in the same Al-generated coin (not the gold coin Trump wants minted with his visage for the 250th anniversary of American Independence) with mini Lego blocks for Trump and Netanyahu and other squat Lego bricks of Jewish people and Gulf sheikhs running for cover under a barrage of missiles.
The U.S. is pulverising Iran with its missiles and bombs, but Iran remains resilient. Apart from its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz blocking mercantile shipping, it is destroying Trump by its relentless video -bombs in hip language!
Two of the major AI generated animation sites are an account ‘Explosive Media’ on X and Akhbarenfejari on Instagram.
A series of Lego shorts unleashed as virtual missiles are creating untold mirth. A recent video has catchy rap music to list a number of heartless American attacks globally, where the video ends on a black screen with white text: “Your grave mistake of attacking us will be judged by history--- and it won’t be in your favour.” And then a final line to parody Trump: “ No Thanks You For Your Attention To This Matter. The People of Iran.”
Yet another released by Iran shows Delulu Donald dressed as Batman(logo says Epstein Man) declaring victory over Iran and the liberation of Hormuz in front of an audience. As he tries to fly away like Batman from the skyscraper after his chest thumping, he falls to his death with a thud. But not before raising his head and saying, "Thank you for your attention!" Dark humour in dark times.
The Lego animated clip directed at Trump titled in bold letters, L-O-S-E-R, is particularly riveting with compelling rap lyrics dissecting Trump's motives for war. Nothing but nothing could be more devastating for D. Trump than to be called a loser, that too in bold letters.
The meme assaults by Iran are rapid with humour laced stories. A Lego short on Trump having a meltdown looking at the ‘No Kings’ protest is a clever ploy to leverage domestic dissent to align with the current war in a smashing mash up. An empty coffin being readied --- COME CLOSER--- being sent to Trump daring him to land boots on the ground. And the killer act of putting a slip inside that mocks him with “Hello Loser”!
Trump's net approval rating has gone down to a historic negative 17 points. Contrary to his grandiose declarations of being the best Prez, he is the most unpopular President in modern U.S. history at this juncture in his term.
One fears that in a nightmarish Armageddon scenario, an apoplectic Donald could carry out an outlandish plan of unblocking the Hormuz strait and landing troops on Kharag island to redefine his TACO(Trump always chickens out) tag to 'Trump always carries out!’
The lines from W.B. Yates's oft-quoted poem 'The Second Coming' (1920)come to my mind:
The darkness drops again; but now I know /That twenty centuries of stony sleep/ Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,/And what rough beast,/ its hour come /round at last,/Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?
Alas! War is not a video game. It wears a death mask, not a joker’s.
Ushi Kak aka Kashpundit, an author and a columnist, writes satire generally. Views expressed here are the writer's own.
